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Russia and Western Civilization: Cultural and Historical Encounters
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Comments/Reviews
Description: This volume introduces readers to an age-old question that has perplexed Russians and Westerners alike. Is Russia the eastern flank of Europe? Or is it really the heartland of another civilization?
In exploring this question, the contributing authors present a sweeping survey of cultural, religious, political, and economic developments in Russia, especially over the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Planned as a course book for interdisciplinary programs in Western Civilization or Russian Area Studies, the text features highlight boxes, glossaries, study questions, a discography, a guide to on-line art galleries, and annotated reading lists.
Selected Contents:
List of Boxes
Preface
Introduction Russell Bova
I. Historical and Cultural Foundations
1. The Russian Idea and the West Philip T. Grier
2. Russian Orthodoxy and Western Christianity: Confrontation and Accommodation Theodore Pulcini
3. The Russian Revolutions: The Impact and Limitations of Western Influence Karl D. Qualls
II. Literature and the Arts: Russia and the European Tradition
4. Russian Writing/Writing Russia Robert Bird
5. Russian Art in Search of Identity Elena Duzs
6. An Introduction to Russian Music Truman Bullard
III. Perspectives on the Future: Convergence or Divergence?
7. Democracy and Russian Political Culture Russell Bova
8. Russian Business: The Warp and Weave of Its History Michael S. Poulton
9. Youth and Popular Culture: The Common Denominator? Hilary Pilkington
Glossary of Key Terms
About the Editor and Contributors
Index
Comment(s): "This is a well-organized and expertly written interdisciplinary survey of major cultural trends in Russia, covering topics as varied as the foundations of Russian Orthodoxy, music and literature, politics, and contemporary youth culture. Russia and Western Civilization is an excellent resource for college courses. The informative chapters, written in a clear style, are accessible to students at all levels, while lists of suggested readings should satisfy more advanced students and scholars who want to continue their inquiry." -- Jennifer Ryan Tishler, University of Wisconsin
"This is really a great book -- it is reliable, wise, and elegant. It was very helpful for my course ... a great gift for students of Russian history and culture." -- Ilya Vinitsky, University of Pennsylvania
"I used Russia and Western Civilization (along with Rzhevsky's Anthology of Russian Literature with CD) in our Introduction to Russian and Eurasian Studies. It was a very successful choice for the course. The chapters cover the most important issues in Russian history and culture in a way that is both accessible and engaging for students, and offer an excellent basis for class discussion. The two books complement each other very well and together provide a great way to introduce students to Russian culture." -- Scott Kenworthy, Miami University of Ohio
Review(s): It is informative, at times even "cutting edge"...exceeds the usual quality of course books, while making it a useful read for a wider academic audience. Canadian Slavonic Papers
    
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