Religious Freedom in Russia Today

Ecumenical Review, The, Oct, 1998 by Vladimir Feodorov

To overcome the problem of proselytism legally is impossible, since the problem of dissent or change of jurisdiction in Orthodoxy does not have a legal solution. Going over to another, dissenting jurisdiction is undoubtedly an action taken against the Church, but there is hardly any way of prohibiting those who have made this choice from carrying it out. On the other hand, if the two jurisdictions mutually recognized each other, a priest who was charged or restricted in the one jurisdiction would not be able to go over and serve in the other.

The problem of proselytism can be addressed only by improving the ecumenical situation. Under the circumstances this may not sound terribly hopeful, but there is in fact no other way. As for external standards, Article 29 of the constitution of the Russian Federation says that "propaganda and agitation inciting ... religious hatred and enmity is not permitted. The propaganda ... of religious superiority is forbidden."

Let me conclude by citing an Orthodox theological view of the church which does inspire optimism about the prospects of inter-religious dialogue. It is a view expressed by the Antiochian Orthodox Metropolitan Georges Khodr:

   If, as Origen says, the Son remains "the cosmos of the church", then
   clearly the church's function is, by means of the mystery of which it is
   the sign, to read all the other signs which God has placed in the various
   times in human history. Within the religions, its task is to reveal to the
   world of the religions the God who is hidden within it, in anticipation of
   the final concrete unfolding and manifestation of the Mystery.(13)

This position by an Orthodox theologian deserves special attention. From the standpoint of "true mission", says Khodr, "any `missionary activities' are ridiculous". There is no doubt that what is implied here is proselytism:

The presentation of Christ will be based on his self-humiliation, on his historical reality and his words. It is not so much a question of adding men to the church. They will come in of their own accord once they begin to feel at home in it as in the Father's house. The supreme task is to identify all the Christian values in other religions, to show them Christ as the bond which unites them and his love as their fulfilment. True mission laughs at missionary activity. Our task is simply to follow the tracks of Christ perceptible in the shadows of other religions ... The task of the witness in a non-Christian context will be to name him whom others have already recognized as the Beloved. Once they have become the friends of the Bridegroom it will be easy to name him. The entire missionary activity of the church will be directed towards awakening the Christ who sleeps in the night of the religions. It is the Lord himself who alone knows whether men will be able to celebrate an authentically glorious Paschal meal together before the coming of the heavenly Jerusalem. But we already know that the beauty of Christ shining in our faces is the promise of our final reconciliation.(14)