The Comforter

Encyclopedic in scope, "The Comforter" explores all aspects of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, both as they are viewed in the Orthodox tradition and throughout church history. The book has sections on the development of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit in early Christianity and on the development of the doctrine of procession in the patristic and later Byzantine periods. It also touches on the place of the Holy Spirit in the Trinity and explores Old and New Testament notions of the Spirit of God. A concluding chapter deals with the mystical revelation of the Holy Spirit. Throughout, Bulgakov buttresses his rigorous philosophical and theological reflections with evidence drawn from Scripture and church tradition.

Bulgakov's stated goal, however, is to continue Athanasius's investigation of the christological aspects of the Divine-Humanity. Athanasius interpreted the latter as the dyadic action of the Son and the Holy Spirit, but he did not consider the relation between the Father and the Holy Spirit. In "The Comforter" Bulgakov extends Athanasius's conception into an inquiry into Divine-Humanity as the work of the Son "and" the Holy Spirit, who in their indivisible dyad reveal the Father.

An important virtue of "The Comforter" is Bulgakov's treatment of the "filioque" question. In fact, his discussion of this question may be the most important modern contribution to "filoque" studies from the Orthodox perspective.Bulgakov examines the writings of the chief theoreticians on both sides of the dispute, and finds that each of the sides is wrong in its own way. He concludes that the "filioque" question is not an insuperable obstacle to the reunification of the churches.

Finally made available in English by Boris Jakim, today's foremost Russian translator, "The Comforter" is a major publishing event.