Practical direction of the Christian mission in the Internet space: the canonical aspect

Abstract

The present study attempts to analyze the current state of the Christian mission in the Internet space. The question of the possibility of harmonizing the canons of the Orthodox Church with the features of the modern world of highly developed technologies is being investigated. Ways of this coordination are proposed, excluding direct violation of the canons or neglect of them, but at the same time taking into account the advantages that the Internet gives to the missionary and preacher of the Gospel in the 21st century. The main problem areas of missionary activity in modern Russia are singled out. Based on the uniqueness of the Internet space as a means of interpersonal communication, new principles of the Internet mission are proposed, potentially solving the problems of currently “vulnerable” areas of domestic missionary activity. As one of the approaches to the implementation of these principles, it is proposed to use certain marketing methods, the essence and possibilities of which are considered in detail.