Jon Coody
Marina S. Karetnikova and Tatiana Nikolskaya
On 21-22 April 2016, the theme of the St. Petersburg Christian University (SPbCU) annual theological conference was “Women: BiblicalChristian Perspectives,” dedicated to the memory of Marina Sergeyevna Karetnikova, esteemed historian of Russian Protestantism and former lecturer at SPbCU who passed away 24 January 2016 at the age of 85. Marina Sergeyevna’s life and ministry were exemplary for all those seeking to understand the crucial role that women have played in the history of the Christian Church in Russia. SPbCU historian and lecturer Tatiana Nikolskaya pointed out in her opening address that Marina Sergeyevna had many students, and many of them, including men, count her as a nastavnik [mentor] in the faith, not only because of her scholarship and instruction, but also because of her exemplary life of service to others. This holistic understanding of the role of women in the church and society was invoked in various ways throughout the conference.
April French and Nadezhda Belyakova
Over 30 papers explored the roles of women in Russian churches and society through the lenses of history, biblical studies, theology, practical theology, leadership studies, and psychology. It is no secret that Russian Christianity tends to hold more traditional and conservative views on women’s roles in the Church, but in practice women’s roles have often pushed boundaries, as some presenters pointed out. For example, April French, a doctoral student at Brandeis University, informed participants of the crucial roles played by Baptist women in Siberia during the Soviet period. From her analysis, it appears that due in large part to the courage and bold actions of women, many congregations were not only held intact under persecution, but also actually thrived in the face of adversity. Nadezhda Belyakova, a Moscow-based historian, attested to similar trends among Protestant women of the Soviet period, and added helpful information on how these trends are and should be researched.
Valeriy Alikin and Daniil Samoylenkov
Among biblical studies presenters, Valeriy Alikin, rector of SPbCU, presented from the New Testament a view of women’s roles in the church more expansive than is typical in the Russian context. Alikin’s concern was to reconcile Paul’s apparent injunction against women teaching in the church (1 Corinthians 14:34-35; 1 Timothy 2:12), with what appears to be the actual presence of women teachers in the early Church. From a more traditional viewpoint, Daniil Samoylenkov, lecturer in Old Testament at SPbCU, examined the biblical figure of Ruth as an example of piety in ancient Israel and explored implications for women in the church today.
Diversity Among Presenters and Perspectives
Diversity was apparent not only in viewpoints, but also in religious and cultural perspectives. Presenters came from cities across Russia, as well as from Switzerland, Germany, and the United States. Included were both Protestant and Orthodox, along with one Jewish representative, Elena Rubenstein, a reformed Jewish rabbi who presented a stimulating exposition of Jewish understandings of women in leadership as they unfold biblically and through rabbinic teaching. Alexander Negrov and Alexei Belov of Hodos Institute and SPbCU’s Graduate School of Leadership presented findings from their recent study of leadership among young people in 13 countries across Eurasia.
Lively discussions following presentations underscored the fact that while questions regarding women’s roles in the church and society are often assumed to have been resolved long ago, the reality is that many questions remain unanswered, and many participants felt that women have not been properly acknowledged. Despite what some participants deemed to be controversial views offered by presenters, those in attendance demonstrated an openness to hearing other perspectives and an eagerness to discuss the issues in a civil manner. From a Western perspective, it is worth noting that labels such as complementarian and egalitarian were not heard at the conference, though further discussions may contribute to the formation of such terminology unique to the Russian context and language. Closing remarks at the conference in general suggested that continued critical reflection and discussion on this topic might give impetus to more formal acknowledgment of the crucial roles that women have played in the development of Christianity in Russia, helping the church to meet new challenges in a changing world.
Selected audio presentations from the conference may be accessed at https://drive. google.com/folderview?id=OBwxLxx\CO9cX5Vk90UjZzeFV3bVk&usp=sharing; and selected abstracts may be accessed at http://spbcu.ru.wpcontent/uploads/2016/04/Annotatsii-k-dokladam-dlyakonferentsii.pdf.♦
Jon Coody is a missionary with Presbyterian Mission International and a lecturer at St. Petersburg Christian University, St. Petersburg, Russia.