Abstract:

This is a study of the views that leading representatives of Pentecostal denominations in Russia and Belarus have regarding the roles of men and women in church and at home. Their views may be deemed traditional; they are convinced that women and men have unique roles given them by God. Ordained leadership positions in the church are reserved for men, and every husband is called to be “priest in the home”. While Pentecostals present the latter teaching as Biblical, I trace it back to St. Augustine. Russian Pentecostal gender roles are colored by Russian culture, but they differ from the surrounding culture in that Pentecostals give men greater responsibilities to care for their family. This may help explain the appeal of Pentecostalism to women, who are overrepresented in the denominations studied.

Author: Torsten Löfstedt