Proselytism and Orthodoxy in Russia: The New War for SoulsCoeditor, Proselytism and Orthodoxy in Russia: The New War for Souls (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1999; repr. ed. Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2009) (with Michael Bourdeaux) (Chinese translation by Paul Lui, 2013)
Description
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. Table of Contents
Introduction – John Witte, Jr. PART ONE – RELIGIOUS PERSPECTIVES 1. The Russian Orthodox Church and Foreign Christianity: The Legacy of the Past – Philip Walters 2. Orthodox Christianity and the Russian Transformation – James H. Billington 3. Gospel and Culture – Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad 4. Interreligious Relations in Russia after 1917 – Aleksandr Shchipkov 5. Russian Catholicism: Relic or Reality? – Sergei Filatov and Lyudmila Vorontsova 6. Proselytizing and the Muslim Umma of Russia: Historical Heritage or Ethno-national Threat? – Donna E. Artz 7. Relations between Russian Orthodoxy and Judaism – Yuriy Tabak 8. Seventh-day Adventists – Mikhail M. Kulakov 9. Sects and New Religious Movements in Post-Soviet Russia – Sergei Filatov 10. The Quality of Mercy: A Once-only Opportunity – Michael Bourdeaux 11. Protestant Missionaries in the Former Soviet Union – Mark Elliott and Anita Deyneka PART TWO – LEGAL PERSPECTIVES 12. Reflections on Church and State in Russian History – Firuz Kazemzadeh 13. The Law of the Russian Federation on the Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations from a Human Rights Perspective – T. Jeremy Gunn 14. Freedom of Religion in Russia: An Amicus Brief for the Defendant - Harold J. Berman 15. Federal and Provincial Religious Freedom Laws in Russia – Lauren B. Homer and Lawrence A. Uzzell PART THREE – SIGNPOSTS FOR A NEW WAY 16. Guidelines for American Missionaries in Russia – Lawrence A. Uzzell 17. Guidelines for Foreign Missionaries in the Former Soviet Union – Anita Deyneka 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 “This collection of essays … is one of the most helpful resources available for divided people of faith to find their way forward together.” -- Linford Stutzman, Journal of the American Academy of Religion “This book contains a fascinating and informative wealth of materials on an important topic for all who care about the future of Russia, the Russian Orthodox Church, Christian missions, and genuine Christian ecumenism. The problems and difficulties presented cannot be easily untangled, but it is certain that the book itself makes a major contribution towards a more informed understanding of these important issues.” -- Kent Hill, Touchstone |
Chinese Translation 2013
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