Gennady Gololob, theologian

Gennady Gololob (1964 - 2020), Ukraine

Theologian and researcher, founder and compiler of the 'Christian pacifism' website, a member of the Baptist Church local community in Cherkassy.

Unfortunately, our getting acquainted was not exactly what I would have expected with someone who dared to preach nonviolence. It was affected by the difference in age, lifestyle, character, habits ... But since he treated this subject thoughtfully and seriously, this experience was not at all fruitless and added some new shades to my established views. Moreover, in view of the insignificant numbers of nonviolence supporters, any such boldness is especially valuable and deserves respect.

I know almost nothing about his personal (emotional) perception of the problem of violence. But the patience and kindness with which he supported my views or argued with them, the openness with which he acknowledged and shared his own successes and failures — all this once again revealed a person of great meekness and strength of mind, whose choice of the nonviolent path was far from accidental.

Gennady demonstrated a very rare example of faith — a faith that expressed itself in the constant work of gaining a more complete understanding of the Gospel. This is completely and fundamentally different from the traditional 'ready-made' approach, by which a person assimilates the usual set of theological propositions, and relays it to others in an unchanged and unreasoned form.

I would like to believe that after death, things are disclosed that were previously incomprehensible — namely the true meaning and essence of our earthly life — and that Gennady is now closer to understanding (and fulfilling) this truth than any of us are.

Gennady Gololob, theologian

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