Konstantin Filkin

The article studies cultural and historical as well as social and psychological aspects of interaction between computerized and traditional forms of higher historical education. The following adversarial lines between traditions and innovations in education are analyzed: hypertext readers, audio slides and video lectures in contrast to “live” face-to-face lectures; step-by-step online training aids instead of taking notes and sitting for an exam at the end; stagewise formalized testing instead of single-stage oral exam; electronic mail instead of tutorial meetings; forum discussions instead of “offline” seminars; virtual simulators instead of laboratory work with real objects and texts; individual knowledge acquisition trajectory instead of general curriculum; automatically registered “success rating” and “scientific value” instead of informal opinion and expert reviews; necessity to analyze huge digitized datasets instead of descriptions and compilation of a relatively small amount of published data. The research methodology is the use of theories and analogies from history and culture of traditional societies and civilizations to understand instructor’s role in the situation of education technologization. The article is an experiment to revive epistolary dialogical genre in research articles. This text is an expert exchange of pro and contra arguments about traditional and innovative forms of work with information in the field of liberal education and especially historical one. The dialogue does not aim at its transformation into a “line” or a “dot”. Its aim is in contrast to hear what others say and compare their opinion with one’s own interpretation and perception of reality, to find new meanings and ways of their verbalization and “external presentation”. The main conclusions are ideas stating that any computer technology is a more convenient and efficient form of educational information that relates mainly to modern epoch in terms of its volume, speed and update availability rather than quality of education. This does not lead to the increased quality of education. The latter is merely in line with the communicative structure and dynamics of modern civilization. Full-time education based on a single curriculum in its traditional form with lectures and seminars is still irreplaceable and has a number of advantages over computer-based self-education. The study provides new arguments in favor of the central, irreplaceable and irretrievable role or face-to-face communication of instructors and students as well as emphasizes the lack of problems understudy related to online education efficiency criteria in comparison with live offline dialogue methods of the educational process. The research novelty is an original dialogical search of hidden and rarely mentioned advantages and disadvantages within the opposed innovative and traditional forms of higher historical education.

Предметом исследования является культурно-исторические и социально-психологические аспекты взаимодействия компьютеризированных и традиционных форм высшего исторического образования. Анализируются следующие линии противостояния традиции и новаций в образовании: гипертекстовые ридеры, аудио-слайды и видеолекции вместо «живых» очных лекций; пошаговые онлайн-тренажеры вместо конспектирования и подготовки к экзамену в самом конце; поэтапное формализованное тестирование вместо единократного устного экзамена; электронная почта вместо встреч на консультации; обсуждение на форумах вместо семинаров «оффлайн»; виртуальные симуляторы вместо лабораторных занятий с реальными предметами или текстами; индивидуальная траектория получения знаний вместо общего для всех расписания; автоматизированный учет «рейтинга успешности» и «научной ценности», вместо неформального мнения и авторитетных отзывов; потребность в анализе больших оцифрованных массивов информации вместо описания и компиляции относительно малого объёма печатной информации. Методология исследования заключается в применении теорий и аналогий из истории и культуры традиционных обществ и цивилизаций к пониманию роли преподавателя в ситуации технологизации современного образования. Данная статья – это своеобразная экспериментальная попытка возрождения эпистолярного диалогического жанра в научных статьях. Предлагаемый текст – это обмен нескольких специалистов оригинальными аргументами «за» и «против» по поводу взаимодействия традиционных и новационных форм работы с информацией в сфере гуманитарного и особенно исторического образования. Идея диалога не в том, чтобы, в конце концов, «вытянуть его в линию» или «превратить в точку». Смысл диалога в обратном – услышать иное мнение, сравнить не только со своими представлениями о реальности, но и с ощущениями ее, найти новые смыслы и способы их вербализации и «овнешнения». Основными выводами проведенного исследования являются утверждения о том, что, любые компьютерные технологии, даже с элементами искусственного интеллекта – это более удобная и эффективная форма учебно-методических материалов, связанная не столько с новой эрой в качестве образования, сколько с новой эрой в объеме, скорости и доступности обновления учебной информации. Качество образования от этого не вырастет, оно просто будет соответствовать коммуникативной структуре и динамике в современной техногенной цивилизации. Очное образование по единому расписанию (в том числе в виде традиционных лекций) пока незаменимо и имеет ряд преимуществ по сравнению с компьютерным заочным самообразованием. В исследовании указаны новые аргументы, подтверждающие центральную, незаменимую и некомпенсируемую роль межличностной коммуникации преподавателей и студентов, а также недостаточную проблематизированность критериев эффективности он-лайн образования по сравнению с методами живого оффлайн диалога в обучении. Новизна исследования заключается в оригинальном способе диалогического поиска неявных и редко упоминаемых преимуществ и недостатков в оппозициях новационных и традиционных форм высшего исторического образования.

The paper explores the possibilities of using cognitive methodologies in historical science, including the analysis of historical sources. Historical analysis is based on explicit public representations: texts and other historical sources. An important task of historical science is the use of the research methodology, which allows obtaining the most accurate and objective results. Often the significance of the source may not seem so unambiguous and obvious. One of the solutions is an appeal to modern cognitive methodologies, which makes it possible to analyze similar sources that are not sufficiently relevant as the classical narrative history sees them. Also, cognitive methodologies open up the possibility of obtaining fundamentally new results. This study is based on a comparative analysis of theories of cognitive history, cognitive religion and cognitive anthropology. The appeal to the last two directions within the framework of historical science may seem unusual or even superfluous. Yet they are used since they are more theoretically developed in detail and have a wide application practice. Cognitive science of religion in the issue of historical source study is relevant because of the frequent specificity of the sources: often these are texts of religious content or religious implication and meaning. Based on the notion of the formation of religious concepts and behavior, historians will be able to design their subject of research. Accurate and universal theories of religious phenomena allow historians to obtain information that is difficult to obtain by other methods. In addition, historians are given the opportunity to systematize historical facts in a new way. The methodologies of cognitive religion and anthropology have extensive experience in practical application. The paper describes examples of techniques that can be used in historical sciences: the theory of practices and the theory of frames. These theories were created within anthropological and social sciences, but are easily transposed into other cognitive domains, for example, cognitive science of religion and even cognitive history. These methods become not only the subject of historical and theoretical reconstruction, but also an important mechanism for understanding everyday interactions. The application of cognitive methodologies has a number of problems that are noted in the article. Cognitive sciences often claim to be unambiguous and verifiable, but de facto remain in the hands of researchers dependent on subjectivity: their skills, motivation, spheres of interest, etc. Nevertheless, cognitivism makes it possible to obtain results that can not be obtained as a result of the application of other methodologies. The use of cognitive methodology in historical sciences is permissible, but it has its own limitations.

[in russian]
Исследуются возможности применения когнитивных методологий в рамках исторической науки, в том числе при анализе исторических источников. В вопросе использования когнитивных методов при анализе исторических источников рассмот-рены подходы к когнитивной истории, когнитивном религиоведении и когнитивной антропологии. Примерами методик, применимых к историческому исследованию, могут быть теории повседневных практик и теории фреймов. Отмечены не-достатки применения когнитивных методов.

This article deals with the history of the Hare Krishna Movement in the USA and Great Britain. It demonstrates how the history of this religious movement could be shaped in two different ways by different researchers. Using the Weberian concept of sect-to-church transformation, we can figure out the stage of “church” as a phase of extinction (destruction) of the religious movement as far as its members re-orient on the social success and assimilation into the main society – or as a phase of matureness, openness and dialogue with the outer world. Therefore, there are two main sect-to-church concepts relating to ISKCON. The first reflects the point of view of Rochford, the most famous researcher of the Hare Krishna Movement in the USA. Rochford accounts the modern ISKCON as a religious organization on its way to a complete “Hinduization” and dissolving in the main social milieu, which is accompanied with the loss of its specific religious message. The article overviews his findings based on the 1976–2010 research, where the changes that the Hare Krishna movement in the USA has undergone in the recent four decades are revealed. Among them the collapse of the financial basis of the Movement in the 1980s, the issue of child abuse in the schools of the Movement, the changing role of women in the Movement, the process of change in how families are viewed, the development of a congregational approach to its organization, and the Hinduization of the Movement are documented. The main point of Rochford’s analysis of the recent situation with ISKCON is that ISKCON is an example of the decline and the failure of a religious organization which survived only due to the Indian-Hindu immigrants’ support. The second concept, supported by Michael Gresset, Kimmo Ketola and Kim Knott, states that ISKCON successfully found its niche in the modern world with maintaining its original religious content. Among arguments of the researches discussed in the article, there are Gresset’s data about the circumstances in the North-American Hare Krishna community in Florida (New Ramana Reti) and Knott’s report about the social development of the London community (Bhaktivedanta Manor). Both the concepts are based on the same historical facts from ISKCON history, but, once more, while the first one interprets it as a failure, the second one focuses on the constructive aspects of its recent being. It is quite interesting, because one could question the core of the concept of the Weberian sect-to-church transformation.

Traditional Indian society is well known for its traditionalist conservative views on the position and duties of women which were associated exclusively with the family and home. In contrast, in this article women-leaders histories in the Vaisnava-community of 16-18th centuries are considered. It also reveals the recent examples of such pattern in modern Vaisnava movement.

Традиционное индийское общество известно своим консервативным взглядом на положение и обязанности женщины, которые связывались исключительно с семьей и домом. Тем не менее, известны исключения из дан-ной модели. В работе рассмотрено вишнуитское сообщество Бенгалии, в котором существовали случаи, когда женщины занимали лидирующее положение. Также показана рецепция этого явления в современном вишнуитском движении.

Nikolaj N. Karpitski, Konstantin N. Filkin, Interfaith dialogue and the transformation of religious unity perception in the modern consciousness
The article reveals a new trend in modern religious consciousness. The experience of interfaith dialogue in Tomsk (Russia, Western Siberia) became the basic material for the research. Not too long ago confession was seemed to be the only criteria for determination someone’s belonging to the any religious community. Recently, however, the situation begins to change. Interfaith dialogue has become not only a platform for communication between different religious groups, but also a place for protecting the religious freedom. Key role was played by interreligious dialogue in shaping of public opinion during the Bhagavat-gita trial in Tomsk. Members of interreligious dialogue began to notice that they have more in common with representatives of other denominations than with some xenophobic adherents.
Key words: religion, confession, xenophobia, inter-religious dialogue.

Аннотация: В статье выявляется новая тенденция в современном религиозном сознании. Основным материалом исследования является опыт межрелигиозного диалога в г. Томске (Россия). Межрелигиозный диалог стал не только площадкой для общения представителей разных конфессий, но и центром координации совместной деятельности по защите прав верующих. Особую роль межрелигиозный диалог сыграл в формировании общественного мнения относительно суда в Томске над «Бхагавад-гитой». Участники межрелигиозного диалога стали замечать, что имеют больше общего с представителями других конфессий, чем с некоторыми единоверцами, которые занимают позицию религиозной нетерпимости к иноверцам. Данное наблюдение указывает на новую тенденцию в современном религиозном сознании: для многих верующих не менее важным, чем конфессиональная принадлежность, становится характер отношения к религии.
Ключевые слова: религия, конфессия, ксенофобия, экстремизм, межрелигиозный диалог

The article is dedicated to the reconstruction of the concept of holiness in the tradition of Gaudia Vaisnavism. The research based on the hagiographical sources. These sources are of great importance for the history because they contain enough facts about the pre-colonial India, including human life, society, inter-ethnic and inter-religious dialogue. The work defines a paradigm of narrative in hagiography, describes the key persons, and presents the unique features of the concept of holiness in Gaudia Vaisnavism.

"THE STUDY OF GAUDIA-VAISHNAVA HAGIOGRAPHY BY EDWARD C. DIMOCK AND TONY K. STEWART.
The studies of Edward C. Dimock and Tony K. Stewart take special place in modern historiography of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Their works, including ones which are devoted to the study of hagiography of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, are now among the most significant historiographical researches of this phenomenon.
Professor Edward C. Dimock, the former chairman of the American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS) and founder of the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago, has published several works about Gaudia Vaishnavism from the 1950s. In the book «The Place of the Hidden Moon» author explores a variety of texts of this vaishnava-school by reconstructing the history of it and the views of the community of Bengali devotees. Social diversity and even philosophical heterodoxy of the schools are specified in his study. The some ideas about Vaishnava community are briefly described also in E. Dimock’s article «Doctrine and Practice among the Vaisnavas of Bengal». Noting a huge impact of the school on Bengali and Indian cultures, he adds that even, for example, the works of Rabindranath Tagore and many another Symbolists must often be interpreted in the context of the Vaishnava philosophy. The academic translation of the key Vaishnava’s hagiography, «Caitanya-caritamrta» by Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami, became the greatest contribution of E. Dimock in Indian studies. T. Stewart, another prominent Indologist, become the editor of this edition.
Tony K. Stewart is professor of the Department of Religious Studies at Vanderbilt University and Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair in Humanities. In 2010, T. Stewart issued his fundamental work «The Final Word: The Caitanya Caritamrta and the Grammar of Religious Tradition», which was the most comprehensive academic study of «Caitanya-caritamrta». In his work, the author examines the main aspects of this religious tradition, including its history, theological position, the wide complex of texts, applying the apparatus for the grammatical constructions.
Exploring the descriptions of birth and death of Chaitanya in articles «When Rahu Devours the Moon: The Myth of the Birth of Krsna Caitanya» and «When Biographical Narratives Disagree: The Death of Krsna Caitanya», T. Stewart makes comparative analysis of several hagiographic narratives. He determines the existence of common patterns which describe the general structure of narratives, despite the theological heterodoxy.
The researches by E. Dimock and T. Stewart show that Vaishnava hagiographical sources with their religious nature are important as
sources of the historical information, especially about the life of the Vaishnava community. And thereafter these biographical texts are the matter for historical reconstruction.

Приводится историографический обзор исследований американских индологов Э. Димока и Т. Стюарта. Наряду с кратким описанием биографии самих ученых названы их основные работы, посвященные изучению бенгальского вайшнавизма. Особое внимание уделено исследованию ранних агиографических источников данной традиции периода XVI–XVII вв."

Timoschuk A.S., Filkin K.N. INCIDENT OF TRIAL OVER SWAMI PRABHUPADA'S BHAGAVAD-GITA: GENESIS, ANALYSIS, REACTION OF THE PUBLIC AND MEDIA. The article is dedicated to the 2011-2012. Tomsk trial against the book «Bhagavad-gita As It Is» (authorship A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada) as an extremist material. This event, which was estimated as unprecedented for Tomsk, attracted attention not only in Russia, but also abroad, prompting a lively reaction from the public and the media. The observed event requires a thorough analysis. The article provides a chronology of the trial, beginning with a description of the subject application to the court, experts opinions on the matter, legal judgments.
Many analysts expected as a result of court case «bad» Tomsk fame around the world. These fears have come true, as the news of the trial over the Holy Scripture has not gone unnoticed in India, and in North Atlantic. Russian and international media record growth of indignation among the world community. The most striking example is the fact that the news of the trial caused a storm of discontent in the Indian parliament, which was forced to interrupt it’s work twice a day.
From the review of the media sphere one can allot the following reasons for the subsequent reaction of the public. For the Russian media, analysts and bloggers, the general reaction was the realization of the obvious absurdity and artificiality of the charges in conjunction with inappropriate application of the law on extremism. A response from the Indian public is caused by the understanding that the accusation is an insult to what is dear and sacred for them – Bhagavad-Gita, and the people whose worldview is based on it.
Based on the analysis of the work one can conclude the need of a secular religious studies that inform on other faiths experiences of different denominations, which will overcome mythmaking in respect of certain beliefs. You can also note the obvious difficulties in the work of the Federal Law «On counteracting extremist activities» and Article 282 of the Criminal Code in the recognition of a particular extremist literature. One-sided and unsound application of these laws have already caused a huge amount of criticism. Russian public points to the need of revision of the law or limit its scope by means of better fixation of the subject area.


Дается анализ судебного процесса по признанию книги «Бхагавад-гита как она есть» экстремистским материалом. Приводится хронология судебных заседаний; отмечены отдельные наиболее выразительные случаи реагирования на судебный процесс со стороны общественности и средств массовой информации. На основе проведенного обзора поднимается вопрос о качестве проведения религиоведческих экспертиз и применения антиэкстремистского законодательства.

Interdisciplinarity is an important feature of scientific research: it reveals author’s wide area of thought, the pioneer-ing use of different methodologies and, as a consequence, there could be interesting results for different scientific fields. But all of this is true only if the researcher is actually knowledgeable in the various fields. Otherwise, it is impossible to avoid some casus. It is especially evident when the lack of qualification in any scientific field is replaced by personal opinions: ideological subjectivity substitutes methodological apparatus.
A striking example of this problem is dissertation research by Tarasevich I.A. «Constitutional and legal bases of re-ligious security of the Russian Federation» for the degree of Doctor of Juridical Science.
This research is certainly an interdisciplinary one (jurisprudence and religious studies). The key negative feature of this work is extremely weak theological and historical part of the research. For example, the author refers exclusively to the figures of the Russian anti-cult movement, instead of academic religious researchers. Also, a list of literature sources consists mainly of Orthodox sources.
After reading this work it is seems to be clear that author according to his own subjective views pursues the aim of law prohibition against “inappropriate” religious organizations. Apparently author neglects  the fact that his arguments contradict the current Russian Constitution, which ascertains a freedom of conscience and the absence of the united and mandatory ideology.
The author proposes attachment of the status "traditional” to some religious associations, thereby making the historical and judicial mistake. He offers a «cooperative model» as a base for building relationships between the state and religious organizations. This model is contrary to the proposed in Constitution equality of all religious organizations and their separation from the state. Implying of the special role of the Russian Orthodox Church is a threat to the constitutional secular character of the state. The secular character of the Russian Federation and the equality of all religions is a result of the historical development of the Russian state.
Existing legislation (primarily the Federal Law «On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations») provides clear mechanisms of interaction between the state and religious associations. In contradiction to these actual mechan-isms, suggested by the author of the dissertation ones provoke tensions and infringement of the constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms of many citizens.
To ensure the integrity and security of society requires an open form of cooperation between the state and social groups, as well as between groups themselves. However, the thesis proposes the opposite course of action which contributes to the rise of some religious groups and the prohibition for others. The state loses the ability to oversee the religious organizations because their activities would be informal.
Summing up the challenges of work and comparing them with the main aim of the author (the provision of «reli-gious security as a condition necessary for a stable constitutional development of the Russian Federation»), we could suggest with certainty that the proposed mechanisms contribute to the destruction of religious stability and security in society, encourage its division and inner tension.