Theologian on why only 2% of Orthodox Christians in Russia read the Bible

Bible. Photo: vm.ru

Russian Orthodox theologian Sergey Khudiev has offered his thoughts on why only 2% of Orthodox Christians in Russia read the Holy Scriptures, as reported by vz.ru.

Khudiev referred to a recent sociological survey which found that 64% of Russian citizens identify as Orthodox Christians. However, more than half of them (52%) have never read the Bible, and only 2% read it regularly.

According to Khudiev, these figures point not only to gaps in spiritual life, but above all to a general lack of education.

“When someone calls themselves Orthodox, it can mean many things – from a vague sense of cultural affiliation to deep commitment to Church faith. But even from a purely cultural perspective, not knowing the Bible is a major loss,” Khudiev said.

He emphasized that every culture has a “canon” of texts – works that shape the language, thinking, and value system of a civilization. In both Russia and Europe, the Bible is one such foundational text.

“Behind Pushkin and Dostoevsky, behind Shakespeare and Dante, behind Tolkien and Chekhov – there is always the same source,” the theologian stressed.

He also noted that many biblical expressions have become so commonplace that we often fail to recognize their origin – such as “Doubting Thomas” or “not seeing the beam in one’s own eye.”

“The Bible provides a certain way of seeing reality which, whether we like it or not, shapes the very air we breathe and the language we speak. That’s why it’s so important to know what this book is about,” Khudiev concluded.

Earlier, it was reported that Russian experts had found so-called signs of extremism in Jehovah’s Witnesses literature – including in the Bible.

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