Christian Movement Research Articles

Participation of N. A. Berdyaev in the activities of the Russian Student Christian Movement (RSCM) in 1923–1935

Participation of N. A. Berdyaev in the activities of the Russian Student Christian Movement (RSCM) in 1923–1935

Оverview of materials of the All-Russian Scientific Conference with international participation “Russian Student Christian Movement: pages of history and experience of ‘making life ecclesial’ (otserkovlenie)” (Moscow, October 4–5, 2023)

Оverview of materials of the All-Russian Scientific Conference with international participation “Russian Student Christian Movement: pages of history and experience of ‘making life ecclesial’ (otserkovlenie)” (Moscow, October 4–5, 2023)

Non contra, sed supra: “Bulletin of the Russian Student Christian Movement” about believers and the Orthodox Church in the USSR in 1949–1965

Non contra, sed supra: “Bulletin of the Russian Student Christian Movement” about believers and the Orthodox Church in the USSR in 1949–1965

Protestantism in Korea: from Banning Christianity to the Largest Megachurch in the World

This article examines Protestantism in Korea and the role of Protestantism in public life. The reasons for the success of Christian mission are analyzed, as well as peculiarities of Korean Protestantism in the international Christian movement. The development of Protestantism is shown as a holistic phenomenon in relationship with Catholicism and Buddhism. In addition to domestic and foreign historiography, official sources of statistical information are used. The activities of Protestant missionary organizations, the country's religious policy and the involvement of Protestant organizations in political activity are studied. Mega-churches and their role in Korean Protestantism have also been studied. The study revealed that the main reason for the strong expansion of Protestantism in the postwar period was due to both U.S. influence in postwar Korea and the «anti-superstition» policy. After independence, the majority practised folk religions and the state encouraged their conversion to Christianity or Buddhism. Today, Protestants constitute 20 percent of Korea's population, Buddhists 16 percent, and Catholics 8 percent. Mega-churches have become widespread; the Yoido Full Gospel Church is the largest church in the world, attended by half a million people. A peculiarity of Korea is the large number of missions sent abroad – the country is second only to the United States in the number of Protestant missionaries. It is concluded that Christianity will remain the most numerous religion in the country. At the same time, the influence of religious systems will diminish and individual religiosity will come first.

The Russian Student Christian Movement’s Religious Literature Smuggling Program (1960s–1980s)

The Russian Student Christian Movement’s Religious Literature Smuggling Program (1960s–1980s)

The Vision and Impact of Redeemed Christian Church of God and Cherubim and Seraphim Movement

The paper is a comparative study of Redeemed Christian Church of God and Cherubim and Seraphim Movement as African indigenous movements. The work adopts a qualitative research design and relied on secondary method using comparative approach. It was found in the study that these indigenous Christian movements have their vision shaped by their founders. However, there are certain features that are common among them as well as notable differences. Both practiced Pentecostal theology and the place of Scriptures is central to both of them. While the Redeemed Christian Church of God is said to have more social, political and economic impact on the people and the society Cherubim and Seraphim Movement gives more attention to the issue of spiritual liberation and deliverance from the forces of darkness. The Redeem Christian Church of God follows more strictly, the teaching of the Bible while Cherubim and Seraphim Society is syncretic. The paper recommends that there is a need for a comparative study of the teachings and practices of these indigenous movements. And there is a need for these movements to develop a clear theology and doctrines that define them.

Православное воспитание в детских организациях эмиграции «первой волны» 1920 – 1930-е гг.

In Europe, in the second half of the XIX century, the first children's and youth movements were created. Their goal was the physical and moral development of young people. Moral values were instilled through Christian education. The Russian Empire was no exception, and since 1909, the scout and "potesnnie" movements began their activities in it, paying much attention to the Orthodox upbringing of their wards. In emigration, religious education became even more important. In the conditions of a foreign environment, the threat of assimilation and acculturation of Russian children increased. It was planned to resist this with a great emphasis on the study of national culture, including its religious component. Since it was not possible to cover all children in Russian schools in the scattering, more flexible children's and youth organizations became more important. In those colonies where churches existed, they participated in divine services, helped in holding Christian holidays, invited priests to classes and camps. In the richest and most numerous diasporas, such as the Parisian one, field churches in summer camps have become popular. In addition, classes on the Law of God were held in children's associations and exams were passed on knowledge of the basics of Orthodox culture, which made it possible to reach children living in remote regions. There were several main organizations that worked with children: scouts (NORS, ORYUR, NORR, ORPR), the gymnastics movement "Sokol", the national organization "Vityazi" under the Russian Student Christian Movement. All of them paid a lot of attention to religious education, although the "vityazi" were the most active in this regard. A certain indicator of the success of such work can be the fact that many children who passed through such associations later became priests and bishops.

Historiography of the Genesis of the Pentecostal Movement: Early and Recent Research Directions in English-language Literature

The purpose of this article is to identify early and recent Pentecostal studies in the West and to highlight the main difference between them. Today there are more than 250 million Pentecostals in the world, and together with the charismatic movement there are more than 500 million. Having begun to spread in the 20th century, the movement claims to be the fastest growing religious phenomenon in human history. In attempts to interpret the phenomenon of the movement's growth, there have been several gradually emerging approaches: explaining the origin of the movement as supernaturally "coming from heaven"; searching for the origins of Pentecostalism in other Christian movements; presenting the emergence of the movement as the result of social and psychological factors such as poverty, marginalization, and the desire to escape from modern society; and the multicultural approach. The paper analyzes the works of Western historians and theologians of Pentecostalism since the second half of the 20th century. The result shows a turning point between early and late studies, namely that late studies aim to revise the history and include participants in the movement around the world, not just in North America, explore the contribution to the development of the movement of local ministers who have long remained in the shadow of Western missionaries, emphasize the diversity of ideologies and social influences that have shaped the movement. It also highlights three major contemporary areas of research: historical, characterized by studies of Pentecostalism in Asia, Africa, and Latin America; theological, focusing on the development and shaping of theoretical theology as a result of the movement's institutionalization; and religious studies, practiced primarily from the perspective of the sociology of religion.

The Social Network of Philip in Acts: A Dynamic Pioneering Missionary

This study seeks to explore, how Luke presents the narrative portrayal of Philip in Acts utilizing Social Network Analysis (SNA) and presents an interdisciplinary study combining methods from Theology, Social Sciences, and Computer Science. First, we provide a detailed methodological discussion that highlights the overlap between narrative criticism and SNA. Combining both, we present results in a mathematical computational social networks using exegetical methods. SNA presents different perspectives on one of those minor actors, which Luke presents in more detail, and his relation to the nascent Christian movement in Acts. This study shows that it is in the relational aspects and the crossing of social, cultural, and religious distances that are key to understanding Luke’s story of Philip’s ministry. In particular, he presents Philip as a dynamic pioneering missionary. These results also raise new questions for further research, and show new perspective on biblical texts

Spiritual Christians in Republican China: Reconceptualization beyond Pentecostalism and Indigenization

Pentecostalism contributes significantly to Christian revivals as well as to the rise of indigenous churches in the non-Western world. This is due to its proximity to local religious traditions, such as the practices of dream interpretation, healing, and exorcism. However, Pentecostalism as a term also reflects an American-dominated narrative; it has proven incapable of covering the main traits of indigenous Christian movements, either in the Global South or in China. For instance, in the 19th century—far before the birth of Pentecostalism as a modern term—both the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (1851–1864) and the ministry of the legendary Pastor Hsi (Xi Shengmo 席胜魔, 1835–1896) expressed some Pentecostal characteristics. In the early 20th century, some indigenous churches, like the True Jesus Church and the Jesus Family, had clear connections with Pentecostal missionaries or organizations and showed obvious Pentecostal characteristics. However, leading evangelists such as Watchman Nee (Ni Tuosheng 倪柝声, 1903–1972) agreed with some practices of Pentecostalism and opposed others. Instead of claiming a Pentecostal identity (Ling’en pai 灵恩派), most Chinese Christians preferred to be defined as “spiritual” (Shuling 属灵). With the Spirit (Ling 灵) at the center, Chinese Christians went beyond the narrative of both Pentecostalism and indigenization; their exact aim was to seek the authentic Christianity of the apostolic age. “Spiritual Christian” (Shuling jidutu 属灵基督徒) would thus suggest a re-conception of part of the history of Christianity in China.

For God and Country: The Political Activism of Religious Congregations in the United States

Conservative Christian movements have attracted the attention of political observers, but just how widespread are they? This paper draws on the National Congregations Study to answer this question. It finds that while conservative Christians are known for their political activism, Catholic and Black congregations are the most politically active. They distribute voter guides, register people to vote, form groups to discuss politics, lobby or march, and invite political candidates and elected officials as visiting speakers. Black churches are also the most likely to publicly support or oppose a political candidate, and Catholic churches are the most likely to declare themselves sanctuaries for undocumented immigrants. It turns out, however, that independent “evangelical” congregations did become more politically active in 2018, and while they represent only a small slice of American congregations, they may be able to exert an influence on U.S. political outcomes.

The “Angel of Light at Work”: An Assessment of the Christian Mission in the Southern Hemisphere

Today, it is commonplace to hear that Africa is the hope of Christianity. Using the Ignatian image of “the angel of light”, this paper proposes to qualify this belief. I will show that this belief is verified quantitively. However, the lack of authentic Christian witness makes the above assertion problematic. My analysis will focus on the tradition of the églises de réveil (awakening churches) in Francophone Africa, especially in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This contemporary tradition is a hybrid Christian movement that combines Evangelical and Pentecostal attitudes. I will develop my analysis in three steps. First, I will discuss the nature of églises de réveil. Second, I will describe the modus operandi of these awakening churches. My discussion will indicate how this modus operandi works in urban and rural areas. Lastly, I will propose one perspective for authentic Christian growth. I will argue that a Christian mission needs to be radically Christocentric. This radical Christocentrism revolves around two major axes, namely a sign of contradiction vis-à-vis the world and a radical witness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Pengaruh Gerak Dan Lagu Kristiani Terhadap Ekspresi Bahagia Anak Usia 5-6 Tahun Di TK GKPI Tarutung Kota

The aim of this research is to determine the influence of Christian movements and songs on the happy expressions of children aged 5-6 years at the GKPI Tarutung City Kindergarten. The type of research used in this research is quantitative research with experimental research methods and the type of research design is one group pretest post-test design. The population in this study was all children aged 5-6 years at GKPI Tarutung City Kindergarten, totaling 110 people, and the sampling technique, namely purposive sampling, was 18 children from class B4. Data collection techniques were carried out using observation sheets and documentation. Based on the recapitulation of data on children's happy expressions before being given treatment (pretest) using movements and Christian songs, there were 16.7% in the quite happy (CB) category, 22.2% in the Happy (B) category, and 61.1% in the very happy (SB) category. And after being given treatment (post-test) using movement and Christian songs, there were 5.6% in the quite happy (CB) category, none in the Happy (B) category and 94.4% in the very happy (SB) category. Furthermore, based on the results of the t test, the value of tcount≥ttable was obtained (3.610 > 1.740). So it can be concluded that H0 is rejected and Ha is accepted, which means that there is an influence of movements and Christian songs on the happy expressions of children aged 5-6 years at the GKPI Tarutung City Kindergarten.

Impact of the doctrine of seed planting on the mission of the church in Kenya

This study sought to find out the impact of the doctrine of seed planting on the mission of the church in Kenya. The Doctrine of Seed Planting (DSP) has been overemphasised above the mission of the church in Kenya. It emerged in the New Christian Movements (NCMs) in the 1950s among PG preachers and continued to spread into other denominations, including the Mainline, Pentecostal and African Independent churches. Continued preaching of DSP has become a challenge to the mission of the church. Despite the efforts of scholars to castigate it as a ruse and faulty doctrine in the church, it is still being preached to the extent that it has been categorised as the main doctrine in PG theology. However, how it influenced the mission of the church, her core business remained un-investigated systematically. This raised a great concern that necessitated an in-depth study of this kind. The data was collected and analysed from 364 church members, 10 clergy and 12 lay leaders from different church denominations. The results show that DSP has a negative impact on the mission of the church. It benefited the clergy and led to the suffering of believers. Therefore, the study recommended that the church de-emphasise DSP and embark on pragmatic transformative activities aimed at improving people’s livelihood. The study was significant in the area of sociology and psychology studies.

Distinguishing biblical Christian doctrines from fabricated interpretations: a comparative analysis of biblical understanding

The aim of this study was to distinguish biblical Christian doctrines from fabricated interpretations. A doctrine may be considered cultic if an institution, group or individual develops a theological or doctrinal interpretation that touches minimally on the proper biblical emphasis and lives for the most part outside of that circle. This study is offered, not as an analysis of Christian cultic doctrines but as a pointer to how some Christian movements, groups or individuals develop cultic doctrines or heresies. The spiritual danger arising from the teachings of false prophets calls for believers to strive for the right doctrines so that one can differentiate between truth and falsehood. The study concludes that Some Christians unknowingly embrace Christian cult doctrines because the spiritual leaders who have been entrusted with the responsibility of teaching and preaching sound doctrines have failed to carefully and seriously provide supportive fellowship, true exposition of the word, and raise awareness on cults and cultic teachings.

Nature and usage of the doctrine of seed planting in the modern church: A case of new Christian movements in Kenya

This paper presents the usage of the seed planting (DSP) doctrine in the modern church, a case of new Christian movements (NCMs) in Kenya. The study sought to identify the meaning of DSP and to determine the nature and usage of the DSP in churches in Kenya. The study posits that the DSP has gained popularity in the NCMs in Kenya, and in the last two decades, other denominations have started adopting it. This is occasioned by the upsurge of preachers who present it as a unique way of giving that replaced tithing and as a special way to attract the blessings of God in the life of believers. Although the advocates of the DSP postulate religious reasons, this study has established that it is used as a strategy to raise money in the church. Its usage has blurred the image of the church from being an institution existing for the plight of the needy and the suffering to becoming a commercial institution. This study concludes that its usage in the church is inconsistent with the teachings in the Bible and, therefore, a false doctrine. Clergy, whether or not advocating for the doctrine of seed planting, ought to sensitise their believers on the true nature of God, a compassion-loving God who cannot be bribed, manipulated or hand-twisted by man. The study contributes significant knowledge in the area of church and society.

Exotica and the Ethiopian of Acts 8:26–40: Toward a Different Fabula

Abstract Scholarship on the Ethiopian eunuch focuses heavily on his foreign otherness, identifying him as the first gentile convert in the Acts of the Apostles. Such a reading tends not only to exoticize the Ethiopian but also to vilify the temple and, by extension, first-century Judaism, for their imagined rejection of this man. Using Saidiya Hartman’s work on “critical fabulation,” I propose instead that the Ethiopian be read as a Jew and, moreover, as an embodiment of the Jewish experiences of exile and enslavement to which his castrated body points. Such a reading supports the theme of the ingathering of dispersed Jews within the nascent Christian movement, which is central to Acts 1–8.

Periodical and non-periodical publications of spiritual Christians of the Molokans of the beginning of the XX century as a source on the history of Molokanism

The purpose of this article is to give a general overview of narrative sources of internal origin on the history of the religious movement of spiritual Christians of Molokans for 1905-1917, to establish the main types of these sources. The relevance of the article is due to the lack of source studies on the history of Molokanism, with the exception of brief reviews in dissertation research and monographs.

Félicien David's Grand Opera Herculanum (1859): Rome, Early Christianity, Multiple Exoticisms, Great Tunes – and Satan

The longstanding practice of building opera librettos on stories from classical antiquity (especially Greece and Rome, and, to a lesser extent, Egypt, Persia and Babylonia) waned in the early 1800s, as impresarios began to favour plots with more obvious current-day resonance (though sometimes set a few centuries in the past, to skirt objections from government censors and, in some lands, church authorities). Still, imaginative librettists and composers found ways of rejuvenating an ancient setting and producing an opera that spoke to the day's audiences instead of feeling stuffy or academic. One of the biggest successes in French serious opera of the 1850s was Félicien David's Herculanum, set to a text primarily by the renowned playwright and poet Joseph Méry. Widely hailed, not least by composer-critics Hector Berlioz and Ernest Reyer, the work freshened the ‘ancient Rome’ conventions by locating the action far to the south, near what is today Naples, and by including, as the main characters, two powerful aristocrats from the Euphrates valley, and two young adepts of the nascent Christian movement – and a fifth character, Satan himself, come to wreak havoc in the world. All of this would seem a stewpot of a librettist's wild imaginings were it not for the quality and impressive variety of David's music – and the opportunities that libretto and music together give to imaginative performers, as has been demonstrated in the work's three major revivals beginning in 2014 (in Belgium/France, Ireland and Hungary).

Implicación y afectividad en el ejercicio profesional del Trabajo Social y la Educación Social

When we talk about involvement and affectivity, we also talk about characteristics that are, a priori, intrinsic to the professional practice of social workers and social educators. These particularities are not integrated in the VERIFICA of university degrees, but they provide inputs to the professional performance of them. The use of these invisible competences that make up the curricula of the study plans are, however, visible in reality, as they help in the construction of the educational relationship with people at risk. The aim of this paper is to expose the theoretical and methodological origins that build both strategies and their implementation in daily professional practice with children, adolescents and young people at risk. The results deepen in a holistic theoretical understanding, which is determined by the helping relationship and the deepening in epistemological bases connected with Christian movements and community pedagogies of a preven- tive, participative, educational and communicative nature. The methodology also has an important impact, since the existence of isolated actions does not achieve the planned action objectives. Thus, the connection between theory and methodology constitutes a range of proposals and experiences to deepen itineraries, spaces where to implement competences and learning outcomes that guide through involvement and affectivity.