Faith in Divine Providence: Criticism of Deism and Apology of Christianity in Theological Works of V. D. Kudryavtsev-Platonov

The article presents analysis of theological constructions of Professor V. D. Kudryavtsev- Platonov, emphasizing his teaching of Divine Providence, which, in particular, reveals his view on the problem of evil. The reconstruction and interpretation of the theological and philosophical ideas carried out in this article resulted in identification of the main methods and approaches, through which the internal problems of the professor’s works were revealed. The integrity of the theological and philosophical system of V. D. Kudryavtsev- Platonov is noted, in which the founding section devoted to issues of epistemology and ontology serves as a solid foundation for arguments in defense of the fundamental provisions of the Christian faith. It is shown that the works of V. D. Kudryavtsev- Platonov are rooted in the historical heritage of Orthodox thought, since the theme of God’s actions (energies) is central both for the professor and for such holy fathers as St. Gregory the Theologian, St. Gregory of Nyssa and St. Gregory Palamas in particular. It is noted that an important merit of the work carried out by Professor Kudryavtsev is integration of Orthodox religious experience into a broad theological and philosophical context, consistently using a method specifically related to the subject area of natural theology. Also presented is the author’s position regarding the relevance of the works of V. D. Kudryavtsev- Platonov and the possibility of introducing them into modern scientific circulation.