The 19th century Russian writer Leo Tolstoy is remembered in the Western world chiefly as the author of the voluminous novels “War and Peace” and “Anna Karenina.”
But in a recent biography Oxford Professor Rosamund Bartlett recalls Tolstoy’s story from his ardent analysis of Orthodox tradition to his final excommunication as a spiritual anarchist. In 1861 the Russian serfs were freed by Czarist decree but their lot in life was hardly altered. Tolstoy was still served dinner on silver plate by footman in white gloves while his serfs struggled to pay rent on the small plots of land leased to them. Such social injustice greatly disturbed the young Tolstoy. Like Thomas Jefferson in 18th century America, the early Tolstoy arranged in book form all the sayings of Jesus that promoted what Tolstoy deemed to be the essence of the Gospel message. Miracles and other supernatural events held little appeal for Tolstoy who read the Scriptures chiefly with an eye to the vast inequities that were evident in mid-19th century Russia. Tolstoy essentially stripped the Gospels down to their moral message. The cornerstone of Tolstoy’s Christian perspective consequently became the Sermon on the Mount.
Count Tolstoy published his Gospel digest under the title “What I Believe.” Author Bartlett outlines his summation by noting that the true believer should live in peace with everyone, should esteem marriage and sexuality, should be respectful in speech, should not take offense at injury, and should offer love even to enemies. Morality was the cornerstone of Christianity for Tolstoy. When his Gospel précis was translated in English, the Count sent a copy to British author Matthew Arnold who, shortly before his death, wrote poignantly and perceptively that Christianity “cannot be packed into any set of commandments.” Arnold compared Christianity to the vast waters of the earth, insisting that no one sea or no one bay could exhaust Christianity. No series of maxims, not even “those of the Sermon on the Mount” could be cited as the ultimate sum and formula which might explain Christianity.
What Tolstoy overlooked and what Arnold happily perceived was that Christianity is not rules and regulations, nor teachings and traditions, nor ceremonies and rituals, no matter how exalted or ennobled. Christianity is Jesus Christ and him crucified. Christianity is a personal relationship with God the Father, made available through his Son, Jesus Christ, and sustained by the Holy Spirit. In other words, Christianity is primarily personal – the person who is the believer being encountered by the divine persons who are the Trinity. Only after entering into and appreciating a personal relationship with God will the believer make appropriate sense of Christian doctrine, Christian morality and Christian rituals. Otherwise creeds, codes and cults become polite but vain observances forestalling the intimate relationship with God they are intended to foster.
No one should be too quick to judge Tolstoy or Thomas Jefferson or anyone else who unwittingly reduces Christianity simply to one of its components. A good number of well-meaning people diminish Christianity just to the keeping of the Commandments. Sacraments and doctrines hold no appeal. Another group might easily assume that Christianity is purely sacramental celebrations. Go to Mass and one is all set. Others might view Christianity solely in terms of doctrinal orthodoxy. The Baltimore Catechism said it all. Every generation of believers has highlighted one of these aspects of Christianity while ignoring another, usually to its own spiritual inadequacy and especially to that of succeeding generations.
Only by adhering first of all to the divine persons, only through a faithful acceptance of God as a loving Father, redeeming Son, and life-giving Spirit will the vastness of Christianity begin to make sense and become transformative. Apart from the divine persons, even the Gospels, even the Sermon of the Mount, lose much of their luster and significance. God himself is the only full explanation of Christianity.
