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

°° To sum up, it can be said that Russian Orthodox understanding and practice of preaching differs substantially from the paradigm offered in the majority of preaching text-books written by homilets from baptistic or the wider protestant tradition.°’ In the Orthodox Church, preaching is seen as a transmission not only of °4 M. Tareev, Po Voprosam Gomiletiki: Kriticheskie Ocherki [On the Questions of Homiletics: Critical Essays] (Sergiev Posad, Troitsko-Sergieva Lavra, 1903), p 11. °° Even today, extemporaneous preaching is considered as superior to the message prepared in advance. Nastol’naia Kniga Sviashchennika says that, for someone who only begins to preach, he is allowed to use the manuscript, since it helps to overcome anxiety. The next step for a preacher is to memorise the sermon, thus avoiding using the written text. However, either of these approaches robs preaching of its potential power. Thus, it is recommended, that he prepares an outline and memorises it, which shifts the focus to proclamation, rather than preparation. Nonetheless, all of the above is only a preparation to fully improvised preaching. Only the main idea needs to be prepared in advance. ‘All the work of transmitting the spiritual riches of the preacher into the living word happens in the temple, during the preaching event.’ (Nastol’naia Kniga Sviashchennika, Vol. 5, pp 24). Cf. Archbishop Amvrosii, Zhivoie Slovo [Living Word] (Kharkov, 1903), p 80. °° Nastol’naia Kniga Sviashchennika, Vol. 5, p 15. °7 E.g. David M. Brown, Transformational Preaching (Virtualbookworm.com Publishing Inc., 2003); David Buttrick, Homiletics : Moves and Structures, (Minneapolis, Fortress Press, 1987); D. 45 God’s words, but also as a channel of God’s saving grace. Therefore, even when the message does not contain a coherent structure, theological depth or any relevance for the listeners, it can still be seen as successful. If the preacher’s spiritual condition is right, God will deliver the necessary meaning into the hearts, minds, and lives of the listeners. Conclusion The complex, multi-origin nature of the birth and development of the baptistic movement in the Russian Empire meant the absence of a coherent theological framework within which these communities of nonconformists appeared. Few of their first leaders had any theological education. Therefore, considering the dominant Orthodox theological background and the extent to which Orthodox convictions and practices penetrated every sphere of Russian culture, it would be wrong to assume that baptistic groups were capable of separating themselves from it. They were bound to absorb major Orthodox convictions — not the visible practices, like infant baptism or veneration of icons — these were easy targets for baptistic critique. However, more complex theological convictions underlying views on Salvation, holiness, etc., were absorbed by baptistic Christians, who believed that