Daniel H. Shubin has written a 4-volume History of Russian Christianity (published with Algora) and The History of Monasteries of Russia. He has also translated five books from Russian into English. Shubin has traveled extensively throughout Russia, studying the various sectarian movements.

In writing these histories, the author has relied on primary Russian-language works, especially the medieval chronicles and the classic works of Russian historians, seeking to filter fact from legend.

The Era of the Partiarchate

In explaining the creation of the Russian patriarchate, Russian historians such as Karamzin and Kostomarov attach much significance to the ambition of Boris Godunov, who installed his court favorite Iov (Job) as metropolitan and then adorned him with the title of patriarch — although Job was not without ambitious inclinations of his own. Godunov’s objective was to route the frail dynasty of Rurik into the channel of his own genealogy. While it cannot be denied that Boris Godunov was ambitious to confirm the upcoming coronation by the mystique of consecration by a patriarch, just as the actual heirs to the throne of the Byzantine emperor had done, the principal reason is much more profound. The idea of a Russian patriarchate evolved from the entire history of the metropolitan’s cathedra during the era of Moscovite Russia. It was on everybody’s mind. During the final years of the 16th century, Moscow developed a very urgent desire to institute a patriarchate for itself. In 1415, Ukraine had removed itself from the administration of the metropolitan of Moscow and created its own cathedra, and in 1596 the region became completely Uniate. Russian distrust of the Greeks was measurably encouraged by the Jesuits, enemies of Orthodoxy. The Jesuits had promoted the decay of the Hellenic east as one of the motives to convert Eastern Orthodoxy to Unia, and this excited in Moscovites an opposite effect. Moscow prelates now developed a drive to become totally autocephalous, by way of a Russian patriarchate, which....