The Time Is Favorable... A Conversation with a Priest of the Russian Orthodox Church

This document is a transcript of a 1988 conversation between Gennadiy Batygin, a sociologist and deputy chief editor of the journal Sotsiologicheskiye Issledovaniya, and Innokentiy, a candidate of theology and teacher at the Leningrad Seminary for Monastic Priests. The dialogue explores the shifting landscape of religious life in the Soviet Union during the era of glasnost and perestroika. The participants discuss the historical suppression of religious institutions, the difficulty of reconciling secular Soviet ideology with religious belief, and the importance of preserving Russian cultural and spiritual heritage. Batygin reflects on his own past, noting that as a student, he and his peers held vague and often stereotypical views of the church, influenced by state-imposed ideological barriers. The conversation touches upon the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in society, the preservation of historical monuments, and the need for a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between religion, ethics, and politics. Innokentiy emphasizes that the church is a community of believers and that the 'problem of the foreigner' or nationalist sentiment is not a theological issue but a sociological one. The two also discuss the emergence of various informal associations, such as 'Pamyat,' and the complexities of religious freedom in a state that has historically been atheistic. The document highlights the ongoing process of re-evaluating the past, the challenges of intellectual and moral renewal, and the desire for a more open dialogue between believers and non-believers. The conversation concludes with a reflection on the irreversibility of the renewal process and the hope that the 'time is favorable' for a more honest and open society.