Towards Understanding of the Practice of Proclamation: The Core Element of Russian Baptist Worship, Timofey Cheprasov, 2015

l and figurative interpre-tation, interpretive pluralism, and the governing role of the Apostles’ Creed. ”” However, various Western missionaries and teachers who came to the post- Soviet countries after the fall of the iron curtain have rejected previously used methods as “unscientific,” and instead have introduced both new theological approaches as well as methods of biblical interpretation through teaching in local churches, seminars for pastors, and various theological schools.’® These methods were introduced as “scientific,” and based on principles of “healthy hermeneutics,” therefore able to bring much desired theological unity into the diverse baptistic ranks.’? Puzynin indicates that such approach fails at various levels, First, it is not tradition-continuous and creates a significant disruption in the practice of biblical interpretation. It creates a chasm between traditional communities of faith and newly-created educational institutions... Second, it is not dialogical, because it is assumed that anyone who does not follow these ‘obvious’ and ‘common-sense’ rules is not practicing ‘healthy interpretation.’ Third, this approach does not solve the problem of interpretive pluralism. Despite its claims to scientific objectivity, the 7 Puzynin, “The Tradition of the Gospel Christians...”, p 50. 8 The subject of the contemporary state of Russian Baptist biblical interpretation and the existing discrepancies between modern approaches to interpretation prevailing in theological schools and more traditional views that are still predominantly held in churches is addressed by Olga A. Bokova in her article “Bibleiskaia Ekzegetika i Germenevtika Sovremennikh Evangelskikh Khristian — Baptistov: Traditsii i Novatsii” [“Biblical Exegetics and Hermeneutics of Contemporary Evangelical Christians-Baptists: Traditions and New Trends”], in Vestnik Leningradskogo Gosudarstvennogo Universiteta im. A. S. Pushkina [Messenger of Leningrad State University], |lssue 2, Vol. 2 (St. Petersburg, 2013), pp 216-226. 9 According to Puzynin, the book written by V. Tkachuk (the former vice-president of the Ukrainian Union of Gospel Christians-Baptists), Metody i Printsipy Tolkovania Sviashchennogo Pisania [Methods and Principles of Interpretation of the Holy Scripture] (Lutsk, Ukraine, Centr Khristianskoi Zhizni Ukraini, 2000) is an example of such careless promotion of “western interpretive methods,” whilst refusing to seriously engage with the indigenous approaches to biblical interpretation (Puzynin, “The Tradition of the Gospel Christians...,” pp 39-40). 194 approach has not been able to resolve theological differences among Eastern evangelicals, who are still divided over a number of issues... Fourth, the approach shifts the accent from communal participation in Bible reading and social praxis to an algorithmic, cognitive methodology. Fifth, it is not clear why the interpretive community should even read scri