Rozanov and the Coin.

The importance is examined specifically of the coin and, more generally, of money, in the religious thought of Vasilii Rozanov. First, there is Rozanov's rejection of the Orthodox ideal of poverty, which is based on his interpretation of the religious role of the family and the obligation placed on men to support their household. Then, the focus is on Rozanov's numismatics; the importance of the coin for Rozanov as a historical artefact, and also the metaphysical function of the coin in connecting him to ancient civilizations, and resurrecting pre-Christian values in the modern world. These two dimensions of finance are reconciled by demonstrating that, for Rozanov, the physical and metaphysical properties of money are linked in a complex system of exchange that helps humanity maintain its links with the Creation. Rozanov also establishes a clear link between the coin, the word, and the reproductive body, a dynamic that is threatened specifically by Jesus Christ. In addition, Rozanov's thought is examined in the context of Russian Orthodoxy and religious philosophy over the religious value of money and the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]