Russian Baptists and Orthodoxy, 1960-1990

This extremely perceptive study of late twentieth-century Russian Baptist theology and practice, which analyzes a wide range of periodical and oral evidence, is very welcome. Whilst common perception, with much good reason, distances the life and thought of the Baptist and Orthodox denominations in Russia from each other, Constantine Prokhorov helpfully identifies, in a period of political conflict between East and West, much common ground in piety, liturgy and thought. This work also indicates how both denominations are situated within developing and changing Russian culture.

John Briggs
Research Professor,
International Baptist Theological Seminary

This is an outstanding work of historical research, which probes in detail the relationship between Russian Baptist communities and the Russian Orthodox Church in the period 1960-1990. Constantine Prokhorov draws from a very wide range of Russian primary sources and personal interviews to show that in this period Russian Baptist life reflected Orthodox thinking and practice in a number of crucial areas. His argument, which is presented in an appealing and a compelling way, has profound implications for an understanding of evangelical-Orthodox relationships in Russia and also elsewhere.

Ian Randall
Senior Research Fellow,
Spurgeon’s College

1. Abstract
2. Abbreviations
3. Transliteration
4. Preface and Acknowledgements
5. Chapter 1
1. Introduction
1. Russian Baptists and their interpreters
2. Religion in the USSR: the 1950s to the 1980s
3. Baptist life: a brotherhood and sisterhood
4. The approach of the study
5. Conclusion
6. Chapter 2
1. Roots of the Issue
1. The Russian “choice of faith
2. Russian sectarians and evangelicals
3. Baptist growth in the Orthodox setting
4. Causes of conversion
5. Molokans and Baptists
6. Evangelicals in Russian literature
7. Orthodox-Baptist commonalities
8. Conclusion
7. Chapter 3
1. Russian Orthodoxy and Baptist Theology
1. The Nature of God
2. Soteriology: the possibility of salvation
3. Russian Baptist anthropology: seeking holiness
4. Scripture and tradition
5. Eschatology and the life to come
6. Conclusion
8. Chapter 4
1. Church and Sacraments
1. “Holy water baptism”
2. Acceptance into the Brotherhood
3. The Lord’s Supper
4. Seven Sacraments
5. The Ordination of Presbyters
6. Consecration of a House of Prayer
7. The sacraments of human life
8. Conclusion
9. Chapter 5
1. Orthodoxy and Baptist Liturgy
1. The Liturgical Year
2. The Rite of Divine Service
3. Church music and singing
4. Ceremonial objects and acts
5. The Bible: “This is God’s Book”
6. Conclusion
10. Chapter 6
1. Communal Spiritual Traditions
1. The “Monastic Way” of Russian Baptists
2. Lives of Saints
3. God’s Fools
4. The way of peace
5. A Russian spiritual identity
6. Orthodox-Baptist relationships
7. Conclusion
11. Chapter 7
1. Bible, Beliefs and Behaviour
1. Reading the Bible
2. Poetry, imagination and language
3. Common customs and rules
4. The way of tears
5. Dreams, visions and healing
6. Common prejudices
7. Conclusion
12. Chapter 8
1. Popular Piety: An Alternative Culture
1. Stories that sustained the Community
2. Moral markers
3. Sacraments and superstitions
4. Schools, colleges and work-places
5. “Public Enemies”
6. Promised Land
7. Conclusion
13. Chapter 9
1. Conclusion
1. Areas of commonality
2. Seeking explanations
3. Further possibilities for research
4. Reconciling warring brothers
5. Conclusion
14. Bibliography
15. Appendix 1
1. Some Unacknowledged Quotations in Bratsky Vestnik (Fraternal Bulletin)
16. Appendix 2
1. Some Unacknowledged Quotations in Bratsky Vestnik
17. Appendix 3
1. Comparison of Versions of the Poem “An Old Legend”