Pirmųjų baltų krikščionių sociopsichologinis paveikslas: problemos ir modeliavimo galimybės

ENThis article questions how and about whom the Balt convert in the Middle Ages reasoned, and what he experienced; what provisions revolved in the mind of the convert in Baltic society, while adopting a new religion and abandoning the old one, or seeing how society was changing and how the customs and religious experiences of Christians were penetrating into the domain of ancient customs and beliefs. It should be stated that religious experiences not only include psychological attitudes and psychological experiences of religious deities, but also reveal a manifestation of certain actions, which must be a witness to the vitality and importance of the dominating religion, with relevance to the convert. Conversion was determined (among other factors) by so-called irrational actions, which were regarded in the Middle Ages as miracles (miracles now arouse scepticism and mistrust in modern society, rather than creating a sense of religious experience). Usually irrational actions were determined by the conversion, which itself could be treated as neither rational nor irrational, while giving way to a realistic expression of the sacred moment. In terms of religious archetypes and reflection, attention should be drawn to two moments; the contemplation of the archetype's inner features, how they could reflect the inner self, or maybe well-established categories from the exterior suroundings were still pondered upon.The question arises whether the pagans on the east coast of the Baltic Sea perceived the Christian god as just another ordinary god, which could be accepted along with their already existing gods, or maybe henotcism existed in Baltic society before the adoption of Christianity. But these are only theoretical issues, which are discussed in the first part of the article. The second part of the article deals with psychological changes and stages in the forthcoming converts' reasoning. Seven of them are distinguished: 1) There is some doubt about what was believed until now as far as residence was concerned; 2) There are questions to which no clear answer could be provided; 3) There is an attempt to find an answer to the previously possessed doubts and the rejection of ancient customs; 4) New answers with convincing evidence are provided; 5) The gaps are gradually filled with new facts; 6) There is a consolidation of new facts, which do not cast any doubts on believing them; 7) Completely new issues are discussed that consolidate new and modern truths. It should be stated that the perception of what was understood about the Christian God and what needed to be followed in order to perceive God himself, were parallel in the first stages of christianisation in Baltic society. Since then, in order to adapt to the local conditions of the missions, missionaries explained Christian doctrine to local society as clearly as was possible and reasonable; but converts naively realised and perceived the stated truth in their own way, and the depth of their faith was hardly less. [From the publication]