St. Augustine and I.V. Popov as researchers of religious experience
St Tikhon’s University Theological Faculty Review September 30, 2025 P. Khondzinskii
Early 20th-century Russian theology combined a renewed interest in St. Augustine with the problem of mystical experience, influenced by efforts to move beyond scholastic theology and by psychological research such as William James's "The Varieties of Religious Experience." I. V. Popov's doctoral thesis on Augustine includes a section on mystical states of consciousness that reflects this intersection. Popov first analyzes ancient theories of mystical experience, then presents Augustine's views, noting that Augustine's approach parallels modern empirical psychology, which draws conclusions from analyzing many isolated cases. This parallel raises questions about the relevance of Augustine's methodology and theological language to modern times, a question that merits further investigation.