Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Inter-Orthodox Conflicts In Ukraine And The Movement To Unite Ukrainian Orthodox Churches In The 20th And 21st Century, Tetiana Havryliuk, Yuriy Chornomorets, Bogdan Gulyamov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

he article analyzes the historical conditions in which the movement towards independence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church took place. It is shown that the stages of formation of the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine coincided with the stages of the Ukrainian people's struggle for state independence. The role of P. Skoropadskyi's government in establishing Orthodox statehood and the idea of building a canonical Ukrainian church independent of the Russian Orthodox Church is revealed. It is shown that in the 40s of the last century two Ukrainian Orthodox churches were formed on the territory of Ukraine - the Autonomous Orthodox Church, …

The Estonian And Latvian Orthodox Churches Of The Moscow Patriarchate Before And After The Russian War In Ukraine, Priit Rohtmets, Valdis Teraudkalns

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

From the beginning of the Russian war in Ukraine the Baltic Orthodox churches subordinated to the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) have gone through considerable changes in their canonical status, but have also stood out with controversial public statements about the war.

In this article we analyse how the Orthodox churches of the Moscow Patriarchate have reacted to the Russian war in Ukraine and what have been the major canonical changes in Latvia and Lithuania. Additionally, we describe the most important narratives, which the churches have used when speaking about the ongoing war and pay attention to the reaction, which these …

Religion And Atheism In Everyday Day Life Of The Ukrainian Educators In The 1920s-1930s, Oleksandr Lukyanenko, Vitaly Dmytrenko, Vita Dmytrenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article illustrates the process of formation of the atheist worldview of Soviet citizens under the pressure of Bolshevik propaganda in the context of student-teaching communities of higher educational institutions of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. The study shows two poles of the life of teachers: the limit of involvement in the work in the societies of militant God-fighters and the marginal position of the believers with all the resulting negative consequences for the personality, which the atheistic totalitarian state tried to create for a person. Along with highlighting the state-wide patterns of the anti-religious struggle in the Ukrainian socialist …

Orthodoxy In The Face Of Contemporary Challenges: The Ukrainian Context, Olena Predko, Ihor Maksymenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article explores Orthodoxy in Ukraine as represented by the Orthodox Church of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. It also highlights the equivocal position of Filaret (Denysenko), who previously represented the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate and continues to attempt to influence the country's Orthodox configuration. Despite the inherently anti-war rhetoric espoused by the leaders of the Orthodox Churches, who view war as a manifestation of evil and violence, they each harbor unique motivations that shape their respective stances on the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. On one hand, their argumentation often relies on ethical principles derived from canonical …

Models Of Social Activity Of Protestant Churches In The Context Of Russia's Military Aggression Against Ukraine, Ihor Lutsan

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The main focus of our research intention is to outline constructive models of social activity of religious communities in the context of Russia-Ukraine war. The subject of the study is the Protestant denominations of Ukraine and their socially relevant activities, which today, having acquired a multi-vector orientation, are most clearly expressed and most noticeable in such forms: missionary work, charity, volunteer movement, in particular, assistance to the army; organizing and providing social services to individuals and groups in need of assistance to ensure their holistic development, and thus providing spiritually oriented social and psychological rehabilitation of military personnel, demobilized combatants …

Distortion Of Religious History In The Concept Of "Russian World", Oleksandr Lukyanenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article continues the series of research illustrating the formation of the idea of the “Russian world” in the religious discourse of Orthodox Russia. The main attention is paid to the ideological stamps used by the Patriarch of Moscow Kirill while preaching and giving public speeches. The study summarizes the idea of the monolithic “Holy Rus” with Moscow as a core-city developed to support Vladimir Putin’s annexationist geopolitical policy. The paper cites examples of falsification of historical facts in religious and political spheres applied with the intention to form a strong propaganda background in the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war. …

Review: Oliver Jens Schmitt, Biserica De Stat Sau Biserică În Stat? O Istorie A Bisericii Ortodoxe Române, Editura Humanitas, București, 2023, Csaba Szabó

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

A review of Oliver Jens Schmitt, Biserica de stat sau biserică în stat? O istorie a Bisericii Ortodoxe Române, Editura Humanitas, București, 2023. 457pp.

ISBN: 978-973-50-7919-2

Wcc's Statements On The War In Ukraine, Julia Matikainen

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article analyzes the Business Plenary Session 6 and the statement on the war in Ukraine related to the 11th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Karlsruhe, Germany, in August / September 2022. The theme of the assembly was "The Love of Christ Moves the World to Reconciliation and Unity." In the video and statement, the WCC takes a stance on the war in Ukraine. In my own article, I have examined the video and statement considering the course material and historical perspectives. I have sought to identify possible strengths and weaknesses in the video and …

Liturgical Items In The Churches Of The Pyriatyn Protopopy In The Second Half Of The 18th Century, Oleksandr Lukyanenko, Vitaly Dmytrenko, Vita Dmytrenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article, based on descriptions of church property, analyzes the state of provision of liturgical items in the parish churches of the Pyriatyn Protopopy (Archdiocese) as an ecclesiastical-administrative district of the Kyiv Metropolitanate. During the second half of the 18th century, there were 87 churches in 81 settlements under the rule of the Archpriest of Pyriatyn. The research found 19 names of things for worship described as church property of the churches of the Pyriatyn Archdiocese. We divide them into three categories. The first includes the clothes in which the priest was dressed during the liturgy, the second unites items …

The Czech Republic: From The Center Of Christendom To The Most Atheist Nation Of The 21st Century: Part Ii: The Martyred Church: The Clandestine Catholic Church (Ecclesia Silentii) In Czechoslovakia After Communism 1991-2021), Scott Vitkovic

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This manuscript consists of two parts, Part I. and Part II. Part I., written by the same author and titled "THE PERSECUTED CHURCH: THE CLANDESTINE CATHOLIC CHURCH (ECCLESIA SILENTII) IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA DURING COMMUNISM 1948 – 1991," was published in the January issue of the Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe (OPREE), ISSN: 2693-2148.2 It includes a brief historical overview and introduces the Clandestine Catholic Church (Ecclesia Silentii) in Czechoslovakia during Communism from 1948 to 1991. Part II. directly follows Part I. and continues with the following sections: Results, Discussion, Conclusion, and References. Part II considers the collapse of the …

The Pattern Of The Transformation Of The Religious Life Of The Armenian Diaspora In Ukraine: Conditions, Causes, Consquences, Iryna Haiuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article reveals the role of the Armenian Church in preserving the ethnic identity of Armenians in the diaspora on Ukrainian land. The transgression or adaptation of the religious and ecclesiastical sphere of Armenians to the new environment in Ukraine was a "soft" process, since it was a transition within a Christian society, and therefore not on religious, but on the confessional basis of "Own"/Christians, although "Others." The specifics of the mentality, general algorithms of migration and incorporation into the new socio-cultural environment determined the main aspects of the transition of the religious and ecclesiastical sphere of Armenians into the …

Frontmatter (Volume 43, Issue 2), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

The Repressive Policy Of The Soviet Totalitarian Authorities Towards The Evangelical Baptist Christians Of Ukraine, Oksana Vysoven, Larysa Kapitan, Yuriy Fihurnyi, Oleksii Lukashevuch, Ihor Haidaienko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The punitive and repressive machine of the totalitarian regime worked to destroy politically hopeless citizens of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and essentially religious people who made any sacrifices for the sake of their beliefs. A large part of them died in Stalin's concentration camps from diseases and malnutrition, as well as from difficult working conditions. Many prisoners were sentenced to be shot. Their families were harassed by law enforcement agencies, harassed in the press, at work. During the Khrushchev period, after the announcement of the anti-religious campaign and before the collapse of the Soviet Union, the children and …

Frontmatter (Volume 43, Issue 5), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Introduction To Open Letter To Ekd And Wcc, Katharina Kunter

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

While the WCC continues to focus on dialogue with the Moscow Patriarchate, the Conference of European Churches (CEC), which has often been in the shadow of the WCC, is moving in a different direction. CEC is increasingly and more visibly focusing on an "honest" church stocktaking, pushes the involvement of civil society actors, and is supporting political reform processes in Ukraine.3 This is a remarkably different approach from that taken by the WCC.

"War In Ukraine: Religious, Geopolitical And Cultural Dimensions Of Value-Worldview Clashes At The Beginning Of The 21st Century": International Theological Conference, Vladyslav Fulmes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

On June 15, 2023 Volyn Orthodox Theological Academy (Lutsk, Ukraine) held an international theological conference “WAR in UKRAINE: Religious, Geopolitical and Cultural Dimensions of Value-worldview Clashes at the Beginning of the 21st century”. Brief information about this international scientific conference is given.

Brief Observation Of The General Trajectory Of Western Media Coverage Of The Religious Situation In Ukraine, Petro Livak, Daniil Palij

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article attempts to analyze the general trajectory of Western media coverage of the religious environment in Ukraine. Recently, the religious situation in Ukraine has become one of the strategic issues of national security, since it is relevant and important in the light of not only the religious, but also the political context of Ukraine. The study examines the journalistic activity of Western publications about the religious transformations of Ukraine from 2019 to 2023. This encompasses the intensity of the rapid confessional changes in Ukraine, the style of the journalistic text under study, the intensity of their media representation, and …

Strategy And Tactics Of Soviet Security Bodies In The Fight Against Religion And Religious Communities On The Territory Of Ukraine, Olha Shakurova, Oksana Vysoven, Yuriy Figurnyi, Natalia Varodi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes the strategy and tactics of state security agencies in the fight against religion and religious Protestant communities on the territory of Soviet Ukraine. It was revealed that the communist totalitarian system, in order to maintain its dominant position in society and master fully the consciousness of its population and influence its spiritual life (strategic task), shortly after the end of the Second World War, in 1946 in the system of the newly formed Ministry of State Security of the Soviet Union of the Socialist Republics and its republican departments created new special operational departments endowed with extraordinary …

Information War In The Religious Sphere In The Context Of The "Battle" For The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, Bogdan Synchak, Yurii Yelisovenko, Svitlana Romanchuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The study examines the issue of non-religious activities of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) in the context of its involvement in the information war within the sphere of religion. It is based on a significant precedent for Ukrainian Orthodoxy concerning the expiration and non-extension of the contract by the Ministry of Culture with the UOC-MP for operation on the premises of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the architectural complex of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. Certain prerequisites for depriving the UOC-MP of the right to use the premises of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra are presented and analyzed. Separate photographs …

Frontmatter (Volume 43, Issue 1), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

The Czech Republic: From The Center Of Christendom To The Most Atheist Nation Of The 21st Century. Part 1. The Persecuted Church: The Clandestine Catholic Church (Ecclesia Silentii) In Czechoslovakia During Communism 1948-1991, Scott Vitkovic

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This research examines the most important historical, political, economic, social, cultural, and religious factors before, during, and after the reign of Communism in Czechoslovakia from 1918 to 2021 and their effect on the extreme increase in atheism and decrease in Christianity, particularly Roman Catholicism, in the present-day Czech Republic. It devotes special attention to the role of the Clandestine Catholic Church (Ecclesia Silentii) and the changing policies of the Holy See vis-à-vis this Church, examining these policies' impact on the continuing decline of Roman Catholicism in the Czech Republic after the collapse of Communism. The article also deals with Pope …

Media Coverage Of The Peacekeeping Activities Of Pope Francis' Support Of Ukraine In The Russian-Ukrainian Full-Scale War, Bogdan Synchak, Mariia Ovchar, Valentyn Shevchuk, Eleanora Tsurina

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The relevance of the study is due to the significance of the influence of Pope Francis’ peacekeeping activities as the head of the Catholic Church on global geopolitics. This influence is being actively implemented within the framework of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Thus, the study of the international diplomatic activity of the pontiff in the context of supporting Ukraine is aimed at establishing the features of the peacekeeping work of the Holy See. The study presents an analysis of news coverage on the stated issues in popular Ukrainian and foreign publications from December 2021 to October 2022. The Washington Post, Politico, …

The Adventist Development And Relief Agency In The Conditions Of War In Ukraine, Valentyna Kuryliak

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The study presents two positions of Ukrainian Adventists in relation to volunteer work in the conditions of war. The first position is professional, which involves the provision of charitable assistance to people from the Adventist Relief and Development Agency in Ukraine. Such charitable assistance is based on the principle of charity and is aimed solely at providing the necessary assistance to victims. The second position is to also assist the affected members of the Seventh-day Adventist Churches, as people who do not have professional volunteer training. With the second category of helping Adventists, a number of controversial issues tend to …

Russia’S False Claims To Holiness And Spiritual Superiority, Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Among the many reasons given by President Putin and Patriarch Kirill, the secular and spiritual heads of the Russian Federation, for waging a totally unnecessary yet exceedingly cruel war against Ukraine is that Ukraine is allegedly a front for the corrupt and voracious West which aims to partition Russia. These two and their retinue claim that their synthesis of holiness and moral superiority is destined to cleanse the world of decadence.

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 …

Representation Of Religious Minorities In Lithuanian Confessional Education, Iveta Klimavičiūtė

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article analyzes the situation of religious minorities in a Christian dominated sociopolitical environment in Lithuania through the confessional religious education (RE) system. Representation of religious minorities based on confessional model thus raises questions on majority and minority religions’ coexistence, whilst the latter neither legally, nor normatively experience such linkage with the State as majorified religion does. The empirical part of the study, based on content analysis of curricula and teaching aids, reveals that although tolerance of other religions is mentioned, there is also a visible hegemony of the Roman Catholic Church, and of Christianity in general. Non-traditional religious communities …

Belarus: Religious Freedom Survey, January 2023, Forum 18 Https://Www.Forum18.Org/Archive.Php?Article_Id=2806

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Forum 18's freedom of religion and belief survey analysis of Belarus notes continuing violations of this freedom and of interlinked freedoms. These include a web of "legal" restrictions on which communities can meet, where, who they are led by, and what literature they may use. These restrictions make the exercise of freedom of religion and belief dependent on state permission. Violations have worsened since fraudulent presidential elections in August 2020, and the regime's support for Russia's renewed invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.1

The War In Ukraine And Political Theology In Poland, Christopher Garbowski

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

In the broadest of terms, political theology can be defined as “the analysis of political arrangements (including cultural-psychological, social, and economic aspects) from the perspective of God’s ways with the world.”¹ Since the world changes, as do the politics accompanying them, political theology is of necessity a dynamic branch of the theological enterprise. The editors to the second edition of The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Political Theology note a number of such changes that justify the expanded second edition of their handbook, including—what is most pertinent for understanding political theology at present in Poland—“the discourse on religion and violence, …

Iron Curtain Of Fear: Theological Interpretations Of Data About Attitudes Of Christians Towards Refugees From Surveys In Central Europe, Michal Opatrný, Paul Michael Zulehner, Jozef Žuffa

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The study aims to combine the data from three different but mutually inspired surveys of theologians about attitudes and feelings of Christians towards the so-called refugee crisis in Europe in 2015. The study combines the data from surveys in German speaking countries and from Czechia and Slovakia and focuses on attitudes (defense, skepticism, welcome) and feelings (angry, worry, hope). Topics like authoritarianism or attending Sunday services show the connections between practicing of Christian faith and readiness to receive or reject refugees. In the second part the study offers an interpretation of the results from the combining of the data for …

Russian Orthodox Church As Apologist For The Current Russian Aggression, Valentyn Krysachenko, Alina Zadorozhnya, Yulia Lebedeva, Yuriy Figurnyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes the criminal character of the Russian Orthodox Church as an apologist for Russian imperial aggression. The concept of canonical territory is the ideological basis for the intervention of the Russian Orthodox Church in the internal affairs of independent states. Historically, the creation and growth of the network of the Russian Orthodox Church structures on its territory took place by illegal means, and the concept of canonical territory as a political trend was introduced in 1989 as a means of maintaining its own dominance in the post-Soviet states. The concept of “canonical territory” in the interpretation of the …