ABSTRACT

This book explores the tensions that have arisen in the diaspora as a result of large numbers of Russian migrants entering established overseas parishes following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

These tensions, made more fervent by the increasing role of the Church as part of the expression of Russian identity and by the Church’s entry into the global ‘culture wars’, carry with them alternative views of a range of key issues – cosmopolitanism versus reservation, liberalism versus conservatism and ecumenism versus dogmatism.

The book focuses on particular disputes, discusses the broader debates and examines the wider context of how the Russian Orthodox Church is evolving overall.

chapter |13 pages

Introduction

chapter 1|28 pages

The Sourozh crisis in context

chapter 3|28 pages

Enculturation and preservation

Macrocosmic themes

chapter 4|36 pages

Enculturation and preservation

Praxis and devotion

chapter 7|12 pages

A comparative diaspora

The Armenian Apostolic Church and the Soviet legacy

chapter 8|9 pages

Conclusion