Andrey Desnitsky is a Doctor of Philology, professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences, writer, translator and publicist, author of a dozen books and hundreds of articles. In the course announcement he is described as one of Russia's leading experts on the Bible. He lectures regularly, addressing among other things questions of Russian history and modernity and the challenges facing society.
The course 'Christianity and the Future of Russia' is conceived as a conversation about the place of traditional religion in a secular state, which Russia is according to its Constitution. The question as posed in the announcement: is religion a 'spiritual anchor,' an essential component of national identity — or a relic of the Middle Ages hindering the country's modernization? The course authors propose a view that, in their formulation, is reducible neither to clerical nor to atheist propaganda.
Debating an Archaic Text
The Bible, the lecture description says, is often perceived as an archaic text justifying slavery, the subordination of women to men, corporal punishment and other practices now considered unacceptable. At the same time, the announcement notes: there is nothing accidental in the fact that modern ideas of democracy and human rights took shape in countries of the Christian tradition.
Hence the main question of the meeting: can the Bible be authoritative and, moreover, serve as the foundational text of the Christian tradition — a source of ideas for the development of a democratic state in 21st-century Russia?
History of Ideas Instead of Endless Debate
Debating the role of religion in a secular state, the organizers acknowledge, can go on forever, but it is more productive to turn to the history of ideas that still largely shape our lives and to compare them with the latest facts. That is precisely the aim of the mini-course.
The lecture took place on 26 May at 16:00 in room 101 of the Yeltsin Center; admission was free with registration. It was also possible to register for the second lecture of the course, and a video recording of the first was posted for those unable to attend.
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