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Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality"><itunes:category text="Religion"/></itunes:category><itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality"><itunes:category text="Christianity"/></itunes:category><itunes:category text="Society &amp; Culture"><itunes:category text="Philosophy"/></itunes:category><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:type>serial</itunes:type><item><title>01 - Chapter 1. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  </title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/01-chapter-1-a-confession-by-leo-tolstoy--69770246</link><description><![CDATA[01 - Chapter 1. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69770246</guid><pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 23:01:03 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69770246/confession_01_tolstoy_64kb.mp3" length="3444224" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Popular Culture and Religion.</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>01 - Chapter 1. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  
Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[01 - Chapter 1. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>419</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/0ab815df15864ac8fd88666c73791775.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>02 - Chapter 2. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  </title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/02-chapter-2-a-confession-by-leo-tolstoy--69770266</link><description><![CDATA[02 - Chapter 2. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69770266</guid><pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 23:02:26 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69770266/confession_02_tolstoy_64kb.mp3" length="3724288" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Popular Culture and Religion.</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>02 - Chapter 2. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  
Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[02 - Chapter 2. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>454</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/0ab815df15864ac8fd88666c73791775.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>03 - Chapter 3. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  </title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/03-chapter-3-a-confession-by-leo-tolstoy--69770282</link><description><![CDATA[03 - Chapter 3. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69770282</guid><pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 23:03:54 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69770282/confession_03_tolstoy_64kb.mp3" length="4362752" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Popular Culture and Religion.</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>03 - Chapter 3. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  
Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[03 - Chapter 3. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>533</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/0ab815df15864ac8fd88666c73791775.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>04 - Chapter 4. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  </title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/04-chapter-4-a-confession-by-leo-tolstoy--69770296</link><description><![CDATA[04 - Chapter 4. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69770296</guid><pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 23:05:15 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69770296/confession_04_tolstoy_64kb.mp3" length="4688384" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Popular Culture and Religion.</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>04 - Chapter 4. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  
Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[04 - Chapter 4. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>574</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/0ab815df15864ac8fd88666c73791775.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>05 - Chapter 5. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  </title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/05-chapter-5-a-confession-by-leo-tolstoy--69770398</link><description><![CDATA[05 - Chapter 5. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69770398</guid><pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 23:14:31 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69770398/confession_05_tolstoy_64kb.mp3" length="5888512" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Popular Culture and Religion.</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>05 - Chapter 5. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  
Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[05 - Chapter 5. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>724</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/0ab815df15864ac8fd88666c73791775.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>06 - Chapter 6. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  </title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/06-chapter-6-a-confession-by-leo-tolstoy--69770408</link><description><![CDATA[06 - Chapter 6. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69770408</guid><pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 23:15:55 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69770408/confession_06_tolstoy_64kb.mp3" length="6656000" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Popular Culture and Religion.</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>06 - Chapter 6. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  
Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[06 - Chapter 6. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>820</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/0ab815df15864ac8fd88666c73791775.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>07 - Chapter 7. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  </title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/07-chapter-7-a-confession-by-leo-tolstoy--69770420</link><description><![CDATA[07 - Chapter 7. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69770420</guid><pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 23:17:15 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69770420/confession_07_tolstoy_64kb.mp3" length="4536320" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/1d465bae-874c-44e2-8477-6be9249d2a9b/1d465bae-874c-44e2-8477-6be9249d2a9b.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/1d465bae-874c-44e2-8477-6be9249d2a9b/1d465bae-874c-44e2-8477-6be9249d2a9b.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/1d465bae-874c-44e2-8477-6be9249d2a9b/1d465bae-874c-44e2-8477-6be9249d2a9b.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Popular Culture and Religion.</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>07 - Chapter 7. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  
Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[07 - Chapter 7. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>555</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/0ab815df15864ac8fd88666c73791775.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>08 - Chapter 8. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  </title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/08-chapter-8-a-confession-by-leo-tolstoy--69770477</link><description><![CDATA[08 - Chapter 8. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69770477</guid><pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 23:18:39 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69770477/confession_08_tolstoy_64kb.mp3" length="2494976" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/9b4dfb8f-cadc-40d6-abee-b18caaef8d7b/9b4dfb8f-cadc-40d6-abee-b18caaef8d7b.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/9b4dfb8f-cadc-40d6-abee-b18caaef8d7b/9b4dfb8f-cadc-40d6-abee-b18caaef8d7b.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/9b4dfb8f-cadc-40d6-abee-b18caaef8d7b/9b4dfb8f-cadc-40d6-abee-b18caaef8d7b.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Popular Culture and Religion.</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>08 - Chapter 8. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  
Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[08 - Chapter 8. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>300</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/0ab815df15864ac8fd88666c73791775.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>09 - Chapter 9. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  </title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/09-chapter-9-a-confession-by-leo-tolstoy--69770764</link><description><![CDATA[09 - Chapter 9. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69770764</guid><pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 23:28:50 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69770764/confession_09_tolstoy_64kb.mp3" length="4545024" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/9ad868df-9399-481e-b98b-fab95dfba61c/9ad868df-9399-481e-b98b-fab95dfba61c.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/9ad868df-9399-481e-b98b-fab95dfba61c/9ad868df-9399-481e-b98b-fab95dfba61c.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/9ad868df-9399-481e-b98b-fab95dfba61c/9ad868df-9399-481e-b98b-fab95dfba61c.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Popular Culture and Religion.</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>09 - Chapter 9. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  
Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[09 - Chapter 9. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>556</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/0ab815df15864ac8fd88666c73791775.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>10 - Chapter 10. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  </title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/10-chapter-10-a-confession-by-leo-tolstoy--69770788</link><description><![CDATA[10 - Chapter 10. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69770788</guid><pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 23:30:17 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69770788/confession_10_tolstoy_64kb.mp3" length="3234816" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/9bf42fac-efb9-4be5-8b25-2a19e4befe29/9bf42fac-efb9-4be5-8b25-2a19e4befe29.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/9bf42fac-efb9-4be5-8b25-2a19e4befe29/9bf42fac-efb9-4be5-8b25-2a19e4befe29.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/9bf42fac-efb9-4be5-8b25-2a19e4befe29/9bf42fac-efb9-4be5-8b25-2a19e4befe29.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Popular Culture and Religion.</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>10 - Chapter 10. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  
Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[10 - Chapter 10. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>392</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/0ab815df15864ac8fd88666c73791775.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>11 - Chapter 11. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  </title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/11-chapter-11-a-confession-by-leo-tolstoy--69770823</link><description><![CDATA[11 - Chapter 11. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69770823</guid><pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 23:31:35 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69770823/confession_11_tolstoy_64kb.mp3" length="2622976" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/1a1d02d9-d750-485b-8423-d0a153d5c0d5/1a1d02d9-d750-485b-8423-d0a153d5c0d5.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/1a1d02d9-d750-485b-8423-d0a153d5c0d5/1a1d02d9-d750-485b-8423-d0a153d5c0d5.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/1a1d02d9-d750-485b-8423-d0a153d5c0d5/1a1d02d9-d750-485b-8423-d0a153d5c0d5.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Popular Culture and Religion.</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>11 - Chapter 11. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  
Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[11 - Chapter 11. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>316</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/0ab815df15864ac8fd88666c73791775.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>12 - Chapter 12. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  </title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/12-chapter-12-a-confession-by-leo-tolstoy--69770877</link><description><![CDATA[12 - Chapter 12. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69770877</guid><pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 23:32:52 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69770877/confession_12_tolstoy_64kb.mp3" length="4115456" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/8a25d5e8-c756-4a50-86dc-f92fdda57185/8a25d5e8-c756-4a50-86dc-f92fdda57185.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/8a25d5e8-c756-4a50-86dc-f92fdda57185/8a25d5e8-c756-4a50-86dc-f92fdda57185.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/8a25d5e8-c756-4a50-86dc-f92fdda57185/8a25d5e8-c756-4a50-86dc-f92fdda57185.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Popular Culture and Religion.</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>12 - Chapter 12. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  
Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[12 - Chapter 12. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>502</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/0ab815df15864ac8fd88666c73791775.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>13 - Chapter 13. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  </title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/13-chapter-13-a-confession-by-leo-tolstoy--69770937</link><description><![CDATA[13 - Chapter 13. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69770937</guid><pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 23:34:09 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69770937/confession_13_tolstoy_64kb.mp3" length="3140608" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/d11220f3-cedb-4ee5-a4ef-6abf6e35cb13/d11220f3-cedb-4ee5-a4ef-6abf6e35cb13.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/d11220f3-cedb-4ee5-a4ef-6abf6e35cb13/d11220f3-cedb-4ee5-a4ef-6abf6e35cb13.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/d11220f3-cedb-4ee5-a4ef-6abf6e35cb13/d11220f3-cedb-4ee5-a4ef-6abf6e35cb13.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Popular Culture and Religion.</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>13 - Chapter 13. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  
Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[13 - Chapter 13. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>381</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/0ab815df15864ac8fd88666c73791775.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>14 - Chapter 14. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  </title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/14-chapter-14-a-confession-by-leo-tolstoy--69770967</link><description><![CDATA[14 - Chapter 14. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69770967</guid><pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 23:35:18 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69770967/confession_14_tolstoy_64kb.mp3" length="2428416" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/04b1c465-2a3f-43f0-a0aa-694490d5280a/04b1c465-2a3f-43f0-a0aa-694490d5280a.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/04b1c465-2a3f-43f0-a0aa-694490d5280a/04b1c465-2a3f-43f0-a0aa-694490d5280a.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/04b1c465-2a3f-43f0-a0aa-694490d5280a/04b1c465-2a3f-43f0-a0aa-694490d5280a.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Popular Culture and Religion.</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>14 - Chapter 14. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  
Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[14 - Chapter 14. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>292</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/0ab815df15864ac8fd88666c73791775.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>15 - Chapter 15. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  </title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/15-chapter-15-a-confession-by-leo-tolstoy--69770985</link><description><![CDATA[15 - Chapter 15. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69770985</guid><pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 23:36:39 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69770985/confession_15_tolstoy_64kb.mp3" length="3635712" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/586236d1-c7f6-4322-844f-87afe133984a/586236d1-c7f6-4322-844f-87afe133984a.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/586236d1-c7f6-4322-844f-87afe133984a/586236d1-c7f6-4322-844f-87afe133984a.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/586236d1-c7f6-4322-844f-87afe133984a/586236d1-c7f6-4322-844f-87afe133984a.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Popular Culture and Religion.</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>15 - Chapter 15. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  
Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[15 - Chapter 15. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>443</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/0ab815df15864ac8fd88666c73791775.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>16 - Chapter 16. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  </title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/16-chapter-16-a-confession-by-leo-tolstoy--69771069</link><description><![CDATA[16 - Chapter 16. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/69771069</guid><pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 23:38:09 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/69771069/confession_16_tolstoy_64kb.mp3" length="3429888" type="audio/mpeg"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/cd270da2-1909-47a2-ba6b-d2459714b9af/cd270da2-1909-47a2-ba6b-d2459714b9af.srt" type="application/x-subrip" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/cd270da2-1909-47a2-ba6b-d2459714b9af/cd270da2-1909-47a2-ba6b-d2459714b9af.txt" type="text/plain" language="en"/><podcast:transcript url="https://transcription.spreaker.com/starship/cd270da2-1909-47a2-ba6b-d2459714b9af/cd270da2-1909-47a2-ba6b-d2459714b9af.vtt" type="text/vtt" language="en"/><itunes:author>Popular Culture and Religion.</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>16 - Chapter 16. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  
Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[16 - Chapter 16. A Confession by Leo Tolstoy.  <br />Leo Tolstoy's "A Confession," written in 1882 shortly after a life-altering spiritual crisis, is a brutally sincere reflection on life, morality, and the nature of faith. Tolstoy describes in great detail the process by which he lost his faith in established Christian churches, the meaninglessness of wealth and fame, the agony of acute depression, and how he overcame misery and dread through personal study of the teachings of Jesus Christ. Along the way, he contrasts the artificial faith and arrogance of educated people with the genuine faith and humility of the Russian peasant. This work, and others of its ilk, were aggressively censored by the Tsarist regime and directly led to Tolstoy being excommunicated by the Russian Orthodox Church.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>417</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/0ab815df15864ac8fd88666c73791775.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item></channel></rss>
