ПОЛ Б. АНДЕРСОН И ПОЕЗДКА ЦЕРКОВНЫХ ЛИДЕРОВ США В МОСКВУ В 1956 Г.

Abstract

Paul B. Anderson (1894–1985) stood out as a leading Western advocate for Orthodox Christians in the USSR. In March 1956 Anderson traveled to Moscow as a key member of a delegation representing the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA for meetings with leaders of several Christian church bodies. He acted based on knowledge of Orthodox history and Soviet politics and was the only Russian-speaker in the US delegation. He took a moderate, balanced, and diplomatic approach – avoiding both the uncritical celebration of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) or the condemnation of the church’s leaders due to their cooperation with the government. The Moscow visit, and the visit to the US that followed, contributed to a strengthening of ties among these church organizations and the 1961 entry of the ROC into the World Council of Churches. However, the meetings also illustrated the challenges of engaging in church activism during the post-Stalin era. This account demonstrates the significant contribution of Anderson to the building of informed and constructive connections among the believers of the US and USSR.