Stephen's Reviews > Tale of the Anti-Christ

Vladimir Sergeyevich Solovyev (1853-1900) was a Russian theologian, philosopher, poet, and literary critic. His photograph in Wikipedia looks very much like the photograph of a 19th century Russian theologian, philosopher, poet and literary critic. He was born and baptized in the Russian Orthodox Church, renounced Orthodoxy, and embraced Roman Catholicism, supporting the reunion of Eastern and Western Christianity as well as Papal supremacy. Others have described him as a mystic and that trait is certainly evident in The Tale of the Anti-Christ. His writing reminded me (albeit in translation) of British author Charles W.S. Williams. Drawing upon Saint John of Patmos' visions in the Book of Revelation, Solovyev imagines the coming of the Anti-Christ in the 20th century. The Anti-Christ is ever so attractive: a a pacifist, a spiritualist, a philanthropist, a pacifist, a vegetarian, an environmentalist, a defender of animal rights, and an ecumenist. He is able to reduce the Gospel to Christless humanitarian cultural action. His depiction is too accurate not to be upsetting. Solovyev is a “Russian figure of extraordinary depth,” St. John Paul II said during his Angelus of July 30, 2000. Italian Cardinal Giacomi Biffi led a papal retreat for the Pope and top Vatican officials in 2007 in which he used Solovyev's Anti-Christ as the basis from which to develop his themes. I'm not at all sure that I fully understand it but I am glad that I read it.