Protestants and Neo-Protestants in Post-Soviet Dagestan: Values Transformation in Missionary Practices (1990-2000)

Abstract

The transformation in Protestants’ and neo-Protestants’ values in their missionary practices in the modern Dagestan is discussed. It is noted that the processes of globalization caused by the international situation, the unfolding socio-economic, political and spiritual depression in the country contributed to the “influx” of Western missionaries and the emergence of new non-traditional charismatic churches, allowing them to occupy its niche in republic religious structure for some time. On the basis of sociological survey the analysis of value views of the Dagestan Protestants in their Evangelical mission is carried out. It is shown that the religious well-being of the adepts of the studied communities is focused on proselytizing and missionary activity among the carriers of the other worldview. It is established that the Dagestan Protestants positively evaluate proselytism with the motivation for its non-violent and peaceful propagation while simultaneously ignoring the possibility of aggravation of inter-religious and inter-ethnic relations. It is revealed that the respondents have different points of view on the promotion of their faith among representatives of other religions. The authors conclude that, on the one hand, the proclamation of the principles of freedom of choice of a religious worldview, on the other - the aim to emphasize the exclusivity of their beliefs with the motivation of its “perfection and correctness” allow to make conclusion about the contradictory nature of the respondents’ opinions.

Keywords

• russia
• dagestan
• religion
• protestants
• neo-protestants
• social modernization
• evangelical mission