Assessment of the “high society rift” by Russian secular and spiritual writers of the XIX century

The rising criticism of evangelic doctrine by secular and spiritual writers of the XIX century is analyzed in the article. In Russia, the English lord Granville Redstok and his pupil colonel Vasily Aleksandrovich Pashkov acted as energetic supporters of this criticism. This doctrine was called “The high society rift”. One of the works of N. S. Leskov (1876) was given the same name. The doctrine was also reflected in the works of multiple writers of the second half of the XIX century. Despite a significant number of influential followers, the ideas of the new doctrine did not find wide support in the Russian society. N. S. Leskov, F. M. Dostoyevsky, prince V. P. Meshchersky, L. N. Tolstoy and numerous spiritual writers were very critical of the new doctrine. Among them was a famous theologian and a spiritual writer of the XIX century St. Theophan the Recluse, also known as “Theophan Zatvornik” (1815-1894). He wrote seven accusatory articles against Pashkov’s false doctrine. As a result of unanimous criticism by both the secular and spiritual press a new doctrine was forbidden, and its main ideologist V. A. Pashkov left Russia. It was on of the rare examples of unity between secular and church press. They demonstrated solidarity in the assessment of the developing religious and social trends in Russia of the second half of the XIX century.