Alexander Dvorkin: Difference between revisions

'''Alexander Leonidovich Dvorkin''' ({{lang-langx|ru|Алекса́ндр Леони́дович Дво́ркин}}; born 20 August 1955 in [[Moscow]])<ref name=patriarchia.ru>{{citation |url=http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/441422.html |title=Дворкин Александр Леонидович |trans-title=Dvorkin Alexander Leonidovich |work=[[:ru:Патриархия.ru|The official website of the Russian Orthodox Church]] |access-date=5 November 2019}}</ref> is a Russian [[Anti-cult movement|anti-cult activist]]. From 1999 to 2012 he was professor and head of the department of [[Academic study of new religious movements|the study of new religious movements (cults)]] at [[Saint Tikhon's Orthodox University]].<ref name=patriarchia.ru/> He is currently{{when|date=February 2023}} professor of department of [[missiology]] at that university.<ref name=patriarchia.ru/>

*According to Dvorkin's book ''Teachers and Lessons: Memories, Stories, Reflections'' ({{lang-langx|ru|"Учителя и уроки: воспоминания, рассказы, размышления"}}), together with the like-minded people, he prepared a work that was demonstrated on 20 September 1975 at an exhibition of [[avant-garde art]]ists in one of the pavilions of the [[VDNKh (Russia)|VDNKh]]; about this work and its authors – a group of hippies called "Hair", to which Dvorkin was close – American magazine [[Time (magazine)|''Time'']] responded positively. Consequently, in Fall 1975, Dvorkin was expelled from the third year of the institute "for believers incompatible with those that should be in the future [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] teacher".<ref>{{cite book |title=Учителя и уроки: воспоминания, рассказы, размышления |author=Дворкин А. Л. |page=373 |year=2008 |publisher=Христианская б-ка |isbn=978-5-88213-081-6 }}</ref>

*According to Dvorkin's book ''My America'' ({{lang-langx|ru|"Моя Америка"}}), he was not admitted to the fifth examination session and was expelled from the institute for poor academic performance and non-attendance in early 1975. Remembering the exhibitions, he does not name them among the reasons for exclusion.<ref>{{cite book |title=Моя Америка: автобиографический роман в двух книгах с прологом и двумя эпилогами |author=Дворкин А. Л. |pages=84–85, 98–99|year=2013 |publisher=Христианская б-ка |isbn=978-5-905472-11-4 }}</ref>

In 1978, Dvorkin became a student at [[Hunter College]], where he continued to study [[Russian literature]]. Dvorkin was [[Baptism#Eastern Orthodoxy|baptized]] on 19 January 1980 in Christ the Savior Church, a [[New York City|New York]] [[parish]] of the [[Orthodox Church in America]]. Dvorkin graduated with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] in [[Russian literature|Russian Literature]] from [[Hunter College]] in 1980.<ref name="patriarchia.ru" /><ref name="Guide">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.co.nzcom/books?id=z8PvAAAAMAAJ&dq=Alexander+Dvorkin+church+historian&q=Alexander+Dvorkin++&redir_esc=y |title=Guide to Departments of History |date=1989 |publisher=American Historical Association, Institutional Services Program. |language=en}}</ref> The same year, he became a student of [[Saint Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary]] in [[Crestwood, New York]], graduating with a [[Master of Divinity]] in theology in 1983 with thesis titled "Life, personality and ideas of [[Patriarch Sergius of Moscow|Sergius Stragorodsky]], Bishop of Yamburgh and Archbishop of Vyborgh and Finland (later patriarch of Moscow and all Russia) before 1917".<ref name="patriarchia.ru" /><ref name="Guide" /><ref>Dvorkin A. Life, personality and ideas of Sergius Stragorodsky, Bishop of Yamburgh and Archbishop of Vyborgh and Finland (later patriarch of Moscow and all Russia) before 1917. Thesis (M.Div.). — New York City: St. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Seminary, 1983.</ref> In 1984, Dvorkin received [[Citizenship of the United States#Pathways to citizenship|American citizenship]]. In 1984, he enrolled in [[Doctorate|doctoral]] studies at the Department of [[Medieval History]] at the [[Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities|Jesuit-affiliated]] [[independent school]] – [[Fordham University]]. Dvorkin graduated with a [[Doctor of Philosophy|Ph.D.]] in [[Medieval studies]] in 1988 with a [[dissertation]] titled "[[Ivan the Terrible]] as a Religious Type".<ref name=patriarchia.ru/><ref name="Guide" /> His mentor was [[John Meyendorff]].

Dvorkin returned to Russia on 31 December 1991.<ref name=patriarchia.ru/> In March 1992, he started working in the [[Synod|Synodal]] Department of Religious Education and [[Catechesis]].<ref name=patriarchia.ru/> At this work Dvorkin encountered some [[Newnew religious movement|new religious movements]]s, primarily the "Mother of God center", a homegrown Russian sect. In 1993, Dvorkin coined the term "totalitarian sect," which would become the catch-all label for [[new religious movements]]. The term "totalitarian" played on fears of return to [[Soviet Union|Soviet]]-era repressions. Dvorkin called [[Hitler]] along with [[Lenin]] "founders of the most evil totalitarian sects".<ref name="Baran2006">{{cite journal |last1=Baran |first1=Emily B. |title=Negotiating the Limits of Religious Pluralism in Post-Soviet Russia: The Anticult Movement in the Russian Orthodox Church, 1990-2004 |journal=The Russian Review |date=2006 |volume=65 |issue=4 |pages=637–656 |jstor=3877259 |doi=10.1111/j.1467-9434.2006.00419.x }}</ref>

In 1993 heDvorkin founded the first Russian [[anti-cult]] organization: [[Center for Religious Studies in the name of Hieromartyr Irenaeus of Lyons|Saint Irenaeus of Lyons Information and Advisory Center]] (Информационно-консультационный центр св. Иринея Лионского) with the blessing of the [[Patriarch of Moscow]], [[Alexy II of Moscow|Patriarch Alexy II]]<ref name=patriarchia.ru/><ref name="FECase" /><ref name=iriney.ru>{{citation|url=https://iriney.ru/main/o-czentre/ |title=О центре |trans-title=About the center| work = Центр религиоведческих исследований во имя священномученика Иринея Лионского (Saint Irenaeus of Lyons Center for Religious Studies) website iriney.ru|access-date=5 November 2019}}</ref> and became its head.<ref name=patriarchia.ru/> Through this Centercenter, Dvorkin adapted the Western [[anti-cult movement]] to the Russian situation, making his target small organizations, few of whom had any serious presence in Soviet times, and which were easy to marginalize. Many of these organizations have already become targets for Western anti-cultists. Until the [[Russian Orthodox Church]] (ROC) dropped into the opposition with the more mainstream Christian denominations, thecenter Centerpersonnel tried to cooperate with them. Despite the fact that the Centercenter was created under the umbrella of the ROCRussian Orthodox Church, it portrayed superficial [[secularism]], which allowed it to influence both the Orthodoxorthodox and secular audiences. TheThrough Centerthe organizedcenter conferences, publishedwere organized, brochures were published, and maintained a website was maintained. Dvorkin himself gave lectures and numerous interviews to various media. His role was so great that the anti-cult movement in Russia had been largely defined by him,; he was called "the enemy number one of religious extremists".<ref name="Baran2006"/> In 2003, the center was renamed the ''[[Saint Irenaeus of Lyons]] Center for Religious Studies (Центр религиоведческих исследований во имя священномученика Иринея Лионского)'', andwith Dvorkin isas its president.<ref name=patriarchia.ru/><ref>{{cite book |title=Religion, Morality, and Community in Post-Soviet Societies |authorlink=Mark D. Steinberg |lastlast1=Steinberg |firstfirst1=Mark D. |last2=Wanner |first2=Catherine |page=300 |year=2008 |publisher=[[Indiana University Press]] |isbn=978-0-253-22038-7 }}</ref> The center works with [[Christian countercult movement|Christian countercult]] organizations in Russia and abroad, being the head center of the Russian Association of Centers for the Study of Religions and Sects.<ref name="FECase" /><ref name=Information_and_Advisory_Center>{{citation |url=http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/381845.html |title=Информационно-консультационный центр св. Иринея Лионского |trans-title=Saint Irenaeus of Lyons Information and Advisory Center |work=[[:ru:Патриархия.ru|The official website of the Russian Orthodox Church]]|access-date=5 November 2019}}</ref> Since 2009, Dvorkin has been Vicevice-Presidentpresident of the [[European Federation of Centres of Research and Information on Sectarianism]]&nbsp;(FECRIS), an [[umbrella organization]] for anti-cult groups in Europe.<ref name="FECase">[[Régis Dericquebourg]], [http://www.hrwf.net/images/reports/2012/2012fecrisbook.pdf "FECRIS: European Federation of Research and Information Centers on Sectarianism"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528205709/http://www.hrwf.net/images/reports/2012/2012fecrisbook.pdf |date=28 May 2020 }}, in ''Freedom of Religion or Belief — Anti-Sect Movements and State Neutrality — A Case Study: FECRIS'', special issue of ''Religion – Staat – Gesellschaft: Zeitschrift für Glaubensformen und Weltanschauungen'' (''Journal for the Study of Beliefs and Worldviews'', {{ISSN|1438-955X}}), 2012/2, p.188–189, {{ISBN|978-3-643-99864-4}}</ref> Dvorkin is on the board of FECRIS. Dvorkin has been extremely active in opposing cults and new religious movements through his publications.<ref name="FECase" />

Dvorkin is a critic of [[Scientology]], which he regards as a dangerous cult. [[Church of Scientology]]-affiliated organizations describe him as an "[[Antireligionantireligion|anti-religious]] extremist", and compile negative information about him on their websites. In 1997, Scientology and several other [[new religious movement]]s sued Dvorkin and the [[Russian Orthodox Church]] for [[defamation]], but their case was dismissed.<ref>{{cite book |title=Chercheurs de dieux dans l'espace public |last=Côté |first=Pauline |pages=157–158 |year=2001 |publisher=[[University of Ottawa Press]] |isbn=978-2-7603-0535-9 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Religious News from Russia: Cults against the Church |url=http://www.lermanet.com/cisar/russia/cac02.htm |website=[[Arnie Lerma|Lermanet.com]] |accessdate=26 February 2019 |quote=Press Release from the Center of the Holy Martyr Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyon, about the lawsuit, as brought to the attention of participants at the press conference in the Central Journalist Building on January 31, 1997.}}</ref> According to [[Yuri Savenko]], the President of the [[Independent Psychiatric Association of Russia]], Dvorkin has claimed that the followers of [[Nikolai Rerikh]] as well as [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], Scientology, [[Hare Krishnas]], [[Neo-Pagans]], [[Neo-Pentecostals]], and many others are "totalitarian cults".<ref name="Открытое письмо">{{cite journal|last=Savenko |first=Yuri Sergeevich |script-title=ru:Открытое письмо Президенту Российской Федерации Д.А. Медведеву |trans-title=Open letter to the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev |journal=[[Nezavisimiy Psikhiatricheskiy Zhurnal]]|year=2009|issue=№ 2|pages=5–6|url=http://www.npar.ru/journal/2009/2/medved.htm|accessdate=12 July 2011|language=ru}}</ref> In May 2008, Dvorkin attended a [[China|Sino]]-Russian Forum on sect studies in [[Beijing]], and in an interview with [[Xinhua]] he said that "[[Falun Gong]] practitioners feel they do not belong to any country and act entirely in accordance with [[Li Hongzhi|Li <nowiki>[Hongzhi]</nowiki>'s]] will. The cult even gained support from other international cults and from the governments and parliaments of some western countries."<ref name=chinadaily.com/> And that cults "turn individuals into tools of cults, and destroy their families... Cults make no contribution to the society. But they kept absorbing human resources and wealth from it.... Like cancerous cells, they obtain nutrition from the healthy body of society until it collapses."<ref name=chinadaily.com>{{citation|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-05/13/content_6679151.htm |title=Russian expert tags Falun Gong as international cult |date=13 May 2008 |work=[[China Daily]] |access-date=5 November 2019}}</ref>

The 2009 Annualannual Reportreport of the [[United States Commission on International Religious Freedom]] describes Dvorkin as "Russia‘s most prominent 'anti-cult' activist" who "lacks academic credentials as a religion specialist".<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/resources/AR2009/russia.pdf |title= 2009 Annual Report, Russia Chapter |work=United States Commission on International Religious Freedom |date=2009}}</ref> The American government claimed in 2018 that "Dvorkin is one of a large network of radical Russian Orthodox activists who have grown considerably in influence over the last 10 years due to the Russian government's increasing patronage of the Russian Orthodox Church and the [Russian] government's Soviet-era paranoia about the subversive potential of independent religious groups."<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.uscirf.gov/sites/default/files/Tier1_RUSSIA.pdf |title=2018 Annual Report, Russia Chapter |work=United States Commission on International Religious Freedom |date=2018}}</ref>