Christianity Commons^™

Social Mission Of Orthodox Churches In The Conditions Of 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine, Vitalii Turenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article reveals the peculiarities and specifics of the implementation of the social mission of key domestic Orthodox denominations in the context of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. The key aspects of providing assistance and support to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (hereafter OCU) and Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Hereafter UOC) for both the military and the civilian population were analyzed. Differences in the provision of aid between the Orthodox churches were revealed: if the former helps through volunteers by providing and purchasing weapons, the latter is limited to the purchase of transport, the provision of basic necessities and food and …

Manipulative Christianity: (Pseudo) Historical And Cultural Codes In The Concept Of "Russian World", Oleksandr Lukyanenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article illustrates the formation of the idea of the “Russian world” in the religious discourse of Orthodox Russia. The study summarizes the data on the use of ideological stamps by the Patriarch of Moscow Kirill during sermons with the aim of forming support for Vladimir Putin’s policies. The research cites examples of dirty propaganda, falsification of history, falsification of historical facts in religious and political battles in the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Kirill Gundyaev continued to assert the line of the President of the Russian Federation regarding non-recognition of the separateness of the Ukrainian people, assertion of its …

Finnish Response To Nato - Views From The Evangelical Lutheran Church And Christians In Finnish Politics, Miro Leporanta

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Excerpt:

Finland placed an application for NATO in May of 2022, together with Sweden, with whom Finland’s foreign policy goals had been aligned for years.

Finnish Christianity and Finnish Churches have offered a variety of responses to the end of Finland’s non-military alignment. Of historical institutions in Finland, the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church (hereafter FELC) has a prominent social influence and is regarded as an institution that represents that country's values. This applies to Finnish defense policy as well. The church is a prominent player in the Finnish army and conscript service. On the FELC website, the Church states that: …

The Security Dimensions Of Religious Life In Ukraine: A Focus On Orthodoxy In The Cross-Border Chernivtsi Region, Oleksandr Brodestkyi, Iryna Horokholinska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes the modern tendencies in the religious space of Ukraine with a focus on the processes that are taking place in Orthodoxy in the context of transformations in the self-identification of the faithful. Changes in the jurisdictional affiliation of the Orthodox communities in Ukraine are taken into account. The dynamics of these processes are analyzed against the background of the full-scale war that Russia has unleashed and is waging against Ukraine. Special attention is paid to the situation in Chernivtsi border region, in particular, from the point of view of the Ukrainian-Romanian geopolitical and church relationships. A number …

Attitudes Of Major Religious Organizations In Ukraine To Abortion And Reproductive Medicine, Kateryna Karpenko, Alla Guzhva

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The attitude of the largest religions of Ukraine to reproductive medicine is determined by a variety of practical approaches, which are still in process of change between the rather strict negative official position of major religious organizations of Ukraine, on the one hand, and a rather liberal approach to reproductive medicine in secular legislation of Ukraine. The harsh negative official position of the main religious organizations of Ukraine to surrogacy and abortions is presented in a joint document adopted by the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations. While the diversity of practical approaches of these organizations is represented by …

Putin's Invasion Of Ukraine: What's Religion Got To Do With It?, Mark R. Elliot

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Summary

• As of February 24, 2022, as Russian air strikes, missiles, and tanks began pouring into an outmatched Ukraine, the Byzantine calculus of symphonia, of a mutually interdependent church and state, devolved into an unholy alliance joining at the hip a predatory Putin and a sycophantic Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kyrill.
• Especially over the past decade Patriarch Kyrill has tied the fate of his church to that of his patron Putin, the same tragic mistake made by the same church in its defense of tsarist Russia in its death throes.
• Since his accession in 2009, and emphatically since Russia’s moves against …

Chronology Of Church-Related Public Statements On The Russian War Against-Ukraine War, (February 25-March 16, 2022), Mark R. Elliott

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Best Practices In Protestant Aid For Ukrainian Refugees: 2022, Mark R. Elliott

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Excerpt: "Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, dramatically accelerated Moscow’s military campaign against its southwestern neighbor which had begun in 2014. This unprovoked invasion managed to generate an equally dramatic displacement of Ukrainian civilians, some 13.5 million and counting.

"Paradoxically, the humanitarian response has been both phenomenal and inadequate. It has been phenomenal in its prodigious marshalling of resources and in its determination to alleviate enormous human suffering, calling forth impulses of generosity on a massive scale on the part of the UN, the EU, numerous individual European and North American governments, businesses, foundations, relief and development …

Nato And The Swedish Churches: Dealing With Defence Policy In The Midst Of A European Crisis, Erik Sidenvall

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Excerpt: "Just like the rest of the population, Swedish Christians remain fundamentally divided in their opinions about the best way to arrange Sweden’s relationship to NATO. But the responses on the part of the churches also seem to hark back to bygone ages. National defense and foreign policy remain, in a country for centuries fundamentally shaped by Lutheran doctrine concerning the division between faith and politics, a matter for the political realm. A tense and potentially threatening geopolitical situation tends to reinforce long cherished views."

Haynes' "The Battle For Bonhoeffer: Debating Discipleship In The Age Of Trump" (Book Review), Craig Rosenbeck

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Interview With Orville And Marilyn Winters, Cherice Bock, Ralph Beebe

War & Conscientious Objection in Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1940-1975

Orville Winters discusses how he registered for the draft as a noncombatant. His wife Marilyn discusses how her brother Arnold Lee was a conscientious objector.

Interview With Phil Thornburg, Cherice Bock, Ralph Beebe

War & Conscientious Objection in Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1940-1975

Phil Thornburg talks about registering for the draft during the Vietnam War as a conscientious objector and how his decision was influenced by his childhood in Burundi.

Interview With Rick And Laurie Comfort, Cherice Bock, Ralph Beebe

War & Conscientious Objection in Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1940-1975

Rick Comfort discusses being a high schooler during the Vietnam War and being on the Air Force after the war, during the war in Grenada, and how he never held a gun. He also talks about his childhood in Bolivia and how it influenced his actions in the Air Force.

Interview With Sam Farmer, Cherice Bock, Ralph Beebe

War & Conscientious Objection in Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1940-1975

An interview with Sam Farmer about his attitude toward military service as a young man during the Korean War, and about his religious upbringing in Greenleaf, Idaho.

Interview With Gordon Crisman, Cherice Bock, Ralph Beebe

War & Conscientious Objection in Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1940-1975

Gordon Crisman talks about he originally registered for the draft as a 1-A before he became a Christian, but after he attended George Fox he made to decision to do alternative service instead.

Interview With Steve And Glenda Gilroy, Cherice Bock, Ralph Beebe

War & Conscientious Objection in Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1940-1975

Steve and Glenda Gilroy reflect on their life during the Vietnam War. Specifically, Steve talks about being drafted as a conscientious objector and how being stationed as an orderly in a hospital helped him realize what he wanted as a future career. Glenda reflects on conversations she had with her father and brother during the war and how her upbringing influenced what she thought about conscientious objectors.

Interview With Ron Stansell, Cherice Bock, Ralph Beebe

War & Conscientious Objection in Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1940-1975

Ron Stansell discusses how he registered as a conscientious objector for the draft. He talks about how his childhood and his faith influenced his decision. Furthermore, he talks about his life as a missionary in Bolivia and how he met his wife, Carolyn, through this whole process.

Interview With Dwight Kimberly, Cherice Bock, Ralph Beebe

War & Conscientious Objection in Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1940-1975

Dwight Kimberly reflects on how he registered for the draft during the Vietnam War as a conscientious objector. He also talks about his experiences serving in a troubled boys home as he worked there to qualify for alternative service.

Camosy's "Beyond The Abortion Wars: A Way Forward For A New Generation" (Book Review), Joseph Baumstarck

The Christian Librarian

No abstract provided.

Interview With Howard Macy Part 1, Cherice Bock, Ralph Beebe

War & Conscientious Objection in Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1940-1975

Howard Macy describes how he registered for the draft as a conscientious objector, and how his faith influenced his decision.

Interview With Dan Nolta, Cherice Bock, Ralph Beebe

War & Conscientious Objection in Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1940-1975

Dan Nolta discusses how he registered for the draft as a non-combatant, and how his faith influenced his decision and later his career choices.

Interview With Divonna Crecelius, Cherice Bock, Ralph Beebe

War & Conscientious Objection in Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1940-1975

Divonna Crecelius discusses her husband, Ron, and his experience serving in World War II before he became a Christian. She talks about how he was called to serve during the Korean War as an assistant chaplain.

Interview With Gerald Lemmons, Cherice Bock, Ralph Beebe

War & Conscientious Objection in Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1940-1975

Gerald Lemmons reflects on how he registered during the Korean War as a regular combatant and not a conscientious objector.

Interview With Bill Rourke Part One, Cherice Bock, Ralph Beebe

War & Conscientious Objection in Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1940-1975

Bill Rourke reflects on how he registered for the draft as a conscientious objector. He also talks about how he served as an orderly at St. Luke's Hospital in Boise, Idaho as alternative service.

Interview With Elmer Baron, Cherice Bock, Ralph Beebe

War & Conscientious Objection in Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1940-1975

Elmer Baron discusses how he registered for the draft as a normal combatant, and he talks about what it was like serving at Iwo Jima as a radio and radar technician.

Interview With Gertrude Ankeny, Cherice Bock, Ralph Beebe

War & Conscientious Objection in Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1940-1975

Gertrude Ankeny discusses her husband's choice to be a conscientious objector, as well as reflecting on what other family members choice to register as.

Interview With Paul Morse, Cherice Bock, Ralph Beebe

War & Conscientious Objection in Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1940-1975

Paul Morse talks about how he registered for the draft in between the Korean and Vietnam War as a conscientious objector and how his faith heavily influenced his decision.

Interview With Sam Morse, Cherice Bock, Ralph Beebe

War & Conscientious Objection in Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1940-1975

Sam Morse discusses his views on being a conscientious objector. He talks about how he served for a year and how he still supported the war effort even though he never carried a gun.

Interview With Verne Martin, Cherice Bock, Ralph Beebe

War & Conscientious Objection in Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1940-1975

Verne Martin talks about conscientious objectors versus non-combatants as he walks through what the drafting process was like for him. He also discusses why he calls himself "the most non-pacifistic Quaker that ever lived."

Interview With John Lyda, Cherice Bock, Ralph Beebe

War & Conscientious Objection in Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends, 1940-1975

John Lyda talks about his religious and familial influences that persuaded him to register as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War. He also discusses how his two sons serve in the military and how their experience in the Quaker church differs from his own.