Soviet God-building movement

[LevSinestra]

I performed a search & could find no reference to this topic so I thought I'd intro the topic.

In the early years of the Soviet state there was a movement initiated by Lunarchevsky (sp?) and later taken up by Bogdanov to develop a new religion, indeed a "religion of humanity". This was called the Soviet God-building movement. It received considerable attention for awhile and then dissolved after Lenin expressed his opposition.

There was precedent for this in the French Revolution where the Hebertists first advanced a "Cult of Reason" which was dislodged by Robespierre's "Cult of the Supreme Being".

From time to time, Ludwig Feuerbach, Auguste Comte & John Stuart Mill have also proposed a "religion of humanity". Julian Huxley advanced the notion of using the concept of Evolution as the foundation for "Evolutionary Humanism" and promoting that as a religious vehicle.

To an extent Stalin, without adhering to the idea overtly, developed a Lenin cult upon Lenin's death.


First, I have only the barest overview of this topic, has anyone else had the opportunity to explore this and are there any sources of substance.

Second, has anyone any opinions on the efficacy of a new religious initiative as a complement to a revolutionary movement?

[Die Neue Zeit]

The Lenin cult emerged after the assassination attempt on his life. Until his death, it was like boiling water inside a closed cauldron. Stalin merely lifted the lid and imported some German Social-Democratic ideas re. Lassalle's cult, then shut it again until his own death.

[ComradeOm]

I did look into the God Builders a few years ago (simply because their name intrigued me) but I can't recall finding anything of substance. AFAIK it was pre-revolution current largely centred around Lunacharsky, Gorky and Bogdanov that, as you say, attempted to create some sort of bizarre socialist/scientific religion. (The mechanical/science aspect being the attraction to Bogdanov, who may not have been a core member). I'm fairly sure that the group had lapsed into irrelevancy/inactivity by 1914

After 1917 it may have re-emerged (minus Gorky and nominally Lunacharsky) on the fringe of Proletkult but was pretty much swimming against the atheist tide at that point. Its most lasting influence was probably the role of Lunacharsky in the deification of Lenin

Unfortunately that's all that I can recall. There is no one work on the subject so this has been cribbed from odd references here and there. Probably a reflection of its overall importance

[DaringMehring]

Lenin polemicized against God-building, you might want to check that out.

[ComradeOm]

Lenin polemicized against God-building, you might want to check that out.I wouldn't take that too seriously, Lenin polemicised against everyone. Still, if interested then the relevant work is Materialism and Empirio-criticism (http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1908/mec/index.htm). Largely directed against Bogdanov and his 'Machism'