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Vladimir Lossky

theologian, philosopher (1903–1958)

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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionMar 10, 2026
Entity authorityQ2292798 ↗
Source-derived summary

Vladimir Nikolaievich Lossky (Russian: Влади́мир Никола́евич Ло́сский; 1903–1958) was a Russian Orthodox theologian exiled in Paris. He emphasized theosis as the main principle of Eastern Orthodox Christianity.

Biography

Vladimir Nikolaievich Lossky was born on 8 June (OS 26 May) 1903 in Göttingen, Germany. His father, Nikolai Lossky, was professor of philosophy in Saint Petersburg. Vladimir Nikolaievich Lossky enrolled as a student at the faculty of Arts at Petrograd University in 1919, and, in the spring of 1922, was profoundly struck when he witnessed the trial which led to the execution of Metropolitan Benjamin of St. Petersburg by the Soviets. Metropolitan Benjamin was later canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church.

In November 1922, Lossky was expelled from Soviet Russia with his entire family. From 1922 to 1926, he continued his studies in Prague, and, subsequently, at the Sorbonne in Paris, where in 1927, he graduated in medieval philosophy. He married Madeleine Shapiro on 4 June 1928.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Vladimir Lossky” as theologian, philosopher (1903–1958). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Vladimir, Lossky and theologian.

Editorial reviewA useful biographical orientation record, particularly for establishing names, roles and a first chronology. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1903, 1958, 1919, 1922—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1903-05-26. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Vladimir, Lossky and theologian providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Vladimir Lossky”, the useful work is to connect “theologian, philosopher (1903–1958)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

Chronology provides the most reliable spine for this subject; interpretation should follow only after identities and dates are secure. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 10, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2292798. VIAF identifies the subject as 88644724. The Library of Congress control number is n82151525. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1903, 1958, 1919 and 1922.

Critical limits

Later biographies can compress uncertainty and repeat inherited reputations, so apparently settled claims may still require comparison. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Vladimir Lossky” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.