"The Prop of the Knout"

Thanks to Milton for forwarding a review of Russian Orthodoxy Resurgent: Faith and Power in the New Russia in the latest New Republic, found here. The book sounds interesting , though you would never gather that from this review by Leon Aron. His Russophobia almost leaps off the page. I notice that he is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. Aaah, all is clear now. Aron goes off on any number of ranks--criticizing Medvedev for crossing himself after receiving an icon from the Patriarch, as well as taking Putin to task for wearing an Orthodox pectoral cross in his famous bare-chested photo op from 2 years ago (I have news for Aron--we all do, it is just that our shirts are generally on.) I realize I am hardly unbiased here, but the more I read the article, the more it falls into the category of screed. I am curious if anyone out there has actually read the book.