David's Quest to Outmaneuever Goliath — Clandestine Christians in the USSR, 1953-1985

• Other Authors: Behling, Julie (authoraut)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Subjects: History; Religion
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-1209

The Soviet Union was an aggressively atheistic state that sought to contain and eradicate religion from its society, but in the process of persecuting religious believers, some underground religious movements were born that engaged in vigorous activity in spite of the state's policies. This study examines factors contributing to the successes and failures of three such religious organizations – the Reform Baptists, unregistered Pentecostalists, and True & Free Adventists – from Stalin's death in 1953 to 1985 when Gorbachev came into power. Chapter One considers socio-political trends during that period of time as well as state anti-religious tactics, and their effect on the churches' successes and failures. Chapters Two through Four discuss denomination-specific factors at play in the churches' successes to 1985 divided into the following four broad categories: the movement's history on Russian/Soviet territory; components of the church including theology, hierarchy, and level of organization; the churches' religious activities and tactics to continue to engage in them, including the holding of worship services and proselytizing; and finally attitude toward and engagement in protest. This study is a groundbreaking attempt not only in identifying those factors most associated with the religious movements' successes and failures, but also in compiling information on them. In addition to various books and articles that address some aspect of the churches, the current study utilizes primary sources such as memoirs from and interviews with church leaders and adherents that both provide an insider's perspective into the operation of the three religious movements and offer essential insights that lead to an understanding of the ideal composition of a religious organization operating in a hostile environment. === A Thesis Submitted to the Interdisciplinary Program of Russian & East European Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Arts. === Summer Semester, 2004. === April 29, 2004. === Initsiativniki, Human Rights Movement, Dissidents, Pentecostals, Political Opportunity Structure, Religion === Includes bibliographical references. === Jonathan Grant, Professor Directing Thesis; Michael Launer, Committee Member; Larry Isaac, Committee Member.