Like Ripples on Water

Like Ripples on Water is, first of all, a book about Russian Baptists and their preaching. While this religious group has attracted significant amount of interest from the academic community, the majority of the existing research projects concentrate on the history of the movement, rather than its contemporary ecclesial realities. Preaching? At present, this is the only work that offers an in-depth study of the practice, central to the life of Russian Baptist communities. As it is shown in the book, one has to take into consideration numerous historical, theological, and cultural peculiarities to appreciate and apprehend the way preaching is seen and practiced in Russia. The inability to understand the practice of proclamation and its formative, as well as destructive potential bears long lasting and far reaching consequences for churches, preachers, and educational institutions, which aim at preparing pastors, missionaries, and church planters for Baptist churches in Russia and other countries that have shared history of Baptist presence. ""What is the place of preaching today, in a modern, multi-media context? Tima Cheprasov's sympathetic yet objectively critical study in the challenges of preaching, rooted in the narrative of cultural and ecclesial changes within a Russian context, provides preachers and leaders across the world church with a valuable platform to reflect on the place of preaching today, whatever context we are embedded within. I happily commend this book to those who would reflect on such things."" --Jim Purves, Baptist Union of Scotland ""Cheprasov is to be congratulated for this highly original, thoughtful, and stimulating account of the history, art, and practice of preaching in the Russian post-Soviet context of baptistic worship. Based on personal experience, solid academic reflections, and expert knowledge of patterns of worship in traditional Baptist churches, the book contains illuminating insights into the ministry of proclamation as a powerful practice with both constructive and destructive potential to affect baptistic faith communities in culturally Orthodox contexts."" --Parush R. Parushev, International Baptist Theological Study Centre, Amsterdam ""Cheprasov opens a window into a distinctive, sacramental form of preaching as it is found in Russian Baptist churches, and by doing so also traces the story and the context of Russian Baptists. Especially significantly, he offers a theological assessment of preaching as a 'powerful practice' that needs to be safeguarded by communal reading and interpretation of the Bible. Like Ripples on Water is likely to be of interest to historians, theologians, and preachers alike."" --Lina Toth, Scottish Baptist College, University of the West of Scotland Timofey Cheprasov has received his theological training at the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Prague, Czech Republic. Currently he serves as a pastor of Bury Baptist Church in Bury, Greater Manchester.