Proselytism and Orthodoxy in Russia

by John Witte Jr (Editor), Michael Bourdeaux (Editor)

Overview

Few of the struggles Russia has undergone since the fall of Communism have been fiercer than that being fought between the long-repressed Russian Orthodox Church and a host of groups seeking to evangelize the Russian people. This volume assesses the legitimacy of the Orthodox attempt to reclaim the spiritual and moral heart of the Russian people and to retain their adherence in a new, pluralistic world where many Christians and followers of other traditions seek the right to establish themselves. Proselytism and Orthodoxy in Russia also brings together the latest scholarship on the new Russian laws regarding religion as well as suggesting guidelines for foreign missionaries in Russia.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781606086728
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	05/01/2009
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

John Witte Jr., JD (Harvard) is the Jonas Robitscher Professor of Law and Ethics and Director of the Law and Religion Program at Emory University. A specialist in legal history, jurisprudence, and church-state relations, he is author or editor of eleven books and numerous professional articles.

Michael Bourdeaux, PhD (Lambeth), is founder and Director, Emeritus, of Keston Institute, Oxford, and Canon Emeritus of the Church of England. A specialist in Russian history and religion, and a long-time advocate for religious freedom in Communist lands, he has published seven books and numerous articles, and is a recipient of the prestigious Templeton Prize.

Table of Contents

Preface xi

Introduction John Witte Jr. 1

Part 1 Religious Perspectives

1 The Russian Orthodox Church and Foreign Christianity The Legacy of the Past Philip Walters 31

2 Orthodox Christianity and the Russian Transformation James H. Billington 51

3 Gospel and Culture Smolensk Kaliningrad 66

4 Interreligious Relations in Russia after 1917 Aleksandr Shchipkov 77

5 Russian Catholicism: Relic or Reality? Sergei Filatov Lyudmila Vorontsova 93

6 Proselytizing and the Muslim Umma of Russia Historical Heritage or Ethno-national Threat? Donna E. Arzt 108

7 Relations between Russian Orthodoxy and Judaism Yuriy Tabak 141

8 Seventh-day Adventists Mikhail M. Kulakov 151

9 Sects and New Religious Movements in Post-Soviet Russia Sergei Filatov 163

10 The Quality of Mercy A Once-only Opportunity Michael Bourdeaux 185

11 Protestant Missionaries in the Former Soviet Union Mark Elliott Anita Deyneka 197

Part 2 Legal Perspectives

12 Reflections on Church and State in Russian History Firuz Kazemzadeh 227

13 The Law of the Russian Federation on the Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations from a Human Rights Perspective T. Jeremy Gunn 239

14 Freedom of Religion in Russia An Amicus Brief for the Defendant Harold J. Berman 265

15 Federal and Provincial Religious Freedom Laws in Russia A Struggle for and against Federalism and the Rule of Law Lauren B. Homer Lawrence A. Uzzell 284

Part 3 Signposts for a New Way

16 Guidelines for American Missionaries in Russia Lawrence A. Uzzell 323

17 Guidelines for Foreign Missionaries in the Former Soviet Union Anita Deyneka 331

Contributors 341

Index 343

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Readers seeking to understand the crisis forced by Russia's restrictive new 1997 law governing churches and religious organizations will find this book's many-sided chapters an indispensable resource. Its diverse authors provide an expert, highly informative-historical and contemporary-analysis of the issues surrounding the most pressing question on religion in post-Soviet Eastern Europe: freedom of worship and belief."
-Niels C. Nielsen Jr., author of Revolutions in Eastern Europe

Editorial Reviews

"Readers seeking to understand the crisis forced by Russia's restrictive new 1997 law governing churches and religious organizations will find this book's many-sided chapters an indispensable resource. Its diverse authors provide an expert, highly informative-historical and contemporary-analysis of the issues surrounding the most pressing question on religion in post-Soviet Eastern Europe: freedom of worship and belief."
-Niels C. Nielsen Jr., author of Revolutions in Eastern Europe

From the Publisher