Leo Tolstoy

Timeless spiritual wisdom from the author of War and Peace.

“Love alone is the only reasonable activity or pursuit of humankind. Like a key made for this one lock alone, we find in our own soul a feeling that gives us what it is we yearn for. And this feeling not only solves the riddles of life, but finds in them the very possibility of happiness. For love not only annihilates our fear of meaninglessness but empowers us to seek the happiness of others. And this indeed is our greatest happiness.”—Leo Tolstoy

Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) is the famed author of such classic Russian novels as War and Peace and Anna Karenina. In mid-life he underwent a deep moral and spiritual crisis that led him back to the Gospels in an effort to conform his life to the spirit of Christ. This volume focuses on his “spiritual writings”—autobiographical reflections on his journey of faith, Gospel commentaries, essays on the essence of Christianity, and timeless wisdom regarding the meaning of human existence.