Christian Religion in the Soviet Union

Dr. Lane is a post-doctoral Research Fellow in Sociology, Social and Political Sciences Committee, at the University of Cambridge. She is the author of a number of important articles on the sociology of religion. An important characteristic of her writing is her ability to approach her subject without either religious or political partisan involvement.

• Acknowledgements Abbreviations 1 Introduction Methodological considerations - theoretical perspectives - historical antecedents2 The Russian Orthodox Church I The Church in the sixties and seventies - socio-demographic distribution and social composition of membership - organisational structure and religious functionaries3 The Russian Orthodox Church II Dimensions of religious commitment among contemporary Russian Orthodox - some explanations for the persistence of Orthodox religion4 Orthodox Sects of the Soviet Period True Orthodox Christians5 The Old Russian Sects The Khlysts - the Skoptsy - the Dukhobors - the Molokans6 Old Believers Historical development and present trends - sociopolitical responses of Old Believers - the social composition of Old Believers - the nature of religious commitment among Old Believers7 Baptists Sect membership - 'sect'-like and 'denominational' tendencies - the schism in 1961 and the emergence of the Initsiativniks - the socio-demographic distribution and social composition of Baptists - the socio-demographic distribution and social composition of the Initsiativnik sect - explanations of the schism - the moral community8 The Smaller Sects of Western Origin Seventh Day Adventists - Pentecostalists - Jehovah's Witnesses9 Religion and Nationality I Lutherans and Mennonites10 Religion and Nationality II The Roman Catholic Church - the Lithuanian Catholic Church11 Conclusion Types of religious collectivities and their development - the incidence and social distribution of religiosity in Soviet society - qualitative changes in religious ideology, organisation and individual religiosityAppendix A List 1: Registered urban congregations of the AUCECBList 2: Geographical distribution of InitsiativniksAppendix B The organisational strength of the Roman Catholic Church in the Soviet Union (except Lithuania)References Index