Münsterska tragedija

Opće je poznato da događaji u Münsteru 1534-35. predstavljaju jedan od temeljnih razloga za kolebanje evanđeoskih povjesničara u ukazivanju da su počeci njihovih denominacija u anabaptističkom pokretu ili pokretu radikalne reformacije u šesnaestom stoljeću. Autor ovoga članka nudi nov pogled na, nažalost, dobro poznate događaje “Münsterskog kraljevstva”, uspoređujući ih sa sličnim događajima u drevnoj Crkvi, te s anabaptističkom, rimokatoličkom i protestantskom (luteranskom, zwinglijanskom) poviješću. Komparativna analiza pokazuje da se situacija u Münsteru odnosi jedino na radikalno krilo anabaptista te da, istovremeno, nije daleko od granica uobičajene vjerske prakse u tadašnjoj Europi. Umjereno anabaptističko krilo osudilo je događaje u Münsteru, dok se kasniji razvoj pokreta, posebice među menonitima, kretao u smjeru apsolutnog pacifizma

The Munsterite Tragedy

It is well known that the events at Munster in 1534-35 represent one of the basic reasons why evangelical historians are sometimes reluctant to trace their denominational origins from the Anabaptist (Radical Reformation) movement of the sixteenth century. The author of this article offers a new look at the unfortunately well-known events of the “Munsterite kingdom”, comparing them with analogous events in the Ancient Church and also in contemporary Anabaptist, Roman Catholic, and Protestant (Lutheran, Zwinglian) history. A comparative analysis shows that the situation in Munster applied to the radical wing of the Anabaptists only was, at the same time, not that far beyond the boundaries of religious practice common in Europe at the time. The moderate Anabaptist wing condemned the events at Munster, and future development of the movement, especially among the Mennonites, moved in the direction of absolute pacifism

Protestant women in the late Soviet era: gender, authority, and dissent

At the peak of the anti-religious campaigns under Nikita Khrushchev, communist propaganda depicted women believers as either naïve dupes, tricked by the clergy, or as depraved fanatics; the Protestant “sektantka” (female sectarian) was a particularly prominent folk-devil. In fact, as this article shows, women’s position within Protestant communities was far more complex than either of these mythical figures would have one believe. The authors explore four important, but contested, female roles: women as leaders of worship, particularly in remote congregations where female believers vastly outnumbered their male counterparts; women as unofficial prophetesses, primarily within Pentecostal groups; women as mothers, replenishing congregations through high birth rates and commitment to their children’s religious upbringing; and women as political actors in the defence of religious rights. Using a wide range of sources, which include reports written by state officials, articles in the church journal, letters from church members to their ecclesiastical leaders in Moscow, samizdat texts, and oral history accounts, the authors probe women’s relationship with authority, in terms of both the authority of the (male) ministry within the church, and the authority of the Soviet state

Effects of alirocumab on types of myocardial infarction: insights from the ODYSSEY OUTCOMES trial

Aims  The third Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction (MI) Task Force classified MIs into five types: Type 1, spontaneous; Type 2, related to oxygen supply/demand imbalance; Type 3, fatal without ascertainment of cardiac biomarkers; Type 4, related to percutaneous coronary intervention; and Type 5, related to coronary artery bypass surgery. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) reduction with statins and proprotein convertase subtilisin–kexin Type 9 (PCSK9) inhibitors reduces risk of MI, but less is known about effects on types of MI. ODYSSEY OUTCOMES compared the PCSK9 inhibitor alirocumab with placebo in 18 924 patients with recent acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and elevated LDL-C (≥1.8 mmol/L) despite intensive statin therapy. In a pre-specified analysis, we assessed the effects of alirocumab on types of MI. Methods and results  Median follow-up was 2.8 years. Myocardial infarction types were prospectively adjudicated and classified. Of 1860 total MIs, 1223 (65.8%) were adjudicated as Type 1, 386 (20.8%) as Type 2, and 244 (13.1%) as Type 4. Few events were Type 3 (n = 2) or Type 5 (n = 5). Alirocumab reduced first MIs [hazard ratio (HR) 0.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.77–0.95; P = 0.003], with reductions in both Type 1 (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.77–0.99; P = 0.032) and Type 2 (0.77, 0.61–0.97; P = 0.025), but not Type 4 MI. Conclusion  After ACS, alirocumab added to intensive statin therapy favourably impacted on Type 1 and 2 MIs. The data indicate for the first time that a lipid-lowering therapy can attenuate the risk of Type 2 MI. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol reduction below levels achievable with statins is an effective preventive strategy for both MI types.For complete list of authors see http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehz299</p

Effect of alirocumab on mortality after acute coronary syndromes. An analysis of the ODYSSEY OUTCOMES randomized clinical trial

Background: Previous trials of PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin-kexin type 9) inhibitors demonstrated reductions in major adverse cardiovascular events, but not death. We assessed the effects of alirocumab on death after index acute coronary syndrome. Methods: ODYSSEY OUTCOMES (Evaluation of Cardiovascular Outcomes After an Acute Coronary Syndrome During Treatment With Alirocumab) was a double-blind, randomized comparison of alirocumab or placebo in 18 924 patients who had an ACS 1 to 12 months previously and elevated atherogenic lipoproteins despite intensive statin therapy. Alirocumab dose was blindly titrated to target achieved low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) between 25 and 50 mg/dL. We examined the effects of treatment on all-cause death and its components, cardiovascular and noncardiovascular death, with log-rank testing. Joint semiparametric models tested associations between nonfatal cardiovascular events and cardiovascular or noncardiovascular death. Results: Median follow-up was 2.8 years. Death occurred in 334 (3.5%) and 392 (4.1%) patients, respectively, in the alirocumab and placebo groups (hazard ratio [HR], 0.85; 95% CI, 0.73 to 0.98; P=0.03, nominal P value). This resulted from nonsignificantly fewer cardiovascular (240 [2.5%] vs 271 [2.9%]; HR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.74 to 1.05; P=0.15) and noncardiovascular (94 [1.0%] vs 121 [1.3%]; HR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.59 to 1.01; P=0.06) deaths with alirocumab. In a prespecified analysis of 8242 patients eligible for ≥3 years follow-up, alirocumab reduced death (HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.65 to 0.94; P=0.01). Patients with nonfatal cardiovascular events were at increased risk for cardiovascular and noncardiovascular deaths (P<0.0001 for the associations). Alirocumab reduced total nonfatal cardiovascular events (P<0.001) and thereby may have attenuated the number of cardiovascular and noncardiovascular deaths. A post hoc analysis found that, compared to patients with lower LDL-C, patients with baseline LDL-C ≥100 mg/dL (2.59 mmol/L) had a greater absolute risk of death and a larger mortality benefit from alirocumab (HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56 to 0.90; Pinteraction=0.007). In the alirocumab group, all-cause death declined wit h achieved LDL-C at 4 months of treatment, to a level of approximately 30 mg/dL (adjusted P=0.017 for linear trend). Conclusions: Alirocumab added to intensive statin therapy has the potential to reduce death after acute coronary syndrome, particularly if treatment is maintained for ≥3 years, if baseline LDL-C is ≥100 mg/dL, or if achieved LDL-C is low. Clinical Trial Registration: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT01663402

Sectarians in the Russian Literature and Journalism (Christian apologetic perspective)

The article explores the reflection of the history of Russian Evangelical movement in the Russian classical literature and journalism. It marks the typological similarity between some apologetic Orthodox and Evangelical-Baptist sources, the emphasizing of the distinctive character of the “Russian Christianity” as opposed to any “foreign faith”. The Russian Protestants are increasing their interest in the ecclesiological mystery, sacraments, common history with Orthodoxy; they love the works of the Church fathers. The Orthodox people become aware of the importance of the Bible, the role of the firm Church community, accessible to all preaching of the Gospel. These points of contact create prerequisites for the beginning of fruitful dialogue

Anabaptism is Neither Catholic nor Protestant

The author of the paper shows the weakness of the traditional understanding of Anabaptism of the sixteenth century as a kind of Protestantism. There are a number of important arguments to prove the position that, in reality, Anabaptism was the “third way” movement. The Anabaptists were not Catholics because they outwardly looked like the Protestants, proclaiming the Reformed principle of sola Scriptura, and denying all the complicated Roman Catholic rites, hierarchy, and sacred objects. At the same time, the Anabaptists were not Protestants because they in wardly retained the Catholic mentality, defending things such as the freedom of the will, rejecting double predestination, asserting anecclesiocentric theology, keeping the main monastic values, using a strict system of discipline, and struggling against state control. Anabaptism was a unique phenomenon, however, having deep roots in the medieval Christian tradition

The “Seven Sacraments” of Russian Baptists

This paper addresses the Orthodox impact on the ecclesiology of the ECB brotherhood and especially on the doctrine of church ordinances (sacraments). The author shows that in the RussianUkrainian Baptist brotherhood, any symbolic interpretation of the “church ordinances” covertly surrenders to the idea of sacrament, which makes the general picture of the ecclesio logical views of the Russian Baptists deeper and far from trivial. Whereas Western Protestants usually distinguish only two ordinances, water baptism and the Lord's Supper, Russian Baptists not infrequently went further, seriously considering the “seven sacraments,” which has drawn them noticeably closer in their beliefs to Eastern Orthodox sacramentology. It is noteworthy that these trends were typicalfor both the official (AUCECB) and illegal (CC ECB) Baptists.This paper addresses the Orthodox impact on the ecclesiology of the ECB brotherhood and especially on the doctrine of church ordinances (sacraments). The author shows that in the RussianUkrainian Baptist brotherhood, any symbolic interpretation of the “church ordinances” covertly surrenders to the idea of sacrament, which makes the general picture of the ecclesio logical views of the Russian Baptists deeper and far from trivial. Whereas Western Protestants usually distinguish only two ordinances, water baptism and the Lord's Supper, Russian Baptists not infrequently went further, seriously considering the “seven sacraments,” which has drawn them noticeably closer in their beliefs to Eastern Orthodox sacramentology. It is noteworthy that these trends were typicalfor both the official (AUCECB) and illegal (CC ECB) Baptists

“Living as Monks” and Fools for Christ,s Sake in the Russian Baptist Brotherhood

The author compares the Russian-Ukrainian Baptist brotherhood - first of all, in its late Soviet form - with the Russian Orthodox concept of "monasticism in the world." Characteristic examples of asceticism among Russian Baptists, in some cases bordering on foolishness for Christ's sake, are described and analyzed, which to some extent may be explained by what is common to Christians of Russia, namely the "Eastern Christian" understanding of holiness. In addition, the parallels between some known hagiographical narratives of Russian Baptists and the "Lives of the Saints" are drawn; both external and internal similarities are noted. The article attempts to clear up the misunderstandings connected with the subject and at the inter-confessional level, in the context of church history in general, to demonstrate the legitimacy of the thesis of the "monastic way" of Russian Baptists. The work is based to a large measure on primary sources - books, articles, and interviews, reflecting the tradition of the Evangelical-Baptist brotherhood before the beginning of perestroika