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Dr. Scott Kenworthy, professor of History and Associate of the Havighurst Center for Russian and Post-Soviet Studies at Miami University, is a leading expert in the history of the Orthodox Church in modern Russia and will visit Baylor University to present the 2026 Keston Center Lecture, "The Patriarch vs. the Revolution: Defending Religious Freedom in Early Soviet Russia," on a very important Orthodox Christian leader: Patriarch Tikhon Bellavin.As explored in Kenworthy's latest book, "The People’s Patriarch: Tikhon Bellavin and the Orthodox Church in North America and Revolutionary Russia" (Oxford University Press, 2025), Patriarch Tikhon Bellavin was voted head of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1917, at the same time the Bolsheviks gained power. The Bolsheviks desired to destroy the Orthodox Church and replace it with “scientific atheism.” In turn, it was in Patriarch Tikhon Bellavin’s hands to defend against the attack.
This presentation will dive into Kenworthy’s use of previously classified documents from the secret police and the Bolshevik leadership to illustrate the role into which Patriarch Tikhon Bellavin was thrust. Kenworthy will highlight how Patriarch Tikhon Bellavin defended the religion and how his efforts can apply in today's world.
This event is free and open to the public. A reception and book signing will follow the lecture.
The 2026 Keston Spring Lecture is proudly presented by the Keston Center for Religion, Politics, and Society, the Baylor Department of History, the Baylor Department of Modern Languages and Cultures, and Baylor's International Studies Program.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Armstrong Browning Library & Museum, 710 Speight Ave, Waco, TX 76798, United States
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