"I'm Not Like Most of You Here, I'm Just an Alcoholic": A Russian Baptist Theory of Addiction

In my paper I discuss alcoholics in the Russian Baptist rehabilitation ministry by comparing them to drug addicts. In the outside world, as well as in the early stages of the rehabilitation program, alcoholics and illicit drug abusers are perceived as different cultural groups. However, during the p...

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Main Author: Igor Mikeshin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Sciendo 2016-12-01
Series:Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.jef.ee/index.php/journal/article/view/248
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author Igor Mikeshin
author_facet Igor Mikeshin
author_sort Igor Mikeshin
collection DOAJ
description In my paper I discuss alcoholics in the Russian Baptist rehabilitation ministry by comparing them to drug addicts. In the outside world, as well as in the early stages of the rehabilitation program, alcoholics and illicit drug abusers are perceived as different cultural groups. However, during the program, rehabilitants learn Russian Baptist dogma and theology, and soon afterwards the distinction becomes obsolete for them. I address narratives of distinction and the Russian Baptist response to them. Then I reconstruct the Russian Baptist theory of addiction to demonstrate why alcoholism and substance dependence are not regarded as a problem, but rather as consequences of the real problem, which is a life in sin.
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spelling doaj-art-54a2dee76aff40918f7b47f9a0b7d6382025-02-02T01:09:46ZengSciendoJournal of Ethnology and Folkloristics1736-65182228-09872016-12-01102193210.1515/jef-2016-0008145"I'm Not Like Most of You Here, I'm Just an Alcoholic": A Russian Baptist Theory of AddictionIgor Mikeshin0University of HelsinkiIn my paper I discuss alcoholics in the Russian Baptist rehabilitation ministry by comparing them to drug addicts. In the outside world, as well as in the early stages of the rehabilitation program, alcoholics and illicit drug abusers are perceived as different cultural groups. However, during the program, rehabilitants learn Russian Baptist dogma and theology, and soon afterwards the distinction becomes obsolete for them. I address narratives of distinction and the Russian Baptist response to them. Then I reconstruct the Russian Baptist theory of addiction to demonstrate why alcoholism and substance dependence are not regarded as a problem, but rather as consequences of the real problem, which is a life in sin.https://www.jef.ee/index.php/journal/article/view/248alcoholismaddictionrehabilitationRussian Baptist Church
spellingShingle Igor Mikeshin
"I'm Not Like Most of You Here, I'm Just an Alcoholic": A Russian Baptist Theory of Addiction
Journal of Ethnology and Folkloristics
alcoholism
addiction
rehabilitation
Russian Baptist Church
title "I'm Not Like Most of You Here, I'm Just an Alcoholic": A Russian Baptist Theory of Addiction
title_full "I'm Not Like Most of You Here, I'm Just an Alcoholic": A Russian Baptist Theory of Addiction
title_fullStr "I'm Not Like Most of You Here, I'm Just an Alcoholic": A Russian Baptist Theory of Addiction
title_full_unstemmed "I'm Not Like Most of You Here, I'm Just an Alcoholic": A Russian Baptist Theory of Addiction
title_short "I'm Not Like Most of You Here, I'm Just an Alcoholic": A Russian Baptist Theory of Addiction
title_sort i m not like most of you here i m just an alcoholic a russian baptist theory of addiction
topic alcoholism
addiction
rehabilitation
Russian Baptist Church
url https://www.jef.ee/index.php/journal/article/view/248
work_keys_str_mv AT igormikeshin imnotlikemostofyouhereimjustanalcoholicarussianbaptisttheoryofaddiction