The polemical book “Crime before the Future” by Doctor of Theology, Doctor of Philological Sciences, Professor Mikhail Mikhailovich Dunaev, author of the multi-volume work “Orthodoxy and Russian Literature” has been published.

A small book is dedicated to rock culture and problems that have recently been frequently discussed in the church environment - whether this culture is compatible with the Orthodox faith and whether a mission is needed among rockers.

The very name “Crime before the Future” speaks of the author’s critical attitude towards such a phenomenon as rock culture, which has become synonymous with youth culture today. The professor openly calls it “an artificially created spiritual poison, designed to complete the process of human degradation, the process of forming an easily controlled, meaningless crowd, the process of completing general apostasy, the process of complete rejection of the traditions of national culture.”

When asked whether rock culture is compatible With Orthodoxy, the author answers negatively. He refutes one of the main arguments of rock apologists (that rock, especially Russian rock, is a protest). “Is every protest such a good thing? And Fr. himself Andrey Kuraev prophetically predicts: “In an Orthodox society, rock protest will be directed against Orthodoxy.” The orthodoxy of this rock is good. She is nothing more than a chimera - and aren’t we committing a crime against the future by flirting with this uncontrollable element of thoughtless protest?”

Professor Dunaev sees another misconception of rock defenders in the thesis that rock music educates warriors for Holy Rus'. “The warriors of Holy Rus' could not go into battle to rock rhythms,” he writes, since they are “unnatural, organically incompatible with biological rhythms, and therefore cause stress and brutal aggression in the body.” A holy warrior, “oddly enough, must be kind and compassionate. He protects, and does not turn murder into an end in itself.” MM. Dunaev presents a fairly detailed critique of the arguments of deacon Andrei Kuraev and abbot Sergius (Rybko) who defend rock.

Professor Dunaev does not deny the possibility of preaching Orthodoxy among the “rockers,” but he sees it not as a matter of talking to them in their language, sinking “to the demonic level,” but to “raise those who have fallen to the true heights of culture.”