Eastern Christendom:
A Study of the Origin and Development of the Eastern Orthodox Church
Published by G.P. Putnam and Sons, New York, 1961, 326 pages.
By Nicolas Zernov
Published by G.P. Putnam and Sons, New York, 1961, 326 pages.
By Nicolas Zernov
Reviewed by Georges Florovsky
Slavic Review, Vol. 24, No. 4 (Dec., 1965), p. 745-747.
Unless they are written by great masters, books of such wide scope and compass are seldom based on original research and scrutiny of primary sources. On the other hand, authors of such comprehensive surveys in their dependence upon the critical assessment by others of source material must be well acquainted with the contemporary state of scholarship in the field. To write such a survey, especially for the ordinary reader, who is usually unable to check the reliability of what is presented to him, is a difficult and responsible task. The book of Dr. Zernov is no more than a compilation; nevertheless he often allows himself to pass judgment on controversial issues and to offer sweeping generalizations which call for resistance from scholars.
