Simon Frank and the orthodoxy: religious way of the philosopher

The paper represents a complex analysis of the religious way of a prominent Russian thinker Simon Frank. It focuses on basic facts of his biography, with respect to his personal attitude towards faith and the Church, first of all that concern his early religious education, conversion to Christianity, participation in the life of the Orthodox Church in exile (emigration), mystical experience. All these facts, serving a background, enable the future analysis of his ideas within the framework of metaphysics and philosophy of religion: his understanding (and interpretation) of the ontological argument, panentheistic worldview, ideas of religious universalism. The research novelty lies primarily in combining of biographical approach with the studies in theoretical material which enables the most fully and lively representation of Simon Frank’s creative evolution in his attitude towards religion. A number of facts, based upon recent archival researches, concerning Frank’s personal participation in the Church life in emigration, his mystical experience are presented for the first time. Profundity of Simon Frank’s religio-philosophical ideas along with the continually growing interest to his ideas around the globe witnesses the relevancy of the study.