When this seminal essay was published in 1926, it ignited discussion about freedom of conscience in Orthodox life. It remains a key point of reference for nearly all Orthodox thinkers wrestling with this issue. The essay was originally written in the context of a sharp disagreement in the émigré Russian Church that led on the one hand to a major ecclesial schism and on the other to the formation of Orthodox lay organizations and an academic community that gave birth to what is now known as Russian Religious Renaissance.