The The Distortion of Petr Chelčický’s Ideas through the Prism of Leo Tolstoy’s Teachings
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26806/fd.v17i1.533Abstract
The article examines Leo Tolstoy’s distorted perspective on Petr Chelčický’s ideas. The distinctive feature of this perspective is characterized by an emphasis on several superficial similarities between Chelčický’s criticism of war and Tolstoy’s anarchist pacifism. At the same time, the prism in Tolstoy’s perspective distorts or ignores significant discrepancies in their beliefs, including very different foundations of their teachings – such as their views on Holy Scripture, the Apostolic tradition, the Church, faith, dogmas, morality, and world history. From these fundamentally divergent beliefs arise the ideas of Chelčický and Tolstoy’s, which seem similar and not vice versa. This misrepresentative perspective has undeservedly gained popularity among scholars, portraying Chelčický as a precursor to Tolstoy and thereby creating a flawed historiography. This perspective is not only incorrect but also contradicts Tolstoy’s own assessments and rather impoverishes the theoretical foundations for the struggle against violence in the world.
Key words: Chelčický, Tolstoy, Christianity, history, church, pacifism, violence, state
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