Meltha Magazine Online

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1995 Volume 1, No2., pages 41-42

REVIEWS:

WORLD AND RELIGION

On 16th to 18th of May 1995 in Moscow Danilov Monastery, Department of External Clerical Relations, an International Scientific Conference on Christian Mission in the 18th to 2Oth centuries was held. The conference was organized by the Institute of World History of Russian Academy of Sciences and the Center of Christian Studies in the Non- western World at Edinburgh University with kind assistance and' participation of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Participants in the conference heard with enthusiasm the information from the Russian Church officials about restoration of traditional Church services and revival of religious life among orthodox people alongside the activity of other related confessions in Russia at large.

Participants also unanimously reflected with satisfaction on revival of missionary activity of the Russian Orthodox Church that has accumulated invaluable experience in this sphere. Participants shared much in the anxiety they heard from Russian Church officials about the increased activity of. Alien missionaries and/or preachers from totalitarian pseudo-Christian, sectarian, neo- pagan and/or cult groups that have been coming to Russia in manifold recently. They all have caused much confusion in the minds of orthodox-oriented nations deeply rooted in the Russian Church age-long traditions and cultural and historical conceptions. Participants encouraged the Russian Church to curb the spread of pernicious doctrines in the sacred land of Russia.

The audience found a great interest in the report made by hieromonk Stefan (Mr. Sado) on "The Russian Orthodox Church Mission in the Region of Urmia, 1898 to 1918" (St. Petersburg Theological Academy). The author focused on the youngest Russian Church foreign missions at the time. This mission operated among orthodox-adicted Assyrian-Nestorians who inhabited the territory to the north of the Urmia Lake on the Persian border with Russia in the land of Azerbaidjan. Chronologically the mission operated in the period of 1898 to 1918. But anyway it was shown that the formation period took much longer covering- the second half of the 19th century as well.

In the author's opinion the Russian Orthodox Church mission in the region of Urmia revealed a distinctive feature that for the first time in the past fifteen hundred years it was operating among Nestorians who in the intact eparchy joined the Orthodox Church. This opened new avenues for re- unification of the whole Nestorians headed by its own Patriarch with Orthodox Church. The story of the Urmian mission shows that this project was quite feasible, as it seemed on the eve of the First World War. But it never came true as revolution in Russia in 1917 destroyed the Empire -and made orthodox Assyrians run scattered in the world.

On 27th to 30th of May Moscow was a venue place for an International Scientific Conference on "Islam and Mutual Ethno- Confessional Understanding in the Changing World II.

This highly representative venue was held under the auspices of UNESCO in the framework of the program "Cultural Dialogue".

Roland T. Bidjamov from the Institute of Africa of Russian Academy of Sciences came out at the conference with a report on "Relations of Muslims and Ethno- Confessional Groups of Christians in North Mesopotamia". In his report he focused on the problems of Christian minorities in the Islamic surrounding and the necessity of a prompt action. In the author's opinion despite the immigration tendency Christians still remain to stay in the Middle East in large quantity. But the future for them will largely depend on the willingness of the ruling majority in the Middle East countries to create a real plural society in which human rights would be secured for everyone despite his nationality, language and religion.