Son of Man

Alexander Men - an outstanding figure of the Russian Orthodox Church, preacher, theologian, educator, author of dozens of books on the history of religion, the foundations of Christian doctrine, and Orthodox worship. «Son of Man» is the most famous book by Alexander Men, written in 1966 and dedicated to the events of the earthly life of Jesus Christ. It was first published in full in 1968 in Brussels, and in the author's homeland, it was distributed in samizdat until the beginning of the 1990s. For his missionary work, Alexander Men, popular in intellectual circles, was repeatedly persecuted by the KGB. In this book, he sought to introduce readers of the 20th century to the Gospel story in a language they could understand, as well as to tell about the rich tradition of its study. According to S. S. Averintsev, «Son of Man» is «undoubtedly a talented book, written with exceptional competence», however, «nowhere does it hypnotize the reader with erudition... it takes on the humble role of a guide to the primary source, to the authentic Gospel text». By opening this path for people raised in an atmosphere of total anti-religious propaganda, Alexander Men’s book remains relevant today and is in demand among readers of different generations.