'Richard Gustafson has written what will undoubtedly prove to be one of the major studies of Tolstoy produced in his generation , an especially thoughtful book, full of ideas, insights, and perceptions that are very much Gustafson's own.' 'Gustafson's grasp of the Tolstoy canon . . . is truly impressive, and his sensitive, and detailed reading of individual works convincingly establishes the ongoing dialectic between experience,. theological reflection, and artistic creation.... Our appreciation of Tolstoy's fiction and of the Russian theological tradition is greatly enriched by this study. It is possibly one of the very best pieces of 'theology and literature' this reviewer has yet encountered.' 'Professor Gustafson's exceptional combination of literary, linguistic and theological erudition makes his latest work a landmark in the history of post-war Tolstoyan scholarship.' '... a radically new reading, one that may mark a new stage in studies of Tolstoy in the West.' Richard F. Gustafson is Professor of Russian at Barnard College, Columbia University.