Literature on the topic. Children's books about death Fiction about illness and death of children

Death is an integral part of life, and any child sooner or later learns about its existence. This usually happens when the baby sees a dead bird, mouse or other animal for the first time in his life. It also happens that the first knowledge about death he receives with more tragic circumstances, for example, when a family member dies or dies. It is quite expected that this question, so frightening for adults, will sound: What happened? Why is my grandmother (dad, aunt, cat, dog) lying still and not talking?

Even very young children are able to distinguish living from non-living and dream from something more frightening. Usually, out of fear of traumatizing the child's psyche, parents tend to avoid the topic of death and begin to tell the child that "the cat is sick and was taken to the hospital." “dad left and will return when you are already quite big”, etc. But is it worth giving false hope?

Often, behind such explanations, in fact, there is a desire to spare not the psyche of the child, but one's own. Young children still do not understand the meaning of such a concept as “forever”, “forever”, they consider death to be a reversible process, especially in the light of how it is presented in modern cartoons and films, where characters either die or move to another world and turn into funny ghosts. In children, ideas about non-existence are extremely blurred. But for us adults, who are well aware of the gravity of what happened, it is often very, very difficult to talk about the death of loved ones. AND great tragedy not in the fact that the child will have to say that dad will never return, but in experiencing it again ourselves.

How traumatic information about death will be loved one depends on what tone you will talk about it with the child, with what emotional message. At this age, children are traumatized not so much by words as by how we say them. Therefore, no matter how bitter the death of a loved one is for us, in order to talk with a child, we should gain strength and calmness in order not only to inform him about what happened, but also to speak, discuss this event, and answer the questions that have arisen.

However, psychologists recommend telling children the truth. Parents must understand how much information and what quality their child is able to perceive, and must give him the answers that he will understand. In addition, it is usually difficult for young children to clearly formulate their question, so you should try to understand what exactly worries the baby - he is afraid to be left alone, or he is afraid that mom and dad will also be gone soon, he is afraid to die himself or something else. And in such situations, believing parents are in a more advantageous position, because they can tell their child that the soul of their grandmother (dad or other relative) flew to heaven to God. This information is more benign than purely atheistic: "Grandma died, and she is no more." And most importantly, the topic of death should not be taboo. We get rid of fears by speaking them out, so the child also needs to talk about this topic and get answers to questions that are accessible to him.

It is still difficult for young children to understand why their loved one is taken away from home and buried in the ground. Even in their understanding dead people need food, light, communication. Therefore, it is quite possible that you will hear the question: “And when will they dig it up and bring it back?” a child may worry that his beloved grandmother was alone underground and will not be able to get out on her own, that she will feel bad, dark and scared there. Most likely, he will ask this question more than once, because it is difficult for him to learn the new concept of “forever” for him. We must calmly answer that the dead are not dug up, that they remain in the cemetery forever, that the dead no longer need food and warmth, they do not distinguish between light and night.

When explaining the phenomenon of death, one should not go into theological details about the Last Judgment, about the fact that souls good people go to Paradise, and the souls of the bad ones go to Hell, and so on. To a small child suffice it to say that dad became an angel and now looks at him from heaven, that angels are invisible, you can’t talk to them or hug them, but you can feel them with your heart. If a child asks a question about why a loved one died, then you should not answer in the style of “God's will for everything”, “God gave - God took”, “it was God's will” - the child may begin to consider God an evil creature that causes grief and suffering to people and separating him from his loved ones.

The question often arises: to take or not to take children to the cemetery for burial? Definitely not small. The age at which a child will be able to survive the oppressive atmosphere of burial, when the adult psyche does not always endure, is purely individual. The sight of sobbing people, a dug-out hole, a coffin being lowered into a grave is not for the child's psyche. Let the child, if possible, say goodbye to the deceased at home.

Sometimes adults are perplexed - why the child reacts sluggishly to the death of a loved one, does not cry and does not grieve. This is because children are not yet able to experience grief in the same way as adults. They do not fully realize the tragedy of what happened and, if they experience it, it is inside and in a different way. Their experiences can be expressed in the fact that the baby will often talk about the deceased, remember how they communicated, spent time together. These conversations must be maintained, so the child gets rid of anxiety and worries. At the same time, if you notice that after the death of a loved one, the baby developed the habit of biting his nails, sucking his finger, he began to urinate in the bed, became more irritable and tearful - it means that his experiences are much deeper than you might think, he does not able to cope with them, you need to contact a psychologist.

The funeral rituals adopted by believers help to cope with grief. Together with the child, go to the cemetery and put a bunch of flowers on the grave - grandmother will be pleased. Together with him go to the temple and put a candle on the eve, read a simple prayer. You can get an album with photos and tell the kid about how good grandparents were, remember the pleasant episodes from life associated with them. The thought that after leaving the earth, the deceased did not completely disappear, that in this way we can maintain at least such a connection with him, has a calming effect and gives us hope that life continues after death.

ABC of education

There is something intriguing about every deviation from the norm. Any disease is associated with the body, but a disease that affects the human psyche has a special nature. If the disease affects the personality and sense of self, it can no longer be reduced to simple physiology. Therefore, mental disorders can tell us a lot about how our thinking, emotions and Creative skills- about what "human" consists of.

We have collected 7 of the most interesting books that tell about the nature and subjective experience of psychological disorders. Some of them have been written or translated into Russian recently, while others are already recognized classics.

Daria Varlamova, Anton Zainiev. Wow! City Guide to Mental Disorders

The real high-quality sci-pop about mental disorders, which in Russian has long been lacking. in plain language and with an abundance of examples, the authors show that mental health is relative, describe the main diseases that you have a chance to face (from depression and bipolar disorder to Asperger's syndrome and ADHD), and even give advice on what to do if you feel yourself "weird".

Even if you don't plan on going crazy, it's best to keep this handbook handy.

Daria Varlamova, Anton Zainiev

- In the minds of the majority, the mental norm is something unshakable, like two arms and two legs. [...] But what if we assume that an ordinary Russian can suddenly fall ill with a serious mental disorder? How to deal with it? How not to lose your ability to work? How do you explain to your family what is happening to you? How to understand it yourself? How can one learn to distinguish objective reality from the strange products of one's consciousness? And finally, is there a way to accept the idea that you are now “not like everyone else”?

Kay Jameson. Restless mind. My victory over bipolar disorder

The American psychiatrist Kay Jamison not only made a significant contribution to the scientific understanding of bipolar disorder, but also wrote a wonderful book about how the life of a person with this disease works - a book about herself. BAR takes you from a manic euphoria where you can walk in the stars to a terrifying depression where the only thought that comes to mind is the thought of suicide.

Jamison shows that even with this diagnosis, one can live, and live fruitfully.

Kay Jamison

Discussing mental disorders provides an opportunity for some to show humanity, while for others it awakens deep-seated fears and prejudices. There are far more people who consider mental illness to be a defect or character flaw than I could have imagined. public consciousness far behind progress in scientific and medical research on depression and bipolar disorder. Face to face with medieval prejudices, seemingly out of place in modern world, was intimidating.

Jenny Lawson. Insanely happy. Incredibly funny stories about our everyday life

The book of the American writer and blogger tells " funny stories about terrible things." The author, in addition to clinical depression, suffers from a whole bunch of diagnoses from obsessive-compulsive disorder to uncontrolled anxiety attacks. Bringing to life her most bizarre fantasies, she manages to maintain humor and love of life even in the most difficult moments.

She shares the feeling of happy folly with her readers.

Jenny Lawson

My new slogan has become the expression: “Norms of decency are given too great importance and they certainly cause cancer.” In short, I did go a little crazy, in slow but sure jerks, but it was the best thing that ever happened to me in my life.

Scott Stossel. The Age of Anxiety. Fears, hopes, neuroses and the search for peace of mind

Stress and all kinds of neurotic disorders are considered an inevitable background and consequence of the modern rhythm of life. The author of the book is not only the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, but also a complete neurotic. Competently combining popular science and biographical components, he talks about the causes of neurotic disorders, methods of treatment and the biological mechanisms behind them.

Personal experience combined with broad erudition make this book both serious and fascinating.

Scott Stossel

Anxiety is a reminder that my physiology controls me; physiological processes in the body have a much stronger influence on what is happening in the mind than vice versa. [...] The harsh biological nature of anxiety makes us doubt ourselves, reminding us that we, like animals, are prisoners of our body, subject to withering, death and decay.

Jean Starobinsky. melancholy ink

An eminent philologist and historian of ideas talks about how European culture described and treated melancholy: from ancient philosophers and physicians, the Middle Ages, when melancholy was considered the "sin of despondency", to modern medical ideas about depression. Starobinsky is interested in what place melancholy occupies in culture - first of all, in its literary incarnations.

He finds the experience of understanding melancholy from a variety of authors - from Kierkegaard to Baudelaire and Mandelstam. As a result, this experience acquires many additional dimensions.

The melancholic is a favorite prey of the devil, and the evil influence of supernatural forces can be added to the specific consequences of a humoral imbalance. The question is whether the patient has become a victim of evil spells (in which case the one who cast them should be punished) or whether he himself succumbed to the influence of his temperament (then the blame lies entirely with him). The bewitched is usually healed with prayers and exorcism, but the bonfire threatens the sorcerer. The stakes are extremely high.

Daniel Keyes. The Mysterious Case of Billy Milligan

Perhaps the most famous book about multiple personality disorder belongs to the author even more famous novel"Flowers for Algernon". The book tells the life story of Billy Milligan, in which 24 personalities coexisted. The novel is based on real history, which happened in the United States in the 1970s and as a result of which Billy became the first person who was found not guilty of crimes due to his extremely rare diagnosis.

How does such a disorder arise and how can a person live with it? Book by Daniel Keyes - Fascinating psychological research these difficult topics.

Daniel Keyes

Are you saying that a person is mentally ill when he is angry or depressed? - Exactly. Don't we all have periods of anger or depression? - In fact, we are all mentally ill.

Karl Jaspers. Strindberg and Van Gogh

The classic work of the German philosopher and psychiatrist, which is devoted to what role can play in the work of writers and artists mental illness. The connection between genius and insanity is recognized as almost natural - but how is it really? Why, in some cases, the disease becomes a source of inspiration, while in others it brings only suffering?

Analyzing the cases of the playwright Strindberg, Van Gogh, as well as Swedenborg and Hölderlin, Jaspers comes to important conclusions that are far from obvious.

Karl Jaspers

Just as there must have been some natural spiritual predisposition to hysteria in pre-eighteenth century times, so schizophrenia seems to correspond in some way to our time. [...] Previously, many, so to speak, tried to be hysterical; today, many could be said to try to be schizophrenics.

Virtual book exhibition Children's diseases in fiction Dedicated to the Year of Literature and the All-Russian Day of Libraries Fiction- this is a model of life, albeit partially fictional. It reflects reality and fiction, events that took place in the life of the author, historical facts. And in works of art, descriptions of various diseases are often found, and often they are very figurative and vivid. Section I Come from childhood Childhood does not leave us, Childhood is always with us, Those who leave childhood, From childhood live old people. Remembering these leaden abominations of wild Russian life, I ask myself for minutes: is it worth talking about this? And, with renewed confidence, I answer myself: it's worth it; for this is a tenacious, vile truth, it has not died to this day. Created over two decades, “The Last Bow” is an epoch-making canvas about the life of the village in the difficult pre-war decades and the confession of a generation whose childhood fell on the years of the “great turning point”, and whose youth fell on the fiery forties.” At the age of 26, Pavel Sanaev wrote a story about his childhood. Because this extract of circumstances and hyperbole, which are familiar to all Soviet children, but have never been presented in such a concentrated form. Jin was born almost blind, writes down her works with the help of a special computer and walks accompanied by a guide dog. She graduated from the University of Toronto in 1955 with a bachelor's degree in English and taught disabled children until the publication of her first book in 1962. Section II Firsthand ... Both of them, the doctor and the writer, are passionately interested in people, both of them are trying to unravel what is obscured by a deceptive appearance. Both forget about themselves and their own lives, peering into the lives of others. public figure in the broadest sense of the word. V. Veresaev In the summer of 1916, after graduating from the medical faculty of Kyiv University, the future writer received his first appointment and in the autumn arrived at a small zemstvo hospital in the Smolensk province, in the village of Nikolskoye. Here he began to write the book “Notes of a Young Doctor” - about a remote Russian province, where malaria powders prescribed for a week are swallowed immediately, they give birth under a bush, and mustard plasters are put on top of a sheepskin coat ... I think, I probably use medical terminology in vain. Apparently, all the same, professional "points" remain. Where to go from them? These are skills. If you worked as a wine taster, then you will drink wine like a professional taster, even if you just want to relax. T. Solomatina Doctors, biologists and all those who have natural science training are always distinguished by a special attitude towards a person. Man is an object of study, observation. In the case of a doctor, there is another additional feature: the doctor is called upon to relieve a person of his physical suffering, to help him live, survive and die. L. Ulitskaya Section III Who will receive this child for my sake... It is much easier to preach from the pulpit, to carry away from the rostrum, to teach from the pulpit than to bring up one child. A. Herzen The prose of Dina Rubima (which can never be called a text) is stitched with endless jokes and irony, but their rhythm - out of pity, not out of anger - is paid for by their own biography. The book is read in one gulp - in the subway, on the couch, at a lecture - in a word, one of those that you leaf through, checking how much is left - in the hope of "more". About what? About clowns, gymnasts and circus dogs. About tomatoes, sleds and red "Zaporozhets". ABOUT little boy from an orphanage who suddenly had a dad. And true love, of course. Mostly about the parent, but not about the parent either. There is so much about this book, so small in appearance. And cheerful, and sad, and life-affirming. Section IV The Nobel Prize in Literature The Nobel Prize in Literature is an annual award given by the Nobel Foundation for achievements in literature. The Literature Prize has been awarded since 1901. From 1901 to the present, 105 people have become laureates of the award. The novel amazed contemporaries with its perfection. With a scrupulous historically accurate depiction of the life and way of life of the Norwegians at the beginning of the 14th century. the writer managed to create a psychological and philosophical drama, in the center of which is fate main character Christine. In 1928, Undset was awarded the Nobel Prize "for her perfect description of the Norwegian Middle Ages". In 1967, One Hundred Years of Solitude caused a "literary earthquake" and made Gabriel García Márquez a living classic. Now "One Hundred Years of Solitude" is included in the list of the twenty greatest world masterpieces. In 1982, Marquez received the Nobel Prize with the wording "For novels and stories in which fantasy and reality, combined, reflect the life and conflicts of an entire continent" Both anatomy and belles-lettres have the same noble origin, the same goals, one and the same enemy - the devil, and they positively have nothing to fight for. If a person knows the doctrine of blood circulation, then he is rich; if, moreover, he also learns the romance “I remember a wonderful moment”, then he becomes not poorer, but richer ... A.P. Chekhov Thank you for your attention! The exhibition was prepared by Gubanova I.V.

Victory over death and hell is what Christ accomplished. “I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the future age” - this is our hope and goal, and not at all “I await the coming of the Antichrist in horror”, as is often the case now. The fact that jubilation and hope have been replaced by fear signals something very bad in the history of Christianity.

Implicitly, the fear of the Antichrist correlates with the fantasy of the living dead - one of the main symbolic figures of our time. Our era, judging by the media, in principle does not perceive the Christian hope for the resurrection of the dead. It is only capable of reviving the archaic fear of the dead.

Victory over death, hope for the resurrection of the dead - this is central to Christianity.

A small book (a record of four lectures) about, probably, the main thing in Christianity - the victory over death. “What does this mean for us - those who will die anyway?” - main question father of Alexander. But not the only one.

Father Alexander Schmemann speaks in the "Liturgy of Death" important thoughts about the relationship between Christianity and secularism, because the second part of the title of the book is “ modern culture". One of these thoughts - "there is a consumer only in Christianity" - is accurate, sharp, unfortunately, not developed.

Secularism is a product of Christendom. Secular attitude towards death - “we will not notice it; it doesn't make sense." How could a world raised on "Christ is risen from the dead" come to such an understanding? Christianity, the religion of the resurrection of the dead and the aspirations of the future age, at a certain stage "forgotten" the eschatological dimension. "Victory over death", hope for the Kingdom "fell" out of real life.

Why this happened and what to do about it - tells about. Alexander.

A piercing book about the death of a loved one, in some places approaching the boldness of Job. Lewis wrote these diaries after the death of his wife Joy. Perhaps, "The Pain of Loss" is Lewis's toughest book: why does God endow people with happiness, and then cruelly deprive them of it?

Joy Davidman (1915–1960; her cover photo) - American writer of Jewish origin, was a member of the American Communist Party. She first wrote to Lewis to challenge his pro-faith arguments. Joy was sick with cancer: they got married, confident in her imminent death. However, Joy went into remission. At the same time, Lewis began to experience severe pain: he was diagnosed with blood cancer. Lewis was sure that he atoned for the suffering of his wife with his suffering. However, Joy's illness returned two years later and she died. Lewis himself died three years later.

Reflecting on these events, Lewis asks, " Is it reasonable to believe that God is cruel? Can he really be so cruel? What, He is a cosmic sadist, a vicious cretin?"Lewis takes us through all the stages of despair and horror before the nightmare of our world, and at the end he seems to see the light ... "The pain of loss" is a deep and honest reflection (or cry?) About joy and suffering, love and family, death and world nonsense , about honesty and self-deception, religion and God. In "The Pain of Loss" there is no rational argument typical of Lewis: only a desperate standing before the Lord.

Another book written by a husband who lost his wife. In addition, its author served as a cemetery priest.

“No ... Whatever you say to your heart, it is akin to mourning the loss of loved ones; no matter how you hold back the tears, they involuntarily flow in a stream over the grave, in which the related, precious ashes are hidden.

He hears from everywhere: "do not cry, do not be cowardly." But these exclamations are not a plaster for wounds, but often inflict new wounds on the heart. - "Don't be cowardly." But who will say that Abraham was cowardly, and he also wept, wept for his wife Sarah ”

« All of them [the dead], of course, are alive - but they live a different life, not the one that you and I are living now, but the life that we will come to in due time, and everyone will come sooner or later. Therefore, the question of that - other - life, which is eternal life and which we celebrate, celebrating Easter - the Resurrection of Christ, is especially close to us, it concerns not just our mind, but, perhaps, to a greater extent concerns our heart”- writes Osipov in the Posthumous Life of the Soul.

Osipov's Posthumous Life of the Soul is a brief and simple exposition of the Orthodox teaching on life after death.

« But who condemned me to the eternal torment of hell, in which, like a drop in the ocean, my poor earthly life dissolves? Who, with his mighty curse, gave me into the slavery of irresistible necessity? Is it God who mercifully created me? There is nothing to say: good is mercy, good is Divine love! - Create me without even asking if I want it, and then doom me to eternal torment of senseless corruption!- boldly, like Job, asks Karsavin in the Poem of Death.

In this work, Karsavin expressed his innermost thoughts. Like "Petersburg Nights", "The Poem of Death" has art form and addressed to Karsavin's beloved - Elena Cheslavovna Skrzhinskaya. Her name in the "Poem of Death" is given by the diminutive Lithuanian "Elenite".

In one of his letters to Skrzhinskaya (dated January 1, 1948), Karsavin writes: It was you who connected metaphysics in me with my biography and life in general.", and further about the "Poem of Death": " For me, this little book is the fullest expression of my metaphysics, which coincided with my life, which coincided with my love.».

« A Jewess was burned at the stake. - The executioner fastens it to the post with a chain. And she asks: has she become like this, is it convenient for him ... Why should she care about the executioner's device? Or is he more likely to do his job? Or is he - fate itself, inexorable, soulless - still the last person? “He won’t answer, and probably won’t even feel anything. But perhaps something stirs in his soul, responding to her meek question; and his hand will tremble for a moment; and unknown to himself, unknown to anyone, the compassion of a person will, as it were, ease her mortal torment. And the torment is still ahead, unbearable, endless. And until the last moment - already alone, completely alone - she will scream and writhe, but she will not call for death: death itself will come, if only ... it comes».

« My mortal anguish does not pass and will not pass, but it will come in the strongest, unbearable. I don’t go crazy from her, I don’t die; and I will not die: doomed to immortality. My torment is greater than that from which people die and go mad. If you die, your torment is not with you; go crazy - you will not know about yourself or about her. Here there is no end, no exit; yes and no beginning - lost».

This book is composed of various speeches, lectures, sermons (before confession, at the funeral service, etc.) by Father Alexander, united by the theme of life and death.

“Should Christians, as Christians, necessarily believe in immortality? human soul? And what does immortality actually mean in the space of Christian thought? Such questions only seem rhetorical. Étienne Gilson, in his Gifford Lectures, found it necessary to make the following startling statement: In general, - he said, - Christianity without immortality is quite meaningful, and the proof of this is that at first it was understood in this way. Christianity is truly meaningless without the resurrection of man.».

This book illuminates main problem human life- death. "The Sacrament of Death" examines its unsolvability by "external" philosophy and the Christian vision of death. The book widely presents the opinion of the Holy Fathers on this subject.

In fact, the entire "Sacrament of Death" is an attempt once again to give the Church's only answer to death - an explication of the story of the Passion of Christ. Vasiliadis writes: "X Christos had to die in order to bequeath to humanity the fullness of life. It was not a necessity of the world. It was the need for Divine love, the need for Divine order. This mystery is impossible for us to comprehend. Why did true life have to be revealed through the death of the One Who is Resurrection and Life? (John 14:6). The only answer is that salvation was to be a victory over death, over the mortality of man.».

Possibly the best book on the posthumous state of mind. Weight, thoroughness and the absence of myth-making fantasies betray a doctor in the author. Thus, the combination of a scientist and a Christian in one person gives Kalinovsky's exposition the right harmony and versatility.

The theme of "transition" is the life of the soul after physical death. The testimonies of people who survived clinical death and returned “back” either spontaneously or, in most cases, after resuscitation, experiences before death, during a serious illness are analyzed.

Anthony of Surozh was both a surgeon and a shepherd. Therefore, like no one else, he could speak fully about life, illness and death. Anthony Surozhsky said that in his approach to these issues, he "cannot separate in himself a man, a Christian, a bishop and a doctor."

« The being, however, which has received mind and reason, is a man, and not a soul in itself; therefore, man must always remain and consist of soul and body; and it is impossible for him to remain like this unless he rises again. For if there is no resurrection, then the nature of men will not remain as human"- teaches about the bodily-spiritual unity of man Athenagoras in the essay "On the Resurrection of the Dead" - one of the first (and, moreover, the best!) Texts on this topic.

« [The Apostle Paul] inflicts a mortal blow on those who humiliate the bodily nature and condemn our flesh. The meaning of his words is as follows. It is not the flesh, as he says so, that we want to lay aside from ourselves, but corruption; not the body, but death. Another is the body and another is death; the other is the body, and the other is corruption. Neither the body is corruption, nor corruption is the body. True, the body is perishable, but it is not corruption. The body is mortal, but is not death. The body was the work of God, but corruption and death were introduced by sin. So, I want, he says, to remove from me what is alien, not mine. And what is alien is not the body, but corruption and death that have adhered to it.- Christians fight death for the flesh. This is what John Chrysostom teaches in his Discourse on the Resurrection of the Dead.

Conversations about the death of one of the best Russian preachers - Bishop-philosopher Innokenty of Kherson.

Collection of letters of Theophan the Recluse. Illness and death are the fate of every person and one of the most tragic questions theology. Of course, in "Illness and Death" there is no systematic teaching of Theophan the Recluse. But there are many specific tips and instructions in specific life situations. And behind this multitude one can discern a certain unified vision of these questions by St. Theophan.

Here are a few headings from "Sickness and Death", taken at random - perhaps they will give some idea of ​​the teachings of Theophan the Recluse: "Sickness is the work of God's Wisdom", "Service to the sick is service to Christ", "Sickness from God for our salvation", “We must prepare for the afterlife”, “The afterlife share of the dead”, “How can we justify ourselves at the Last Judgment?”.

“Death is a great mystery. She is the birth of man from earthly temporal life into eternity. During the performance of the mortal sacrament, we lay aside our rough shell - the body and as a spiritual being, subtle, ethereal, we pass into another world, into the abode of beings homogeneous to the soul. This world is inaccessible to the gross organs of the body, through which, during our stay on earth, feelings operate, which, however, belong to the soul proper. The soul that came out of the body is invisible and inaccessible to us, like other objects of the invisible world. We see only during the performance of a mortal sacrament the breathlessness, the sudden lifelessness of the body; then it begins to decompose, and we hasten to hide it in the ground; there it becomes a victim of corruption, worms, oblivion. So countless generations of people died out and are forgotten. What has happened and is happening with the soul that has left the body? This remains unknown to us, given our own means of knowledge.

One of the most popular texts of "folk" Orthodoxy of the Middle Ages. "Life" consists of three various texts, written by Vasily’s student Grigory Mnich: the Life itself (the text offered here, unfortunately, is a rather condensed retelling), and two visions on eschatological topics - the famous “Theodora’s Ordeals” (Basil’s student) and “Vision of the Last Judgment” - “private” and "general" eschatology, respectively. The bright, expressive eschatology of the "Life of Basil the New" had a huge impact on the consciousness and culture of the Middle Ages.

Vasily Novy is a hermit who accidentally fell under the suspicion of the authorities and suffered innocently. The humility and meekness of the saint under torture are wonderfully described in the text: the saint is silent directly to his own detriment - he does not want to participate in all this in any way. Miraculously, he is saved and remains to live in Constantinople as a vagabond. After his release, Vasily criticizes the authorities, heals, instructs his students, and plays the fool. Through his prayers, Gregory is visited by visions that make up the main body of the text.

The Ordeals of Theodora, like the Vision of the Last Judgment, should by no means be taken as dogmatic texts. These are apocrypha, fiction, "spiritual novels" - in the words of Kazansky - performed deep meaning symbols, but by no means "reportage". Here are a few remarks of theologians on this subject. Seraphim (Rose): " It is clear even to a baby that the descriptions of ordeals cannot be taken literally.»; Rev. Nicodemus the Holy Mountaineer: " Those who idle talk that the souls of the dead righteous and sinners stay on earth for forty days and visit the places where they lived, sow prejudices and myths. For such statements are “incredible and no one should take them for truth»; A. Kuraev (from whose note we took the quoted quotes): “ the text [of the Life] is incorrect because it leaves no room for God's Judgment. The Savior said that "the Father handed over all judgment to the Son," but in this book all judgment is administered by demons". Here are the words of A. I. Osipov: “ Ordeals ... with all the simplicity of their earthly image in the Orthodox hagiographic literature have a deep spiritual, heavenly meaning. ... This is a court of conscience and a test of the spiritual state of the soul in the face of God's love, on the one hand, and diabolical passionate temptations, on the other.».

One of the greatest stories in world literature. Before death, the inhabitant opens the emptiness of his life, and at the same time, some new reality opens up to him ...

Socio-philosophical fiction with a detective story. Most of the inhabitants voluntarily fell into suspended animation, believing in the promises of future immortality. The novel tells about the investigation into the abuses of the Center for suspended animation. Protesters against potential immortality come from Christian views on death and immortality. It is wonderful how Simak shows the faith of modern people:

“... He probably simply does not exist, and I made a mistake in choosing the path, calling on the non-existent and never-existing God. Or maybe I called by the wrong name ...

... - But they say, - the man grinned, - about eternal life. That you don't have to die. What then is the use of God? Why else would there be life?

... And why should she, Mona Campbell, alone seek an answer that only God can give - if he exists? ... "

Perhaps this feature - the combination of sadness, uncertainty, faith, despair - is the most attractive in the novel. main topic it, as is already clear, is the social and existential position of a person in front of the possibility of changing his biological nature.

“Unforgettable. Anglo-American tragedy” is a black tragicomedy about the modern (here - American) attitude to death: commercialized, not feeling a secret in it, wanting to close his eyes, hungry for comfort - and nothing more; the smiling corpse of the "unforgettable". In fact, "Unforgettable" is a Christian satire on the godless industry of death.

George Macdonald - Scottish novelist and poet, priest. He can be called the founder of fantasy. His prose was highly praised by Auden, Chesterton, Tolkien, Lewis.

The Gifts of the Christ Child is a Christmas story, but not a Dickensian one at all. tragic story about how death brought the family together; how the Lord is present in our lives. In essence, the story is that true joy is known only after the Cross - resurrected.

Collection of texts of Russian philosophers, theologians and writers about death: Radishchev, Dostoevsky, Solovyov, Fedorov, Tolstoy, Rozanov, E. Trubetskoy, Berdyaev, Bakhtin, Shestov, Florovsky, N. Lossky, Fedotov, Karsavin, Druskin, Bunin, Bulgakov and others .

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