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

urg and the first Baptist churches in the Caucasus. 1.1 Socio-political and religious situation in the Russian Empire in the second half of the 19" century The second half of the 19" century was marked by a set of unique prerequisites, making Russian society a fertile soil for the emergence and spread of the baptistic movement. These were freedom, the religious crisis, and the Bible. Freedom came as a result of the politics of Alexander Il, who had freed the serfs and allowed greater social freedoms.’* The crisis that struck the Russian Orthodox Church at that time prompted many people to look for other forms of religious expression. Nonetheless, it would be wrong to say that they started searching for an alternative denomination or religion. However, without any doubt there was a great desire to see changes within the established Church. And last but not least, the fact that for the first time in history the Bible was published in contemporary Russian language and was made widely available, allowed people to further explore Christian faith for themselves. Freedom The rule of Emperor Nicolas | ended in 1856 leaving Russia facing complete catastrophe. The loss in the Crimean War, and the consequent destruction of Russia’s in Him. Constant lack of Bibles and a great number of uneducated people made this kind of preaching the only possible way of spreading the Good News. Cf. Walter Sawatsky, Soviet Evangelicals Since World War II (Kitchener, Ont., Herald Press, 1981). ” Despite various social reforms, Russia’s political system remained the same — an absolute monarchy with strict control of all spheres of political, social, and religious life of the country. Nonetheless, the reign of Alexander II was marked by far greater political, social and religious freedoms than any other era of Russian imperial history. 15 military prestige and political influence, ‘was a severe blow to national self-esteem.’*” Gregory L. Freeze points out that, ‘The Crimean War not only exacted a high cost in lives, resources, and prestige, but also vitiated the main impediment to reform — the 44 Failure in belief that the existing order was consonant with stability and power. foreign politics and serious internal economic problems caused disillusionment in the ideas of Russia’s uniqueness and superiority, resulting in an epistemological crisis of a sort.’ All of that defined a need for renewal. Alexander II appeared to be the answer to that need. Although his life tragically ended with his assassination, his reign could be considered as one of the most important periods in Russian history. His reforms were incomplete and could not untie the knot of the social and economic problems of society, with perhaps tragic consequences. Still the impact of Alexander Il, “Tsar- Liberator”, whose rule is known as the Epoch of Great Reforms in Russian history, cannot be overestimated. One of the most needed reforms was