Lopukhin Alexander

Lopukhin Alexander (1852–1904) – Biblical scholar, theologian, translator, publisher.

After graduating from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy in 1878, he was sent as a psalmist to the church of the Russian Embassy in New York.

Upon his return in 1889, he published several essays on religious life in the United States and prepared the work ‘Roman Catholicism in America: A Study on the Current State and Reasons for the Rapid Growth of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States of North America’, (his Master thesis in Theology; St. Petersburg, 1881).

Having got that degree in 1883, he became Professor of the Department of Comparative Theology of the St. Petersburg Theological Academy; two years later, he received the Department of Ancient History, which he held until his death.

He is known for his editorial and publishing activities: Editor-in-Chief of the magazines ‘Tserkovny vestnik’ (Church Bulletin; 1892), ‘Khristianskoe chtenie’ (Christian Reading; 1892), ‘Strannik’ (Pilgrim/Wanderer; 1893). As an appendix to the magazine ‘Strannik’, L. published his work ‘The Explanatory Bible, or Commentary on All the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments’, as well as a series of theological and apologetic works, which was called ‘Christianity, Science, and Unbelief at the Dawn of the Twentieth Century’.

In 1886-1887, he translated from English and published a series of works by F.V. Farrar on the history of early Christianity: ‘The Life of Jesus Christ’, ‘The Life and Works of St. Apostle Paul’, and others, which were later reprinted many times; also he prepared and published in translation from Latin the works by Thomas of Kempis (St. Petersburg, 1900). He edited the first volumes of the complete collection of the Works by St. John Chrysostom (publ. in 1896-1904). He was a member of the Editorial Board of the ‘Orthodox Theological Encyclopedia’.

The main work by L. was ‘Biblical History in the Light of the Latest Research and Discoveries’ (St. Petersburg, 1889-1890).

Compositions

A Speech at the Public Defense of Master's Degree Thesis ‘Roman Catholicism in America’. St. Petersburg, 1881.
Roman Catholicism in America: A Study of the Current State and Reasons for the Rapid Growth of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States of North America. St. Petersburg: Dobrodeev typ., 1881.
Freedom of Religious Conscience in America: (Essay on the Church-State Relations in Historical Development and Present State in the United States of North America). Moscow University, 1881.
Life Overseas: Essays on Religious, Social, Economic, and Political Life in the United States. St. Petersburg: Dobrodeev typ., 1882.
Religion in America. St. Petersburg: Dobrodeev typ., 1882.
The Legislation of Moses: A Study on the Family, Socio-Economic and State Laws of Moses, with the Attachment of a Treatise: The Judgment of Jesus Christ Seen from a Legal Point of View. St. Petersburg: Eleonsky typ., 1882.
The Bible and Scientific Discoveries on the Monuments of Ancient Egypt: (Biblical-Historical Essays). St. Petersburg: Dobrodeev typ., 1885.
Farrar F.V. The Life of Jesus Christ: Ch. 1-2. / Transl. from English. St. Petersburg: Tuzov, 1885; Farrar F.V. The Life and Works of St. Apostle Paul. / Transl. from English. St. Petersburg: Tuzov, 1887; Farrar F.V. The Early Days of Christianity: Ch. 1-2 / Transl. from English. St. Petersburg: Tuzov, 1888; Farrar F.V. Life and Works of the Holy Fathers and Teachers of the Church: Essays on the Church History in Biographies / Transl. from English St. Petersburg: Tuzov, 1891; Farrar F.V. At the Dawn of Christianity, or Scenes from the Times of Nero: A Historical Story / Transl. from English with explanations and notes. St. Petersburg: Tuzov, 1893.
A Guide to the Bible History of the Old Testament. St. Petersburg: Tuzov, 1888.
New Testament Bible Story Guide. St. Petersburg: Tuzov, 1889.
Biblical History in the Light of the Latest Research and Discoveries: Old Testament: In 2 volumes. St. Petersburg: Tuzov, 1889-1890. (Vol. 1: From the Creation of the World to Prophet Samuel. 1889; Vol. 2: From Prophet Samuel to the Birth of Christ. 1890).
Two Words in Defense of Biblical History in the Light of Recent Research and Discoveries: A Biblical History of the Old Testament: A Guide for Schools and Self-Education. St. Petersburg, 1896.
Reflections on the Life, Suffering and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Newly Discovered Composition by Thomas the Kempis / Transl. from Lat. St. Petersburg, 1900.
The History of the Christian Church in the Nineteenth Century. In 2 volumes / Petrograd, 1900–1901.
The Bible and Babylon. St. Petersburg, 1904.
Creations of Our Holy Father John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, in Russian translation. Vol. 1-6. (In 12 volumes). St. Petersburg: Lopukhin typ., 1896-1904.
The Explanatory Bible, or Commentary on All Books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments: Vol. 1–12 / Ed. A.P. Lopukhin. St. Petersburg, 1904-1913.

About him

Bronzov A.A. In the Memory of Professor Lopukhin // Strannik. 1905. Iss. 9. P. 289-303.
Men A., Archpriest. On the History of Russian Orthodox Biblical Studies // Bogoslovskie trudy. 1987. Iss. 28. P. 272-289.
Kuzmin S., Hieromon. Scientific and Theological Merits of A.P. Lopukhin's ‘The Explanatory Bible’ // Biblical Translations and Their Importance in the Development of the Spiritual Culture of Slavs: Materials of the international biblical conference. St. Petersburg. 1994. P. 30‒33.
Druzhinina S. V., Nikolayuk N. G. From the Experience of Work with ‘The Explanatory Bible’ by A.P. Lopukhin // Biblical Translations and Their Importance in the Development of the Spiritual Culture of Slavs: Materials of the international biblical conference. St. Petersburg. 1994. P. 33‒35
Russian Writers-Theologians. Biobibliographic Index. / Comp. A.S. Chistyakova, O.V. Kurochkin. 2nd ed. Moscow: Pashkov House, 2001.
Zverev N., Priest. Life and Works by Prof. St. Petersburg Theological Academy Alexander Pavlovich Lopukhin (1852-1904) // Khristianskoe chtenie. 2006. Iss. 26. P. 139-165.