| What
is a Worldview?
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The term worldview is used to refer
to the common concept of reality shared by a particular group
of people, usually referred to as a culture, or an ethnic
group. Worldview is an individual as well as a group phenomenon.
Human beings view the world from the inside
out -- from within ourselves, viewed through the organizational
"grid" of our own minds. That grid is made up of
the points of contact and particular experiences we have with
other components -- human and non-human -- of the world of
which we are a part.
This means that every person has a culture
in their head. This is what we call their worldview. There
is a bit of difference with each individual. The culture in
their head, however, includes the areas allowed to be different
and those required to be the same or similar. The rigidness
or flexibility of the social culture will be a part of that
worldview in each member's head and part of the general worldview.
General Worldview Issues - Characteristics of
Historical and Slavic origin
(Among many youth, especially in urban areas,
these worldview issues are in transition*.)
- Individualism versus collectivism/communalism:;
Americans are programmed to think about the individual and
standing out, Ukrainians consider the group, and blending
in. One well-known Russian proverb states it this way, “The
tallest blade of grass is always the first to be cut down
by the scythe.”
- Possibility versus fate: Even
within children's fairy tale stories, Ukrainians see life
as being driven much more by fate, while Americans are always
talking about the possibilities of tomorrow. The idea is
that I have no control over my own fate/destiny (powerlessness).
This extends into the religious realm as well, from Orthodox
influence.
- Suffering versus freedom:
Ukrainians are deeply impacted by suffering and surviving;
Americans are driven by freedom.
- Resignation:Resigned to the fact
that you won’t reach your dreams/so lower your expectations
to avoid disappointment.
- Materialism: The abandonment
of communist ideology has not created the vacuum that many
in the West assumed would cause the rapid absorption of
spiritual values among the new generation. Curiosity about
spiritual realities has not commonly resulted in adoption
of spiritual values in life, and as a result Ukrainian young
people are mainly practical materialists. The drive to create
a better life, defined largely as one that brings good material
things, is crowding out any of the more subtle spiritual
drives that may have been suggested to youth.
- Trust: I can trust only those
I have known a long time-closest family members and a very
small circle of others. This atmosphere of non-trust
requires that almost everyone have their own little circle
of connections.
- Truth: Never tell the
whole truth. Never put all your cards on the table. Always
hold back “just in case”.
- Appearance/Form/Presentation take
precedence over Substance: The idea
of “putting on a show” at all costs, always
takes precedence over presenting a true picture of the circumstances.
Do all you can to make a good appearance, regardless of
the reality of the situation.
- A relaxed view of time and organization:Why
do today what can be done tomorrow? Don’t hurry. Don’t
worry. A flipside of this perspective is a lack of emphasis
on delayed gratification and planning for the future. Don’t
wait until tomorrow for what you can enjoy today.
- Gracious hosts: They
are a warm and hospitable people, going to great lengths
to put out a good meal and accommodate guests.
- Lovers of children: “Children
are our future.” They are traditionally a very family
oriented people.
- Dushevnost:
Which could be translated as "the quality of having
an open soul," embodies a preference for being more
straightforward, and being friendly only with those who
are really friends. And, once people are friends, there
are no artificial boundaries between them. They expect that
friendships should be deeper, and that friends should depend
on each other much more than they see in American relationships.
Ukrainians commonly mention that Americans are very friendly
– but only to a point. At first they greatly enjoy
how everybody smiles at them, but then their experience
begins to make them wonder what is behind the smiles. Are
they sincere? Some who have visited America will say, "Everyone
is nice and open, and they say, 'come visit us.' But when
you drop in on them (unannounced – the Slavic way)
they say, 'It is nice that you came by, but what do you
want? Why did you come by?'"
- Unworthiness. The combination
of widespread theism, practical atheism, and belief in a
judging God has led to a common feeling of unworthiness
before God. Man is seen as pervasively sinful, and so it
is not considered right to spend much time thinking of God
and heaven. It is best just to muddle along in life and
try to be more or less moral. God will judge everybody,
and nobody is worthy, so try to be at least average. Thus
the common folk attitude is devoid of an understanding of
the other side of the gospel – the forgiveness of God
based on the worthiness of Christ as substitute. What remains
of religious feelings is best suppressed if earthly life
is to be enjoyed.
- Superstition: The factor of
superstition is rooted in the culture predating the adoption
of the Orthodox faith. However, it is also related to the
concept of sacrament, mainly in the way that folk beliefs
have combined them with traditional superstition. Many who
say that they believe that God is helping them are often
trusting in the fact that they carry an icon with them or
wear a cross. It is the presence of these religiously charged
items that is the cause of the protection. Many who don't
believe in God will have the attitude that they should at
least do some symbolic act, "just in case."
Communist Influences
Although the communist
regime has passed off the scene, the 70+ years of its influence
have left marks that are very evident in every part of society.
- Autocratic Leadership: Ukrainians
best understand leadership from an autocratic model in almost
every facet of their society.
- Critical thinking skills:
Except in the case of some of the current youth generation,
the communist system and educational models did not reward
or encourage critical thinking skills.
- Lack of initiative: When
people have little control over the direction or advancement
of their lives, it inhibits initiative. An often spoken
phrase from communist days is, “they pretended to pay
us, and we pretended to work.”
- Position/Power is more important
than character/ethics/integrity:
In everyday life, what happens is often decided not by principle
or reason, but on the basis of who’s in charge. An
individual tends to garner respect on the basis of how much
power belongs to him. He is “real” if he has a
lot of power. If he is perceived as weak or powerless, it
seems as though he does not exist.
- Corruption: One
of the leftovers of the system is that almost nothing gets
done without some sort of bribe or manipulation that appears
corrupt to the westerner.
- The Dirty Rules of Life:
There is a general assumption that one cannot succeed in
this life without getting "dirty." There is a
set of sinful rules that every person will have to learn
in order to get ahead. One will have to lie and cheat, but
that is just the way life is. Many will even scoff at a
person who tries to live a life of integrity, thinking that
this person is a fool. Much of this is a carryover from
communist times, when everyone had to cheat the system in
order to survive. There was no social stigma to this kind
of activity, because virtually everybody did it. Today,
government bureaucracy is still stifling, and taxes are
high. The Mafia is everywhere. It is hard for young people
to conceive of doing well in life without being dishonest.
- Who you know: This is
the determinant factor in almost every situation, regardless
of what you know or how hard you can work.
- Control:
There is a need to control some part of one’s world,
because those over you have treated you harshly and have
not given you the freedom to control your own life. Behind
every desk at every level of bureaucracy, in the stairwells,
and in societal system including the church, control is
a core value/desire, and you will find someone who uses
it for all it’s worth.
- Secularism:
Secularism has been the central feature of the Soviet cultural
scene since the Revolution. All Soviet public institutions
and all forms of art assumed a life without God. Even with
the revival of Orthodoxy, mass culture even today operates
very much in a secular mode. In spite of some reports to
the contrary, there has been no mass movement of people
into churches.
Orthodox Influences
Whereas the observation that few Ukrainians
in this region attend or actively participate in religious
rites is correct, it must be taken into account that for over
1000 years this religious perspective has been woven into
the warp and woof of society, and the majority of the people
consider themselves Orthodox, regardless of the intensity
of their commitment. Many who would never claim to be religious,
might at the same time claim to be a believer (meaning they
believe He exists), and their basic worldview is integrated
with basic facets of Orthodox theology. This cannot be
overstated. Thus, it is necessary to include at some point
basic information about the Orthodox worldview, and be aware
of it in approaching this group with the gospel.
- Anti-Contextualism: The Orthodox
Church believes that its forms, sacraments and traditions
have continued uninterrupted from the apostles themselves.[1]
The Church does not alter these forms in order to fit into
a new context. These traditions are considered to be as
authoritative as the Bible itself,[2] and thus cannot be
arbitrarily changed. When the average Ukrainian thinks about
the operation of "church," the images of the unchanging
Orthodoxy all around him exert a strong influence.
- Exclusivity: Perhaps the most
important factor of Orthodox influence is its claim to be
the one true church of Jesus Christ on earth.[3] All others
who claim to be followers of Christ are considered to be
heretics. Orthodox leaders are very forthright in
making their exclusive claims publicly (though, perhaps,
not so frankly when speaking to Westerners).
- Relationship with God: For
the Orthodox Church, baptism, communion, and other church
activities are far more than symbolic acts. They are sacraments
in the fullest sense. They are seen to transmit grace to
the believer, resulting in true communion with Jesus Christ,
and thus occupy a prominent place in the thinking of Orthodox
people. For many people, performing the sacraments is
the sole reality to their relationship with God: They
will superficially perform the sacraments, memorize prayers,
wear a cross, carry an icon and cross themselves, but don't
think as much about the deeper meaning of a moment by moment
relationship with a loving Father God.
- God is Distant: Some have
compared the Orthodox attitude toward God to that of Islam.
God is seen as distant from man, and thus we are unable
to approach Him on any sort of familiar grounds.
- Mysterious vs. Knowable:
Orthodoxy has long appreciated the great mysteries surrounding
the nature and work of God. Mystery and awe go together
in the way that Ukrainians have traditionally thought about
God, and consequently simplified explanations of God are
often distasteful and they may feel suspicious about a teaching
about God that makes Him "too knowable."
- Judging vs. Gracious:
God is primarily seen as the Judge who does not approve
of their lives. The common reaction is to avoid thinking
about Him. That He would be gracious and ready to pardon,
and even enter into a close, loving relationship with a
sinner is not understood by most people.
- Prayer: Consistent with the
sacramental mindset people may have gained from Orthodoxy
would be the notion of ritualistic prayer that can be performed
apart from a living relationship with God. Many have a notion
of prayer as a memorized incantation that will force God's
(or even "fate's") hand. Prayer as ongoing, loving
communion with the Father is not commonly understood. The
Orthodox approach to prayer is memorizing by heart the prayers
of the Church. They hope for a response, as if the prayer
were an incantation and not an appeal to a personal God.
- The Bible: Even among those
who are heavily involved in Orthodox ritual, the knowledge
of the Bible is likely to be minimal. Given the Orthodox
belief that the Church is the infallible interpreter of
the Bible, it is more important to learn from the priests
than to search the Bible for oneself. Life is generally
lived according to tradition and ritual, and not directly
according to the teachings of the Bible. To accept the Bible
as the authority for daily life is a very big step for a
Ukrainian. The Scriptures were shrouded in mystery within
Orthodoxy, and ridiculed by communists. The result is that
they are largely ignored today. Although the Bible has some
measure of value in their eyes, it is for all practical
purposes unused.
- Outdated vs. Relevant:
As mentioned above, the Orthodox Church fiercely avoids
any attempts to change its outward forms. The seeker is
expected to contextualize himself to God – God will
certainly not change His ways to come to them. The result
is a general attitude toward God as being outdated and irrelevant
to the current life of people. He can perhaps meet the needs
of old women with no future, but can certainly not speak
very deeply to vibrant young people with their lives ahead
of them. This point, in a nutshell, illustrates both the
importance and the challenge of contextualizing the biblical
teaching about God to Russian youth. They must understand
the God who communicates Himself in ways that a person can
understand, and who deals directly with every issue of modern
life in a way that is perfectly wise. God is eternally relevant.
- Process vs. Event: The
central meaning of salvation in Orthodox teaching is the
growing participation in the nature of God by the means
of Orthodox rituals and mysteries. It is this process that
is the central aspect of salvation according to Orthodox
teaching, in contrast to the focus on legal justification
in Western teaching. “Orthodox theologians contend
that in the West the doctrines of sin and salvation have
been unduly dominated by legal, juridical, and forensic
categories.”[4] The restoring of a mystical union with
God, a process not completed in this life, is a major focus,
and one does not hear of God declaring sinners righteous
on the basis of the finished work of Jesus Christ. “In
the history of Orthodox theology…it is startling to
observe the near total absence of any mention of the idea
of justification by faith.”[5]
- Church as a Place:One of the
first conceptions in the mind of a Ukrainian is that the
Church is a building of particular architecture; it is a
temple made by man. It is not thought of as the people of
God assembling together to worship and build each other
up. It is not thought of as members who are intimately involved
in each other's lives, but rather as a place
to go to perform church-type rituals.
- Ministry: Orthodoxy
with its strict hierarchy and notion of priesthood, is not
a model of the mutual ministry of gifted people toward one
another that is found in the Bible. The priests "do
the ministry" for the people. It is a very novel concept
that all the members of the body are equal ministers that
work together to build up the body of Christ.
- Folk Religion. Although folk
ideas about God and the spiritual life come primarily from
Orthodoxy, the practices of common people display a mix
of Orthodoxy, paganism and folk superstitions. To understand
the influence of Orthodoxy, it is not enough to read the
official church doctrines. The Orthodoxy that is observed
and is practiced by the people is often very unattractive.
On the other hand, the relative lack of personal demands
found in folk religion can become a strong barrier against
the gospel call to a radical life change.
I would like to acknowledge the value
and contribution of a number of papers written by Dr. Mark
J. Harris in putting together this Worldview information.
Mike Ray
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