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

lead to further transformation of both dialogue partners, instead of perceiving the University as an alternative to the Church, which is seen as reactionary, conservative, and overtly anti-intellectual. Hence, it is possible to speak of the inevitability of conflict between the Church and the University in the Russian baptistic movement. Each side is acting with their best intentions, and yet is unable to see their inherent and mutually exclusive differences, grounded in dissimilar understandings of spirituality, authority, identity, and purpose. The discipline of homiletics There are numerous issues that have to be considered in a discussion about the birth, development and future potential of theological education in Russia and other post-Soviet countries.*? This dissertation does not attempt to resolve or even to identify them all. However, in my study of preaching in Russian Baptist communities, and the ways the current practice of proclamation affects churches through its connection to power, thus modifying the communal nature of Baptist congregations, the question of the future of theological education in Russia becomes, first of all, a question of developing a particular ecclesial identity, understood not in terms of creedal statements, but in terms of the existence of a binding narrative, that can embrace the diversity of baptistic communities, allowing churches (both leaders and lay members) to regain a renewed sense of purpose and unity. Too often the question of identity has been taken for granted, both by the Church, with the majority of its 31 Ibid., p 28. 2 Ibid., p 30. 33 Eg. A recent work, which deals with issues of theological education in Ukraine by Joshua T. Searle and Mykhailo N. Cherenkov, A Future and a Hope (Eugene, Oregon, Wipf & Stock, 2014). 230 members being unable to answer, what makes them Baptists, or what brings them to their congregations; and seminaries, which, whilst perceiving their task as the formation of Christian and Baptist identity and character, nonetheless, do not ask themselves, what constitutes the identity they were trying to form. ** At this stage, it might be helpful to offer a brief overview of the way preaching is taught in two major centres of theological education in Russia. First is Moscow Theological Seminary of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, which is the main educational institution of RUECB. The second is TCM-International Institute (Austria). Whilst the school is not Russian based, | have decided to refer to their preaching programme, since the institute has a major impact on Russian Christian culture through its Russian based educational centres in Vladimir, Omsk, Khabarovsk, and a number of centres in other former Soviet countries. Both schools act as important centres of ministerial training, with their M-level studies being an indication of advanced theological research and reflection.” A quick overview of the two cours