BULGAKOV, MACARIO. — Russian theologian, born in 1816, died in 1882. He became a monk, changing his name from Michele Petrović to Macario; he taught ecclesiastical history in Kiev and theology at the Ecclesiastical Academy of Petersburg (1842), of which he became rector in 1850. Consecrated bishop the following year, he occupied, successively, the sees of Vinnitza, Tambov (1857), and Kharkov (1859), combining diocesan administration with several other offices and dignities, while finding time to write important and extensive works.
His two principal works are: 1) a complete course of Teologia dogmatica ortodossa, in 6 vols. (Petersburg 1847–53, reduced to 3 vols. in the final edition), in which the author was greatly inspired by Fr. Perrone’s course, except that the speculative element is almost entirely absent; 2) a Storia della Chiesa russa in 13 vols., extending from the origins to the Council of Moscow of 1667, a work weak in its criticism but valuable for the ancient documents it reproduces.
Of all the Russian theologians of the nineteenth century, B. was the best known, especially abroad, on account of his course in theology and the compendium he made of it,
in 1868, which was translated into several languages. One must be careful not to identify B.’s doctrine with that of the other Russian theologians of the nineteenth century, and above all with that of contemporary theologians. There is disagreement on many points.