The article analyses the “Journals” by the renowned liturgician and theologian Alexander Schmemann and examines the role of Nikolai Gogol and his oeuvre in the diarist’s mind and his “Journals”. It is noted that protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann’s thinking is characterised by the ongoing inner dialogue, which allows Schmemann to turn Gogol into the “other character” (M. M. Bakhtin). Their dialogue creates opportunities for the diarist to identify and resolve his own important issues. In Schmemann’s “Journals”, Gogol’s role was to ask the question about the forms that evil could take in those days and to demonstrate that laughter was a possible and necessary way of responding to it.
church, secular culture, laughter.
References
1. Averintsev S. S. Bakhtin i russkoe otnoshenie k smekhu // Averintsev S. S. Svyaz’ vremen. K.: Dukh i Litera, 2005. S. 360–365.
2. Averintsev S. S. Bakhtin, smekh, khristianskaya kul’tura // Averintsev S. S. Svyaz’ vremen. K.: Dukh i Litera, 2005. S. 343–359.
3. Bibikhin V. V. Kerkegor i Gogol’ // Bibikhin V. V. Slovo i sobytie. Pisatel’ i literatura. M.: Russkiy Fond Sodeystviya Obrazovaniyu i Nauke, 2010. S. 265–272.
4. Gogol’ N. V. Polnoe sobranie sochineniy: v 14 t. M.; L.: Izd-vo AN SSSR, 1937–1952. T. 4. 1951. 552 s.
5. Gogol’ N. V. Polnoe sobranie sochineniy: v 14 t. M.; L.: Izd-vo AN SSSR, 1937–1952. T. 8. Stat’i. 1952. 816 s.
6. Yevdokimov P. Etapy dukhovnoy zhizni: Ot ottsov-pustynnikov do nashikh dney. M.: Svyato-Filaretovskaya moskovskaya vysshaya pravoslavno-khristianskaya shkola, 2003.
7. Mann Yu. V. Tvorchestvo Gogolya: smysl i forma. SPb.: Izd-vo S.-Peterb. un-ta, 2007. 744 s.
8. Struve N. A. Pravoslavie i kul’tura. M.: Russkiy put’, 2000. 632 s.
9. Shmeman Aleksandr, prot. Dnevniki. 1973–1983. M.: Russkiy put’, 2005. 720 s.
