Eastern European Baptist History: New Perspectives, 2007

d translated volumes, Estonian ECB leaders made systematic attempts to issue typewritten collections of articles or “publications” that resembled Christian journals. One of these, titled Lectio, was “published” in the second half of the 1970s by Joosep Tammo, who had become an outstanding young ECB preacher and youth leader in the 1970s. The goal of the collection was to “expand the readers’ horizons in every aspect of Christian teaching and life”.*’ Though the volumes (thirteen alto- gether) covered many traditional evangelical themes, such as evangelism, Christian leadership, pneumatology and biblical topics, Lectio’s innovation was its courage to trust the critical minds of readers, to initiate discus- sion and to touch topics which were not traditional for Estonian Baptists: the relationship of Christianity to the wider culture, dialogue between Christianity and other religions, and the role of youth in churches. Readers found articles written by the widest variety of authors, ranging from Amer- ican conservative charismatic preachers and Soviet Baptists to Swiss and German reformed theologians, including Oral Roberts and Jiirgen Molt- mann, Aleksei Bychkov and Derek Prince, Osvald Tark and Emil Brunner. Though unofficial, this samizdat publication showed a certain ecumenical openness. Also, a typewritten publication entitled Logos appeared - usually six times a year, with thirty to forty A4-format pages in each issue — from 1981 until 1988. Most articles were written by Estonian ECB presbyters, both from the older generation (Osvald Tark, Robert Vésu, Kalju Raid, Arpad Arder) and the younger generation (Joosep Tammo, Peeter Roosimaa, Ants Rebane, Jiiri Puusaag, Ingmar Kurg). Topics ranged from justifica- *! Lectio [Estonian samizdat publication] VII (1978), p. 117. 150 tion, sanctification and evangelism to questions of church life and to homi- letic-exegetical materials that proved helpful aids for preachers. Much space was given to personalia and aspects of Estonian ECB history. Three of the longest treatises were devoted to questions of sanctification,” exeget- ical analysis of the book of Revelation,*’ and the principles of Evangelical Christians-Baptists.** Congregational singing and church music contributed alongside litera- ture to maintaining and reviving the ECB identity. Earlier hymnals dating back to the pre-war times were scarce and outdated. It is no surprise that Estonian ECB leaders, beginning in 1947, persistently appealed to Soviet authorities for permission to publish a new hymnal. At last in 1975, after twenty-eight years of applications and waiting, a miracle happened. Off- cial permission was granted to publish Evangeelsed Laulud [Evangelical Hymns], a songbook containing four hundred songs, but without accom- panying music included in the book. In 1976 the songbooks were distrib- uted to all ECB churches in Estonia.” By 1979, musical accompaniment for all the songs had