60 Contemporary Evolution. 



of " survival " in the Russian Empire. There a 

 peculiar Christian theocracy still remains erect ; perhaps 

 in full force, and destined to further development. Signs, 

 however, are not wanting that it is really a tottering 

 structure, deeply undermined and honeycombed as it is 

 by the efforts of religious dissidents. Nevertheless the 

 future of Russia is a subject full of uncertainty, and a 

 problem not less perplexing than abounding in interest, 

 about which a word or two may be said later. 



We now come to the last region which need occupy 

 us in our brief survey of the leading features of the 

 action of social political evolution on Christianity from 

 the Middle Ages to the present day. This last region is 

 Germany. Under existing circumstances it is the most 

 interesting of all ; for there before our eyes is being 

 played out on a magnificent scale a remarkably involved 

 struggle, in which mediaeval and modern, Christian and 

 pagan conceptions are entangling and disentangling them- 

 selves with singular complexity, and forming a labyrinth, 

 the clue to which seems to have been strangely missed 

 by most of the leaders of English public opinion. 



Under the head of Germany must be included, not 

 only the new German Empire under Prussia, but Austria 

 also. Austria must be included on account of the im- 

 portant part played by Southern Germany in the national 

 evolution from the thirteenth century to the present day. 



In Germany the Christian theocracy attained in one 



