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Christianity its state religion, Albania, along with Georgia and Armenia, made a choice in favor of the West.
The Byzantine and Iranian empires, in counterbalance to each other, supported different trends in Christianity (Dyophysitism, Monophysitism, and Nestorianism). The following became important stages in this struggle, in which the Caucasian churches also became involved: the unifying Synod of Dvin in 506 held under the patronage of Byzantium; Iran’s attempt to create a single Monophysite camp in the Caucasus; the church schism that occurred at the beginning of the 7th century in the Caucasus, during which Georgia and Albania, in counterbalance to the Armenian church, occupied a pro-Chalcedonian position; the convocation by Iran that won the war with Byzantium of the so-called Persian Council in 614, at which on the order of Chosroes II, its participants were to accept the “Armenian faith” or leave their countries—the Albanian and Armenian churches obeyed the orders of the Iranian shah.
Since the 630s, Byzantium emperor Heraclius again began to carry out a policy aimed at reconciling the Dyophysites and Monophysites under the aegis of Monothelitism. Georgia and Armenia supported the doctrine. We do not have any information about Albania, but there is no doubt that it would have supported Monothelitism too.
Sergo NAMORADZE
Head of the Department of Public Relations and Religious Freedom of the Church of the Seventh-Day Adventists (Telavi, Georgia).
PROTESTANTISM IN THE CAUCASUS
Abstract
This article takes a look at how Protestantism emerged and spread in the Central Caucasus, as well as at the problems this confession has when adapting to society’s expectations in order to be useful not only in the missionary-reli-
gious, but also in the social sphere. It analyzes the special features and difficulties of Protestantism’s development in Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan and its place in society’s social and cultural life.
I n t r o d u c t i o n
The Caucasian region can be viewed and assessed from different sides. National and religious self-consciousness is a sensitive and extremely relevant topic for numerically small nations that have
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traveled a bumpy historical development road and retained their uniqueness. Religiosity is closely associated precisely with such self-consciousness, with belief in the fact that religion has played a key role in the preservation of each of the South Caucasian states. As a rule, the dominating confessions in these three countries form the basis of national self-consciousness and are closely associated with each of the nations. In other words, both Islam in Azerbaijan and Orthodoxy in Georgia, as well as the Apostolic Church in Armenia, are closely related to national self-identity. It is believed that Georgians should be Orthodox, Azeris should be Muslims, while Armenians should belong to the Armenian Apostolic Church. It is precisely this unofficial, but at the same time ingrained idea in society’s mind about religion that gives rise to certain tension in relations with people of other faiths. Nevertheless, democratic processes, European trends related to human rights and tolerance, and the activity of nongovernmental organizations that keep tabs on the violations of international agreements on tolerance toward religion are prompting the governments of the countries and society itself to be more tolerant toward religious minorities. Of course, even developed European countries encounter difficulties in the religious sphere: legislative shortcomings, xenophobia on the part of certain groups and associations, printed matter that espouses insults, etc. are all part and parcel of everyday life in Western society. When talking about the South Caucasian countries, we should note the special features in the attitude toward religious minorities. The thing is that Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan lived through the seventy years of the Communist era as part of a single country, the U.S.S.R., which could not help but have an impact not only on their economic and political development, but also on the state of religious-social affairs. The religious figures and priests repressed during the Soviet era experienced immense hardships: persecution, arrests, some of them even lost their lives for their faith. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, a wave of spiritual awakening swept through the region, showing just how spiritually starved the people of the former Soviet republics were. Since as early as the 1990s, the number of people attending churches, mosques, etc. has been growing. The political and economic instability and uncertainty in the future helped to strengthen people’s faith in God. By this time, the influence of traditional denominations had increased and hundreds of churches had been built. Along with the stronger position of the traditional religions, Protestant denominations, many of which had existed in these countries before, began experiencing new growth. Even though the unfavorable conditions as far back as czarist times, as well as during Soviet power, at times reduced the presence of some Protestant groups to naught, many of them managed to survive all the deprivations and, when the Soviet Union fell, they were able to revive their missionary activity. In turn, various foreign missionary associations also began to show an interest in the South Caucasian region. As a result, Protestant denominations developed and began to participate in public and cultural-scientific life. Some missions created or revived the activity of humanitarian organizations that already existed, which helped people to survive the very difficult times of change in the post-Soviet South Caucasian republics.
The stronger influence of the traditional confessions, on the one hand, and the increase in the Protestant denominations against the background of the still instable states with their own domestic and foreign problems, on the other, all provoked tension on religious grounds. Articles and TV programs warning about “dangerous sects” and about how the new religious trends were supposedly trying to bribe people by means of humanitarian aid and bent on damaging the country’s statehood began to appear with increasing frequency. The situation was also aggravated by the fact that totalitarian sects are really entering the international scene, causing quite a number of problems for the law-enforcement bodies, since some of them commit acts of terror on religious or semi-religious grounds, taking the lives of scores of people. Society was unable to recognize the difference between truly dangerous, extremist religious groups and harmless Christian Protestant denominations. So some reactionary forces were able to have an influence on public opinion with the aim of discrediting Protestantism in the eyes of ordinary people unversed in religion. Religious intolerance in different forms is manifested in all three countries to a greater or lesser extent. Despite the liberal legislation and toler-
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ance, a negative attitude is felt all the same in society toward Protestant organizations, which are nevertheless called “sects.” In some cases this can be explained by the influence of the mass media and representatives of the traditional confessions, who do not always speak flatteringly about other denominations. However, despite this situation, the Protestant churches are continuing to evolve and are trying by means of their social and missionary service to show society the peace-loving nature of their activity.
Globalization is also having a certain effect on Protestantism in the Southern Caucasus. As already noted, the leading religion in each of the countries is a defining factor of the nation’s self-identity as a single society. Globalization, which began painting the world in the same global color, has made national consciousness, particularly in numerically small nations, a sensitive subject. This situation has given rise to a variety of emotions, the main one being an intensified feeling of affiliation with the traditional religion as a symbol of national uniqueness. In this respect, Protestantism is perceived as a tool of globalization coming from the West. To a certain extent, this is precisely how different interpretations of the “destructive influence of sects” are explained. For the same reason, hackneyed conceptions of democracy and tolerance irritate some representatives of the traditional religions.
By way of an example, it is sufficient to recall the attitude of the traditional religions toward sectarians during the Soviet era (and before it), when non-traditional religious trends were perceived as merely a deviation from the mainstream Christian views, and not as an out-and-out danger. The situation began to change in the 1990s. New religious organizations became a sign of the aggressive processes going on in the world. The danger supposedly lay in the fact that Protestant denominations might undermine the country’s religious-cultural identity, turning it into fertile soil for globalization, which naturally aroused a negative attitude toward them. In other words, the tension that arose in the 1990s on religious grounds is in reality nothing other than geocultural and geopolitical contradictions that have been formulated into corresponding terms.
Religious Life in Georgia
Multiconfessional and multiethnic Georgia has a wealth of historical experience in tolerant coexistence among different ethnic and religious groups. It would seem that this country should have no problems with tolerance toward religion, but the situation is far from that simple. Despite the fact that the state officially recognizes equality and freedom of conscience for minorities, the dominating religion has a very perceptible influence on public opinion and even on some members of parliament. Right up until 2003, there were frequent pogroms and calls to deport Protestants from the country. Insulting remarks about Protestants almost became a “confession of faith” for those trying to demonstrate their “patriotism and devotion to the Homeland.” Nevertheless, at the legislative level, every religious association has the right to be registered, freely perform its worship services, and freely spread its views. This provision is envisaged in the country’s Constitution. But real religious life presented a different picture: raids were carried out on Pentecostals, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Krishnaites, Baptists, Seventh-Day Adventists, and so on, their religious literature was burned, the police accused the victims of disturbing the peace, and they were fired from their jobs under the slightest pretext. The U.S. State Department frequently expressed concern about this in its reports on religious freedom.
The situation changed after the Rose Revolution. Many extremist groups were rendered harmless and some instigators of the pogroms (such as O.B. Mkalavishvili) arrested. The Council on Religion under the Georgian Ombudsman Office was expanded and began actively functioning, and the parliament simplified the registration process for religious associations. Objective information on the
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history and activity of religious minorities was published for the first time and the question of religious education in state schools was put on the agenda in order not to infringe on the rights of nonOrthodox children. In its annual report on religious freedom, the U.S. State Department spent five pages1 describing the situation in Georgia as a step forward. But we should not forget that at the public and to a certain extent legislative level the problems have still not been resolved. Society still does not accept Protestants as full-fledged citizens and true patriots. Under the constitutional agreement entered in 2002 between the Georgian Orthodox Church and the state, the first acquired an extremely high constitutional status, which envisages, in addition to everything else, privileges on the production and sale of church merchandise and items which today only it enjoys. Protestants are also allowed to register their church or organization as a noncommercial, nonprofit legal entity of private law. For many denominations, this status is not acceptable, but since there is no other choice, at least 17 religious associations have already undergone registration. Others, however, such as the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Catholics, and the Baptists, are refusing to take this step and are waiting for a more acceptable status under which the church will be designated as a religious community and not as a nongovernmental organization. These and other frequently arising issues are topics of discussion both within the Council on Religion and beyond it. The question of some facilities that belong to the Catholic and Armenian church has still not been resolved. But compared with Protestantism, it can be said that Catholicism, Islam, and Judaism are already historically established religions in Georgia. As a rule, they are not called “dangerous and harmful” sects (although there is still a certain amount of disdain). However, Protestants are still associated with the word “sect,” which often leads to their ostracism and non-acceptance by society. Nevertheless, they are still trying to provide the people with true facts about themselves, their churches, and their multifaceted service and contribution to the country’s development. The Patriarchate of Georgia officially welcomes a tolerant environment in the country, where each person has the right to choose which denomination he wants to join. But the mass media does not always, or very reluctantly, give Protestants the opportunity to talk about themselves and refute the slanderous things written or said about them. Sometimes this is because members of the clergy or the powers that be wield immense influence over the editors and heads of various mass media organizations.
Difficulties and dilemmas in the context of globalization have arisen among the Protestants. They sense the negative attitude toward them due to the often alien nature of their religious traditions, which largely arose in Western culture. In light of the aforesaid, the question of contextualization of the missionary communities and enculturation of the local churches has become urgent. The innovations in this area have aroused resistance, and in some cases even a split within the communities themselves, thus creating so-called liberal trends, on the one hand, and conservative, on the other. This is not only seen in Georgia, but in Armenia and Azerbaijan as well.
Protestant Denominations in Georgia
Baptists
Protestants first appeared in Georgia in the mid-19th century. Martin Colweight was the first Baptist preacher to come to Tbilisi. Since that time, a community has formed here that survived all the hardships of the repressions to become a bone fide part of society. Today there are several Baptist
1 Religious rights violations used to take up dozens of pages.
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trends in Georgia, some of which are part of a single union. Most of them are comprised of Georgians, although there are also quite a large number of Armenians, Russians, and Ossetians among them. Worship services are held in the languages of the local ethnic groups. Baptists live in almost every corner of Georgia, and there are approximately 10,000 of them.2 Evangelist Baptists are carrying out several charity projects; for example, the Beteli Charity Center maintains an old people’s home. They also participate actively in organizing summer camps for young people. The deaconesses of the order of St. Nino make house calls on elderly people in need of help. The Bible was translated into modern Georgian with the active participation of a Baptist bishop, M. Songulashvili. This church can serve as an example of maximum enculturation3 since the external and ritual part of the ecclesiastical elements is noticeably close to the local culture. Today it is the only church in Georgia that is a member of the World Council of Churches. The Baptists actively support the ecumenical movement, are favorably inclined toward all denominations, and are open to cooperation.
Pentecostals
The history of this denomination in Georgia also began at the end of the 19 th century when the first Swedish mission appeared here. In 1901, Larkson and Hower (the spelling of their names might not be exact), missionaries from Sweden, settled in Tbilisi and began to preach among the local population. After this, missionaries mainly came from Russia. This denomination also experienced many hardships. 1917-1924 were difficult years for believers. Approximately 300 believers were exiled from Batumi in one day and subsequently never returned to their homes. By this time, respected Pentecostal churches already existed in such cities as Poti, Batumi, and Ozurgeti. In 1951, the entire church was arrested (approximately 45 people) and each of its members was sentenced to imprisonment for 8 to 25 years. Since the 1960s, the church has been headed by consecrated Georgian clergy. As of today, the Pentecostals have more than 115 churches and a total of about 10,000 members4 and are present in almost every region. The Protestant system of administration is largely congregational. Among the Pentecostals of Georgia are congregational unions that are under the patronage of older clergy members or bishops. Worship services are held in the national languages. The Russian-speaking church has a separate congregational union headed by a bishop. The Pentecostals, just like other Protestant denominations, were the targets of attacks from reactionary fundamentalists in the pre-revolutionary period (meaning before the Rose Revolution in 2003). Despite the fact that even after the Rose Revolution, several instances of law violations were registered, the situation is evaluated as more positive than in the recent past. But as far as public opinion, public awareness, and integration of religious minorities, particularly Protestants, is concerned, things still leave much to be desired. The Pentecostals, with their customary Protestant enthusiasm, are engaged in charity. They created several charity organizations such as Ganakhleba (Revival) and the Georgian-German Neemiya Society. With the help of these organizations, the Pentecostals, just like other Protestants, organize free cafeterias for the underprivileged and homeless and summer youth camps for disadvantaged children (invalids, children from shelters, and so on), help orphan children, provide them with box lunches, and also participate in projects against drug and alcohol addiction. Bishop O. Khubashvili is the head of the main Georgian-speaking wing. The Pentecostals are distinguished by friendly and ecumenical sentiments, are willing to cooperate, and have representatives in the Council on Religion under the Ombudsman Office.
2 It should be noted that according to different sources the number of members fluctuates between 6,000 and 18,000 people.
3 It was noted earlier that such elements began to appear among the Protestants during the globalization era.
4 According to different sources, this figure fluctuates between 5,000 and 10,000.
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Seventh-Day Adventists
Adventists appeared in Georgia in 1904 when Armenian missionary Vagram Pampanian came to Armenia and Georgia from the United States to preach. A few years later, preacher Albert Ozol came to help Pampanian, who had already been subjected to quite a lot of abuse by that time.5 The residents of German and Molocan settlements are considered the first Adventists. Over time, the communities set up in Sukhumi, Tbilisi, and Rustavi began to grow. The repressions of the 1930s forced the believers either to deny their faith or leave the country. For this reason the Adventist church often curtailed its activity, but later, thanks to the efforts of its regular members and missionaries, it was revived again. In 1977, a new stage in the history of the Seventh-Day Adventists in Georgia began. Pastors I.M. Dreling and P.I. Lagutov were able to essentially bring the scattered church together again. And since the 1990s, the Zaokskiy Spiritual Academy6 has been putting out a new generation of clergy members (including Georgian) who perform worship services in different regions of Georgia. Today the church of the Seventh-Day Adventists has 600 members in Kakhetia, Ajaria, Imeretia, and several other regions of Georgia. The head of the local mission is V.I. Gruby.
The Adventists are an exception in terms of their spiritual administrative structure. The church’s system is centralized and representative. The head administrators are elected for a certain term by representative delegates of the local associations and unions at congresses. Both administrative and financial activity is based on the same rules and regulations adopted by the church, which allows it to function efficiently at the same time throughout the entire world, as well as safeguards it from splits. The Adventists are known throughout the world for advocating a healthy way of life, as well as for their humanitarian and educational activity. There is a representative office of the Adventist Agency for Assistance and Development, a worldwide humanitarian organization, in Georgia that implements a large number of social projects. Despite the fact that the Church of the Seventh-Day Adventists does not agree with the ecumenical philosophy, it is open to an inter-confessional dialog and cooperation in the social sphere. The church is favorably inclined toward other denominations.
Lutherans
The Lutheran church is perhaps one of the very first among the Protestant denominations to appear in Georgia. The history of the Lutherans in Georgia dates back to the beginning of the 19th century7 when eschatological sentiments were observed among believers. Several thousand Lutherans moved to Georgia and set up entire settlements. By 1914, there were 21,000 Lutherans in the Transcaucasus, who were distinguished by decency, diligence, and honesty. Lutheran communities formed, but after they were accused of having relations with Germany during the war, the church began to be persecuted. Many members of the community were deported, and the churches and schools were closed. Only after perestroika were they allowed to open a prayer house in Tbilisi (and then in other regions of the country), where worship services are regularly held. Bishop I. Launhardt
5 Representatives of the traditional confessions caused the recently arrived missionary quite a lot of physical and moral suffering.
6 The educational establishment belonging to the church of the Seventh-Day Adventists is now called ZAU, Zaok-skiy Adventist University in Russia.
7 There is the opinion that the first Lutherans preached in Georgia as early as the time of Luther, but there is no written confirmation of this.
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is the head of the Lutherans and they boast a total of approximately 1,000 members. They, like other Protestants, take active part in public life, engage in charity, and so on.
Other Evangelical Denominations
It is impossible within the scope of one article to list and write even a brief history of the activity of many of the Protestant denominations, which are still less than one hundred years old, functioning in Georgia. The New Apostle Church, the Evangelist Church, the Word of Life Church, the Church of Christ, and various branches of charismatic churches are also widely represented in Georgia’s multiconfessional society. Most of these churches have been keeping a record of their activity since the 1990s. However, many clergymen and members of the abovementioned confessions come from denominations that have existed and been functioning for a long time. For example, some charismatic churches and the Word of Life Church were founded by members of the Pentecostal Church. It should be noted that these denominations have developed successfully, blended into society, and today carry out active charitable, preaching, and social work.
For example, the Salvation Army Church has provided immense support with its humanitarian activity to those who experienced great financial difficulties in the hardest years after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1995-1996, 42% of all the humanitarian aid that came to Georgia was supplied by the Salvation Army. The aid was often supplied against the background of unfair and undeserved accusations against the charity givers. In the Southern Caucasus, this organization so far only exists in Georgia and has up to 600 followers. Its regional leader is G. Salarishvili.
Such religious communities as Old Believers, Old Ritualists, Dukhobors, Molocans, and others also function in the country. Some of them are experiencing difficulties with recruiting members. Moreover, the church members are mainly elderly people, which has a noticeable effect on the development of the denomination in question. Suffice it to say that such non-traditional denominations arising at the local level proved to be less viable in the context of globalization than the Protestant trends that came from the West.
Armenia’s Religious Life
Religion for the Armenians, as well as for the representatives of other South Caucasian countries, forms the basis of national self-identity. Society is firmly based on the denominations of a single religion. Armenia has a population of approximately 3 million, although there are large Armenian diasporas throughout the world that preserve the national traditions and have a particularly solicitous attitude toward the traditional religion. The Armenian Apostolic Church predominates in this country, 90% of the population nominally considers itself to be a member. Despite the fact that the church is separate from the state, in 2001, on the basis of a concordat entered between the Armenian Apostolic Church and the state, “the national Church” (this is its official status) began enjoying certain privileges. The listed elements of Georgia’s religious life essentially largely coincide with the situation in Armenia and Azerbaijan, so, keeping in mind the scope of this article, only a few special features of religious life in Armenia and Azerbaijan will be mentioned, in particular facts relating to Protestants. Many nongovernmental organizations that keep an eye on the attitude toward Protestants see some discrimination, particularly on the part of lower- and medium-ranking government officials, as well as among most of society. The U.S. State Department report on religious freedom in Armenia for
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2007 says that regardless of the provisions of the Constitution that guarantee freedom of conscience, the rights of members of religious minorities are still infringed upon. The Jehovah’s Witnesses who refused to do army service for religious reasons and were sentenced by the court to up to three years’ imprisonment are a case in point. The law on freedom of conscience prohibits carrying out proselyt-ism, but it does not specify precisely what is implied by this. For example, in state schools, education is completely secular, but the Apostolic Church plays a very large part in drawing up and teaching the materials relating to religion.
Along with Catholics and Yezidi, who comprise a large percentage of the Armenian population, there are also several Protestant denominations in the country: evangelist and charismatic churches, Molocans, Baptists, Seventh-Day Adventists, Pentecostals, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and so on. Protestants are also quite active here, although relations with the traditional church have not always developed smoothly.
Protestants of Armenia
The Armenian Evangelical Church
The first Protestant mission among the Armenians began its activity in 1831 thanks to the efforts of believers from America. In 1846, the first Armenian Evangelical Church was set up. Later many of the Protestant missions became more active. In 2006, this church celebrated the 160th anniversary of its existence in Armenia. After World War II, it almost ceased to exist, but later appeared as the Evangelist Baptist Church (as already noted in the case of the Georgian Protestants, many churches that were subjected to immense hardships disappeared, but were revived again some time later). In 1990, Armenian foreign evangelical preachers began to come and support the church. It resumed its old name and is now called the Evangelical Church. There are more than 45 communities throughout Armenia, and today the total number of evangelists (and of several charismatic churches) is higher than 10,000. The head of the church is Rene Levonian. The Evangelical Church and Evangelical Union closely cooperate and also maintain ties with foreign organizations. After establishing its spiritual educational institution, this church has been carrying out successful activity, including charity, and implementing youth and social programs. Its openness and willingness to cooperate give it a good reputation.
The Armenian Evangelical Baptist Church
It is very similar to the Evangelists, although there are some theological differences. It can be said that this church adheres to more conservative views on certain issues. Its history is closely related to A. Mikaelian, who preached in this region in 1948-1950. Many members of the Baptist communities were Evangelists, although today some members of the Baptist Church also perform worship services in other denominations. The Baptists suffered quite extensively during the repressions. The last case of the arrest of Protestant, including Baptist, clergymen (the Vefil church) was on 23 April, 1995, although all those arrested were soon released. Today about 3,000 Baptists live in Armenia, and their head is Ruben Pakhlevanian.
Seventh-Day Adventists
The history of the Adventists in Armenia begins in 1896 (see, Adventism in Georgia). Khatun-arkh and Bazarchai were the first villages in which Adventist communities appeared. After the conflicts with Turkey and Azerbaijan, the religious picture in Armenia changed. The Adventist church also experienced all the deprivations of the repressions. In 1937, all the men in the church were arrested, and only two of them returned from prison. Today, the Church of the Seventh-Day Adventists in Armenia is dynamically developing and has more than 1,200 members. Its head is V. Khachatrian. Adhering to a universal centralized system, the Adventists throughout the world are a single church and preach the same teaching. They are open to an interconfessional dialog and cooperation in the social sphere.
Other Evangelical Denominations
There are also many other Protestant denominations in Armenia. A complete list of them is beyond the scope of this article. Most of them formed after 1990. The Word of Life Church is one of the largest denominations in Armenia, participating largely in charity projects such as work with prison inmates and their families, patronage of orphan children, and so on. It is especially interesting that this church has its own television studio, “70 x 7”, and publishes a newspaper.
Other denominations such as the Pentecostals, Christians of the evangelist faith, the charismatic Rema, Alpha and Omega churches, etc. are also actively involved in preaching and charity service. Each of them tries to make as great contribution as possible to the development and preservation of moral and spiritual values of society, which naturally can only be welcomed.
The Brotherhood Church
Despite the fact that this brotherhood is part of the Armenian Apostolic Church, it cannot be overlooked. It is a very interesting precedent of the existence of a brotherhood that shares many principles of Protestantism within a traditional denomination. In essence, its representatives consider themselves adherents of the traditional Armenian religion, but they are often criticized by the Church itself. In all likelihood, this movement came into being at the end of the 19th century due to the fact that believers appeared who were not satisfied with merely the external and formal part of the church liturgy. Wishing to study the Holy Scriptures in greater depth and engage in lively and creative socialization, they, without separating from the main Church, created a brotherhood that today actively maintains relations and cooperates with Protestant denominations.
Azerbaijan’s Religious Life
In contrast to Georgia and Armenia, Azerbaijan is a Muslim country. However, Christianity has been present in it since time immemorial and played a significant role in its history. Today more than 90% of the population follows Islam: according to unofficial data, approximately 65% are Shi‘ites and 35% Sunnis. Religion is also an element of the Azerbaijani people’s cultural and national self-
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identity. However, it is also often a reason for misunderstandings in the religious sphere, when some talk about violations of human rights in the choice of confession, while others defend national and state interests that foreign missions are supposedly harming. Such a trend has already been noted both in Georgia and Armenia. It can be said that traditional confessions have more than a purely religious aspect, so conversion to another religion is perceived as an unacceptable and hostile phenomenon. The Soviet period had an effect on development in this country as well: many cult buildings were destroyed; anti-religious views were imposed, and so on. But it proved impossible to destroy that which had taken centuries to create.
Azerbaijan, like many post-Soviet republics, declares adherence to democratic values. The country’s constitution allows each person to choose and practice any religion without restrictions. But in practical life, instances have been registered of violations of the principles of freedom of conscience. These phenomena are being manifested during conversion from Islam to some non-tradition-al denomination (evangelical or other Christian trend). Protestant churches, such as Baptists, Lutherans, and Seventh-Day Adventists, have existed in this country for more than one hundred years. Although in the past few years other Protestants have appeared in Azerbaijan (Pentecostals, Evangelists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, etc.).
All religious issues are dealt with by the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations. According to the Law on Freedom of Confession, every religious community must be registered in order to function legally. Although the procedure is not simple, there are instances of evasion or attempts to make the registration process more difficult for some non-traditional religious groups under various pretexts. According to the available data, between May 2006 and June, 2007, 48 religious groups were registered, but all of them confessed Islam. Christian Protestants are still encountering difficulties with registration. A case of discrimination took place on 20 May, 2007 when the police broke in upon a worship service in a Baptist community and arrested the pastor, Zaur Balaev, who was later accused of putting up resistance to representatives of the law-enforcement structures (supposedly he set his dog on their officials), but witnesses of the event could not confirm this fact. This community, which consisted mainly of Georgian-Ingiloits, has been trying to register for 15 years now.
Protestants of Azerbaijan
Lutherans
Lutherans are one of the earliest Protestant denominations in Azerbaijan, appearing in the mid-19th century. The German industrialists were of course attracted by oil, although there were also other good reasons for moving here. Against the background of the political and religious upheavals in Germany, eschatological views about the end of the world or the Last Judgment, which was to occur in the West, spread throughout church circles at the beginning of the 19th century. So many believers began to move to the Caucasus and form Protestant settlements. In 1819, there were already 209 German families living in Azerbaijan, and in 1899, a Kirche was built.8 During the repressions, the Lutherans experienced great adversity. In 1937, Lutheran priests along with the representatives of other denominations were exiled and shot. The Lutheran community in Baku did not resume its activity until 1994. As of today, it is the only Lutheran church in Azerbaijan with a total of up to 200 members. Bishop I. Launhardt is also the head of the church in Azerbaijan.
* A Lutheran prayer house.
Baptists
They are also one of the first Protestant denominations in Azerbaijan. Baptists of different trends live in the republic, as in other countries, so it is difficult to talk about a single leader. They are all peace-loving Christians who respect the state’s laws. According to the data of the State Committee for Work with Religious Formations, today their total numbers are close to 3,000. Most of the Baptist trends have been registered, but there are communities that are still denied registration. The representatives of this religious trend are known for their charity activity and care of the suffering.
Seventh-Day Adventists
When talking about Protestant denominations in the Southern Caucasus, it should be remembered that the history of almost every one of them is directly related to the history of all three countries. After settling in Armenia and Georgia, the Adventists also appeared in Azerbaijan,9 in Baku, for example, in 1884. At that time there were eight of them. Some time later, these people were forced to leave due to persecution. After preacher A. Ozol held a few evangelist meetings in Baku, a group of believers formed again. During the years of repression, believers gathered in secret, worship services were often held in the open air and out in the countryside. In 1957, the first Baku community formed, which had its own prayer house. Today, there are approximately 1,000 Adventists in Azerbaijan and their head is I. Zavrichko.
Other Evangelical Protestant Movements
There are also many other evangelist denominations in Azerbaijan, Christians of the evangelist faith (Pentecostals), the Assembly of God, the Assembly of Glory, the Word of Life Church, the Life-Giving Grace Church, and so on. Each of them is inclined toward cooperation and participation in the resolution of social problems. Some of the Protestant churches listed come from previously founded denominations (Pentecostals, Baptists, etc.). The characteristics and history of all these denominations is basically similar to the characteristics of their like-minded believers in Georgia and Armenia. All of these Protestant trends are distinguished by their peace-loving nature; they respect and adhere to the laws of the country where they live. Under more favorable conditions, they could be of immense benefit to society.
C o n c l u s i o n
When talking about Protestantism in the Southern Caucasus, we should note the large number of similarities among the three countries. To sum up it can be said that despite the fact that Protestants have lived for more than a century in the South Caucasian countries, found refuge here and survived all the adversities of the times, the attitude toward them at present leaves much to be desired.
One of the important aspects in the problem of interconfessional relations is the “centrifugal”10 principle in the missionary activity of Protestants. In other words, what traditional confessions call
9 To be more exact, the first Adventists of the Southern Caucasus appeared precisely in the rural regions of Azerbaijan.
10 In this case, it is a technical term that describes the missionary activity of the Protestant churches in which each rank-and-file member of the denomination takes active part in religious agitation outside the church. As a rule, the
THE CAUCASUS & GLOBALIZATION
proselytism is for Protestants ordinary missionary activity which is inseparable from the general principles of their teaching. This is where tension arises, since the traditional religions regard each of the South Caucasian countries as their “canonical territory,”11 on which the missionary activity of people of other faiths is considered to be proselytism. Missionaries are accused of bribing people, are called betrayers, traitors, and so on. What is more, most of society is incapable of distinguishing one denomination from another, which is the reason for the equally negative attitude toward all the organizations. This situation is becoming entrenched to a certain extent for the reason we already men-tioned—lack of information (or to be more exact, lack of objective and unbiased information) about Protestants. There are also legislative problems, the resolution of which could play a great role in establishing an appropriate legal status for the Protestant denominations, regulating freedom of conscience, religious education in state schools, and questions relating to the property of religious organizations, and so on. These topics are extremely pertinent, although common approaches to resolving the problems have still not been found.
However, in spite of all the negative aspects, perceptible improvements are being seen, even though the entire social potential of Protestantism, which could have a positive influence on society in every respect, is unfortunately still not being tapped. This is possibly due to the insufficient development of these denominations or due to the still unfavorable climate created by the powers that be. Moreover, globalization has placed new tasks on the agenda to which solutions are being sought both outside and inside the Protestant world.
centripetal principle of missionary activity prevails in traditional confessions, which is carried out in church during the liturgy.
11 The representatives of the dominating confessions often appeal to this term, it sometimes also appears in written documents, although its substantiation (particularly legal) is doubtful.
Zaid ABDULAGATOV
Ph.D. (Philos.), head of the Sociology Department, Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography, Daghestanian Scientific Center of the RAS
(Makhachkala, Daghestan).
THE MORAL ASPECTS OF ADAPTATION TO GLOBAL CHANGES: DAGHESTAN CASE-STUDY
Abstract
T
he problem of religious extremism has not yet lost its urgency in the Northern Caucasus. In this context the state
continues to rely on force, even though it has become clear that it is fighting the results rather than the causes. If we want to
