A Confession (Russian: Исповедь [Ispoved']) is a short work (confession) on the subject of melancholia, philosophy and religion by the acclaimed Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy. It was written when Tolstoy was in late-middle age (1879-1880)[1].
First attempt of publication took place in 1882 (Russkaya Mysl, No 5), but Tolstoy's work was removed virtually from the whole edition of the journal by Orthodox Church censorship. Text was later published in Geneva (1884), in Russia as late as 1906 (Vsemirnyj Vestnik, No 1)[2].
"A Confession" was original written by Tolstoy, under the title "An Introduction to a Criticism of Dogmatic Theology", as the first part of a four part work that also included "A Criticism of Dogmatic Theology", "The Four Gospels Harmonized and Translated" (the basis for "The Gospel in Brief") and "What I Believe" (also published in English as "My Religion" and "My Faith") [3].
The book is a brief autobiographical story on the great author's development of, and triumph over, a late mid-life (existential) crisis of melancholia. It describes the great novelists search for answers to the profound questions: "What will come of my life?" and "What is the meaning of life?", without answers to which life for him had become impossible.
He describes the abandonment of his childhood orthodox faith, his focus on (and mastery of) strength, will power, and reason, and admits that in spite of all his financial success (and social status) life for him had become meaningless.
After despairing of his attempts to find answers in science, philosophy, eastern wisdom and his fellow men of letters, he "confesses" that he found the answer to his trouble in the deep (orthodox) religious convictions of ordinary citizens. He describes how he had to subdue his rational skepticism and abhorrence of "superstition within the Christian truths" in order to gain the peace of mind he lacked (and "his survival").
Tolstoy calls it "a confession" because he was acutely aware of the criticism of the orthodox faith, and that he was going against the anti-religious (atheistic) bias which predominated the secular Russian (and European) elite.
A standard English translation of the book is only 96 pages, and is available through Wikisource (see link on the upper right).
ISBN 0-393-30192-3
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