Lucid Russian minds Ultimate Questions: An Anthology of Modern Russian Thought edited with an introduction by Alexander Schmemann (Mowbrays £3.25)

This title was originally published in 1965, but the reprint is most welcome for it gathers together the writings of eminent Orthodox Russian writers, Solovyov, Florensky, Berdyaev, Fedotov, Bulgakov and others. Each long contribution displays great thought and lucid minds, and reveals classic Orthodox culture at its best.
Taking one example, "Beauty,
Sexuality and Love" by Solovyov is an essay of great beauty in itself. It is also one of the clearest Christian expositions of true love, genuine sexuality and an explanatory critique of sensuality which was and is the most misunderstood word in the vocabulary of human existence.
When it was written, this essay was years ahead of its time, and today it could still make simplistic pseudo-moralists raise their eyebrows.
The other essays on a wide variety of religious subjects arc of equally high standard and of a calibre rarely seen in recent years.
Graham Jenkins