Noting that he himself is neither Russian nor Orthodox, Bremer (Eastern Church studies and peace studies, U. of Mnster, Germany) places the Russian Orthodox in its history and its present for readers who are not specialists. The first chapter briefly reviews the whole history of the church, and subsequent chapters focus on various aspects, among them epochs, ecclesiastical structures, theology and religious thought, monasticism, and dissidence. First published as Kreuz und Kreml: Kleine Geschichte der orthodoxen Kirche in Russland in 2007 by Verlag Herder, Freiburg. The translation is by Eric W. Gritsch. Annotation 2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
