From Sectarians to Extremists: The Language of Marginalization in Soviet and Post-Soviet Society

This article examines the history of marginalizing rhetoric in Russia as applied to evangelizing faiths, particularly the Jehovah's Witnesses, from the postwar period to the present day. Such churches have been portrayed as presenting a distinct threat to Russian society, even as the cited reasons for this perceived danger have shifted over time. While obviously connected to legal definitions of toleration, the language of religious ( in) tolerance existed apart from state policy. Moreover, public rhetoric frequently adopted a hostile tone toward evangelizing churches regardless of their legal status. Seen from this perspective, the recent "extremism" label is part of a broader history of sustained marginalization of evangelizing faiths in modern Russia. The article argues that Russian media has not fully embraced the rhetoric of "extremism" as applied to evangelizing communities, but has also done little to challenge the underlying state policy it represents.