Russian Christianity is sharply in contrast with Western Christianity in the characteristic idea of denial of “the world,” as opposed to our Western idea of accepting the world and “making the best of it.” An essential idea in Russian Christianity is denial of “the world,” denial of this mortal life as real life, denial of material force as real force, denial of speech as real speech. An act of denial is called a _podvig_, and a man who does some great act of denial is called a _podvizhnik_. The act of Jesus on the mountain denying the road that led to the empire of the world in favour of the road that led to an ignoble death is a _podvig_—denial of the world. “Turning the other cheek” is a _podvig_—denial of material power. Going two miles with the man who forces you to go one is a _podvig_. Mary, breaking the precious box of alabaster which might have been sold in aid of the poor, accomplished a _podvig_. Simon Stylites, standing on the pillar when he might have been doing “useful work in the world,” was a _podvizhnik_. The hermits of the Thebaid were all doing _podvigs_—renouncing the world. Father Seraphim, who took an oath of silence and was silent thirty-five years—proving in himself that silence was golden—accomplished a great _podvig_. It is difficult in Russia to carry on a discussion of any point of religion without coming to a consideration of this idea of the _podvig_. For instance there is a saying in Russia, “Blessed is he who can escape and yet chooses to take the punishment the world would give him.” A story is told in Russia that when Jesus was stretched on the cross many of those who had accepted his doctrines were in great distress not knowing that this had got to be; but they said among themselves, “You will see: there will be a miracle. I wouldn’t be in the place of these stupid and brutal Roman soldiers for worlds. You will see He will step off the cross, and amaze and conquer the world.” And in their anxiety and excitement they cried out: “Save thyself.” Pessimists whispered to one another sad thoughts, “Alas, alas! has it not always been so in the world’s history; mankind has stoned the prophets of God. Now He is going to die, to perish miserably, and the whole new movement will be ruined. People who never saw Him work miracles will say He was a charlatan, and that He never had any mission or any power. But we who saw Him raise the dead know He has the power to save Himself.” But both the optimists and the pessimists were wrong. They did not realise that the Man on the cross was giving the lie to the reality of death and to the material power of the Romans and the Jews. The giving the lie is the _podvig_.