Sergey Nikolayevich Bulgakov (1871-1944) was born into a priest's family in the city of Livny, Oryol province. He became well-known for his major works: "The Philosophy of Economy" (1912), "On God-Manhood: A Trilogy" (1933-45), and "The Philosophy of Name" (published in 1953). Bulgakov was a Russian philosopher, Orthodox theologian, economist, publicist, and social activist.

His childhood was spent in a strictly religious environment, which he detailed in his "Autobiographical Notes." However, at the age of 13, he entered a theological seminary where he experienced a religious crisis that lasted until he was 30. Bulgakov left the seminary a year before graduation, entered the final class of a gymnasium, and after graduating in 1890, enrolled at Moscow University. During this time, he became interested in Marxism, specializing in political economy, and soon after graduating, passed his master's exam. After getting married, he went abroad to work on his dissertation.

According to Bulgakov himself, during this time he was "in the grip of scientificity" and was a member of the Social Democratic Party. He met figures such as Kautsky, Bebel, and Liebknecht, wrote articles on political economy, and gradually gained nationwide recognition.

After defending his master's dissertation, Bulgakov became a professor of political economy at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. He lived in Kyiv for five years (1901-1906), and it was during this period that he experienced a second crisis that positively affected his spirituality. During this time, Bulgakov underwent a philosophical transformation reflected in his collection "From Marxism to Idealism" (1903). His lectures and articles resonated widely in society, and along with Berdyaev, he became one of the leaders of the Russian intelligentsia striving for religious-philosophical renewal.

The turn "from Marxism to Idealism" marked a new era in Bulgakov's life, and he owed much to V. Solovyov. Bulgakov wrote that Solovyov's philosophy provides a holistic Christian worldview for contemporary consciousness.

Bulgakov not only distanced himself from economic materialism but also fully embraced a religious worldview. Together with Berdyaev, he founded the journal "Questions of Life" (1905), where he published articles on religious and social topics. In 1906, he moved to Moscow, obtained a position at the Commercial Institute, was elected a deputy to the 2nd State Duma, and wrote a collection of articles "Two Cities" (1911). During these years, he became close to P. Florensky and adopted his concept of sophiology, which he reinterpreted in his own way.

In 1912, Bulgakov published "The Philosophy of Economy," for which he received a doctorate from Moscow University, further developing his sophiological concept. In 1917, he released the book "The Light Unfading," which he worked on for five years.

An important event in Bulgakov's life was his communication with L.N. Tolstoy. A.B. Goldenweiser mentions in his diary that in 1897, Bulgakov, being a Marxist, argued with Tolstoy, and this interaction became one of the catalysts that led him to abandon Marxism.

In 1918, Bulgakov accepted the priesthood and found himself in Crimea, where he became a professor at Simferopol University, but soon left it for ministry. In 1922, he was expelled from the RSFSR without the right to return.

In 1923, Bulgakov was exiled from Russia by the Soviet authorities and went to Constantinople, then to Prague, where he lectured at the Russian Law Faculty, and in 1925 moved to Paris to work at the Theological Institute, where he remained dean until the end of his life.

During these years, Bulgakov actively engaged in theological creativity, writing the "small trilogy" and the "large trilogy" "On God-Manhood." His sophiological understanding of Christian dogmas led to accusations of heresy, but a commission established by Metropolitan Evlogy found him innocent.

In the spring of 1939, Bulgakov underwent a serious operation, after which he lost his vocal cords, but soon managed to speak in whispers and continue his work. In the summer of 1944, he passed away from a brain hemorrhage.