Soviet Evangelicals Since World War II, Walter Sawatsky, 1981

atheism. They ignored them, for they saw no need to argue with science because they had a profound belief in the truth of the message of Jesus. Theirs was a theology of faith. Similarly, they remained unshakable because of their certainty of the omnipotence of God. They knew that God never lost control of events. Many observers have drawn attention to the triumphalism of the persecuted Reform Baptists. They protested unjust treatment, appealed for redress and for changed legislation, but in their appeals to fellow Christians the dominant theme was much more for prayer support, a concern that God's will would be worked out. This also included praying for their persecutors. Gerhard Fast tells the story of two preachers sent to his cell who | immediately set about preaching the gospel. When one of the men was transferred to another section of the prison the other stated: “They probably need the gospel over there.”’®2 | ’ . to shape the character of the Evangelical Christian movement, reached 354 Soviet Evangelicals Since World War i] Soviet evangelicals in varying degrees have also elena ee ate verbial capacity of the Russian people to suffer. Their a atk forebears had taught and experienced eae para cas alae canes . i ile, for this was the inevitable lot or tho Owed not wrestle for political control."% aes ae part of worship; it became a bond that united evangelicals in t e are = and in the various towns where they chanced to meet. er also i to validate their witness. More so than in most other parts of Europe, they became and remained a church practicing costly discipleship. The Evangelical Task: Restitution of Apostolic Christianity ety Is there a Soviet evangelical theology? The content of their ce system is part and parcel of general believers church theology, — = evangelicalism.® It includes Pentecostal and Mennonite concerns eee sofar as these are included within evangelicalism. The. ae i ae developed might be described as the desired ECB t es expression of personal piety and worship, especially its emotiona i merges. ee ce feature of Soviet evangelical theology is that ae ‘have affirmed the goal of restitution of apostolic se ace eat forthrightly and with greater chance of success than more deve ae eee ers’ churches in Western Europe and North America. ges ro) ae ae the patterns and principles of roe pany Salen ee a i i achievement of the Anabaptists. 1 nis ee L S. Prokhanov, who did more than any other person back a century earlier than the Anabaptist movement to areas . genuinely Slavic forefather—Jan Hus. Prokhanov drew doen a ri ea the writings of Chelcisky on the separation of churc rom . oe pinpointing the significance of the Constantinian Sen tuirts Ne hanov’s affinity for these fellow Slavic preachers was sym . - = re cision to be ordained in Prague by Czech Baptists but wit : ergy fr nee Church