Young people throughout Eurasia are looking for leadership that is different from what preceding generations experienced in the Soviet era and many people are still accustomed to, namely a less top-down authoritarian style by a solo leader reflecting the outdated ‘Great Man’ model of ‘strong’ leadership and for a more collaborative, participative style with more dispersed leadership. This implies the need for a significant cultural change. Leadership development programmes now need to refocus their philosophy, objectives and methods on ways of developing a culture of participation, trust, a sense of belonging, teamwork and accountability and the required know-how and skills in today’s and future leaders. We present two research projects and a case study that reveal these needs and how a new approach to ethical and effective leadership development that appropriately integrates Western and Eastern values can help to liberate and develop the culture and economies of the Eurasia region and thereby make Eurasia a new global powerhouse.

Environmental leadership and eco-theology have not been a priority for Evangelical and Orthodox Christians in the countries of the former Soviet Union (particularly, Ukraine and Russia) due to various historical, political, social, and theological reasons. However, contemporary environmental global challenges suggest that both Orthodox and Evangelical Christians should revisit their perspectives and efforts related to responsible stewardship by humankind of the earth and its life forms. This article presents the analysis of multiple forms of data (relevant Orthodox and Evangelical documents, specialized literature, and individual interviews/focus groups). We conducted individual interviews and focus groups with 101 Evangelical and 50 Orthodox Christians from Russia and Ukraine. Although the majority of interviewees agreed that the ecological crisis exists and should be addressed, only some of them admitted that they actively care for creation. While Orthodox Christians are more active in practical care for creation, Evangelicals have a stronger grasp of the biblical teaching concerning nature and humans’ responsibility for it. We argue that Evangelical and Orthodox Churches in Ukraine and Russia can learn from each other and impact their communities: engage minds, touch hearts, feed souls, and respond to environmental challenges as an expression of their faith and leadership.

for an understanding of biblical interpretation within the Russian Orthodox Church. Its purpose is not to advocate pro or contra Russian biblical scholarship, but to place the emphasis on the history of biblical interpretation in the Russian Orthodox Church and on Orthodox biblical hermeneutics. Two considerations are specifically pertinent to the study of this topic. First, the history of biblical interpretation is surveyed from a sole and specific perspective - from within a· historico-dogmatic development of the Russian Orthodox Church from the Kiev period of its history (9_13th century) till the Synodal period (1721-1917). Second, it is true that once originated, the Biblical Study in Russian Orthodoxy went its own way and developed its own fundamental principles of interpretation. Although many principles correlated and corresponded with general principles of biblical interpretation, in essence they form "Russian Orthodox Hermeneutics". This paper seeks to establish an outline of the essential elements of Orthodox biblical hermeneutics as they developed in the history of interpretation

The aim of this article is to demonstrate the presence of a theological system of socio-critical and socio-pragmatic strands within Russian Christianity at the beginning of the twentieth century. The political and social situation in Russia at that time was reflected in a reading of the New Testament that went far beyond the more customary ecclesiastic, dogmatic and ethical issues that had traditionally concerned Russian Orthodox theology. Among the Orthodox thinkers there were two camps that focused on antioppression issues. Some combined these issues with the liberationist ideology of the Russian Marxists and Socialists; while the other regarded these liberation movements as an anti-Christian way of interpreting Christianity. This article further claims that certain modern developments in Liberation Theology can be found in the period during which the Russian religious thinkers attempted to develop a theological perspective which paid attention to the social and political dimensions inherent in social democracy (Marxism).

This study focuses on the hermeneutical theory of the Russian Orthodox theologian Fr. Sergius Bulgakov (1871-1944). It singles out the basic principles of that theory for discussion. The following principles are considered: the nature of the  Bible; the role of the Holy  Spirit in biblical interpretation; tradition as a hermeneutical principle; ecclesiastical reading; the actualisation of Scripture in personal and corporate life,  and the scope and limitations of scientific-critical inquiry.    An understanding of these fundamental tenets of Bulgakov’s hermeneutics is vital to a proper appreciation of Eastern Orthodoxy’s hermeneutical approach to the Bible.