Stefan Tsankov And Orthodox Ecumenical Theology: Foundations, Grammar And Reception,
2026
Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski"
Stefan Tsankov And Orthodox Ecumenical Theology: Foundations, Grammar And Reception, Ioannis Kaminis, Nikos Kouremenos
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
This paper examines the life, theology, and ecumenical legacy of Protopresbyter Dr. Stefan Tsankov (1881-1965), a leading Bulgarian Orthodox theologian and one of the earliest Orthodox pioneers of the modern ecumenical movement. Situating Tsankov within the broader trajectory of twentieth-century Orthodoxy, the study traces his biographical formation, academic career, and active participation in key inter-Christian and inter-Orthodox forums, including the Faith and Order and Life and Work movements. Particular attention is given to his theological “grammar” of ecumenism: a vision grounded in the catholicity of the Church, the inseparability of unity and doctrinal truth, and an irenic ethos marked by …
The Human Rights Argumentation Of The Uoc-Mp As A Strategy Of Institutional Self-Preservation Under Conditions Of Armed Aggression,
2026
Heidelberg University
The Human Rights Argumentation Of The Uoc-Mp As A Strategy Of Institutional Self-Preservation Under Conditions Of Armed Aggression, Mariia Rudiuk, Valeriy Bulatov
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
The article examines the strategy of institutional self-preservation employed by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) under conditions of Russian armed aggression. The relevance of the topic is determined by the adoption of Law of Ukraine No. 3894-IX “On the Protection of the Constitutional Order in the Sphere of Activities of Religious Organizations,” aimed at limiting the influence of religious structures affiliated with the aggressor state. Particular attention is devoted to the ways in which the UOC-MP utilizes democratic legal mechanisms and European human rights rhetoric in order to delay or neutralize Ukraine’s national security measures. The …
Use Of Courts By The Totalitarian Regime Against Protestant Communities In Ukraine,
2026
Hryhoriy Skovoroda University in Pereyaslav, Ukraine
Use Of Courts By The Totalitarian Regime Against Protestant Communities In Ukraine, Oksana Vysoven, Natalia Varadi, Yurii Fihurnyi, Ganna Kriukova
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
This article analyzes the use of the courts by the totalitarian regime against Protestant communities in Ukraine. It has been established that the show trials held in the 1960s–1980s against the leaders and active members of the Council of Churches of Evangelical Christian Baptists, which opposed the totalitarian regime, and against ordinary believers in Protestant communities were conducted according to the plan of atheistic campaigns by officials of the communist regime and were organized by the repressive special services of the State Security Committee and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It has been established that the trials led to the …
The Theological Tradition Of The Orthodox Church In The Aspect Of The Formation Of Military Leadership In Ukraine,
2026
State University of Trade and Economics, Kyiv
The Theological Tradition Of The Orthodox Church In The Aspect Of The Formation Of Military Leadership In Ukraine, Olga Dobrodum, Andrii S. Zborchyi, Tetyana Kondratyuk-Antonova, Oleksandr L. Kolomiiets
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
Analysis of the Orthodox theological tradition as a moral foundation for military leadership in the Armed Forces of Ukraine during the full-scale war. The study moves beyond pragmatic managerial models, exploring Orthodox categories such as service (diakonia), sacrifice, and spiritual warfare. Drawing on patristic heritage and modern theologians, the authors examine leadership motivation, the role of faith in professional resilience, and the integration of Orthodox anthropology into military training. Special emphasis is placed on the Orthodox Church of Ukraine's chaplaincy as a key mechanism for actualizing these values while addressing challenges like secularism and multiconfessionalism.
Religious Situation In Ukraine: Main Trends And Prognostic Visions,
2026
Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine
Religious Situation In Ukraine: Main Trends And Prognostic Visions, Olena Predko, Denys Predko, Ihor Maksymenko
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
The contemporary religious situation in Ukraine is characterized by the resilience of religious institutions despite the full-scale war and destruction of infrastructure, which demonstrates a high level of nominal religiosity and the social significance of religion. At the same time, a profound structural transformation of the Orthodox field is underway, reflecting processes of national identification, security, and the delegitimization of pro-Russian structures. In parallel, there is a shift in religiosity from a mobilizational to a reflective, individualized form, in which faith performs psychological, meaning-making, and symbolic functions rather than mere institutional affiliation. At the same time, the post-war period retains …
Book Review: Rev. Jacek Urban, Archidiecezja Krakowska W Latach 1925-2025. Szkice Historyczne [The Archdiocese Of Kraków In 1925-2025: Historical Sketches],
2026
Jesuit University of Philosophy and Education Ignatianum
Book Review: Rev. Jacek Urban, Archidiecezja Krakowska W Latach 1925-2025. Szkice Historyczne [The Archdiocese Of Kraków In 1925-2025: Historical Sketches], Filip Mazurczak
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
A review of Rev. Jacek Urban, Archidiecezja Krakowska w latach 1925-2025. Szkice historyczne [The Archdiocese of Kraków in 1925-2025: Historical Sketches], (Kraków: Księgarnia Akademicka, 2026), 416 pages, 60 PLN. ISBN 9788383684239.
The Canonical-Legal Status Of Autocephaly And Autonomy In The Context Of Pan-Orthodox Dialogue,
2026
Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”
The Canonical-Legal Status Of Autocephaly And Autonomy In The Context Of Pan-Orthodox Dialogue, Ivan Yovchev
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
Historical procedures for granting autonomy and autocephaly are not strictly standardized in canonical law and often rely on local traditions, agreements, and specific historical-political circumstances. This leads to a diversity of practices – from unilateral tomoses (decrees) of autocephaly issued by the mother church to decisions supported by a broader pan-Orthodox consensus. At the pan-Orthodox level, the question of how new autocephalous and autonomous churches are proclaimed has been under discussion since the Pan-Orthodox preparatory commissions of the 20th–21st centuries. Preparatory documents envisage the need for a pan-Orthodox agreement, with autocephaly to be granted through a tomos signed by the …
Italian Missionary Activities In Georgia: Historical Legacy And Modern Inter-Religious Dialogue,
2026
Caucasus International University
Italian Missionary Activities In Georgia: Historical Legacy And Modern Inter-Religious Dialogue, Zaza Tsotniashvili
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
This article examines the historical development, cultural contributions, and contemporary significance of Italian missionary activities in Georgia spanning seven centuries, from medieval Catholic presence through the traumatic Soviet period to the post-independence revival. Drawing upon Georgian, Italian, and Vatican archival sources, including the manuscripts of Arcangelo Lamberti, Cristoforo de Castelli, and Michel Tamarati, the study provides comprehensive analysis of Italian Catholic missionaries' multifaceted engagement with Georgian society. The research demonstrates that Italian missionaries, particularly members of the Theatine, Capuchin, and Augustinian orders, played roles extending far beyond religious evangelization, functioning as diplomatic intermediaries, medical practitioners, linguistic documentarians, ethnographic observers, and …
Religious Transformation Of Crimea Amid Geopolitical Changes: From Pluralism To Totalitarian Control (2000–2026),
2026
Mykhailo Dragomanov Ukrainian State University
Religious Transformation Of Crimea Amid Geopolitical Changes: From Pluralism To Totalitarian Control (2000–2026), Volodymyr Zuikov
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
This article analyzes the radical transformation of the religious landscape of the Crimean Peninsula in the context of geopolitical changes and “hybrid warfare.” I conduct a comparative analysis of two chronological periods: the stage of Ukrainian sovereignty from 2000 to 2013, which was characterized by a high level of religious pluralism and interconfessional peace, and the period of Russian occupation from 2014 to 2024/2026, which was marked by a transition to a rigid hierarchical system of control. The scholarly novelty of the study lies in its detailed reconstruction of the mechanisms of the “hybrid absorption” of Protestant communities, including Baptists, …
Pentecostals In The Ukrainian Ssr During Collectivization And The Holodomor Of 1930–1933: Socio-Adaptive Survival Practices,
2026
Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University
Pentecostals In The Ukrainian Ssr During Collectivization And The Holodomor Of 1930–1933: Socio-Adaptive Survival Practices, Oleksandr Korotaiev
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
The article examines the social adaptation and survival practices of Pentecostal communities in the Ukrainian SSR under the conditions of forced collectivization, dekulakization, and the Holodomor of 1930–1933. Drawing on criminal-investigative case files of the GPU, top-secret Soviet security service documents, party and state decrees, and testimonies of contemporaries, the study reconstructs individual, family, and communal strategies employed by believers in response to systematic state violence. Particular attention is devoted to Pentecostal communities in the Odesa okrug, especially the village of Holma in the Balta district, where Soviet repressive policies manifested themselves through a combination of economic pressure, religious persecution, …
Faith Between Coercion And Freedom: Religious Policy, Repressions, And Cultural Memory In Ukraine From The Soviet Era To The Present,
2026
National Technical University of Ukraine "Ihor Sikorskyi Kyiv Polytechnic Institute", Ukraine
Faith Between Coercion And Freedom: Religious Policy, Repressions, And Cultural Memory In Ukraine From The Soviet Era To The Present, Andrii Fesenko, Illya Lukovenko
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
A comprehensive historical and religious studies analysis of the evolution of Church- state relations, repressive practices, and transformations of cultural memory in Ukraine from the Soviet era to contemporary wartime challenges. The mechanisms of Soviet "spiritual genocide" as an institutional prelude to the Holodomor are examined, accompanied by the destruction of religious infrastructure, confiscation of property, and deprivation of legal status of religious communities. The formation of the contemporary Ukrainian model of Church- state relations, which is grounded in the principles of religious pluralism, partnership, and the separation of Church and state as a direct antithesis to state-imposed totalitarian atheism. …
Gaffney Circuit Quarterly Conference Records, 1926-1927,
2025
Wofford College
Gaffney Circuit Quarterly Conference Records, 1926-1927, Gaffney Circuit Quarterly Conference
Methodist Local Church Records
Asbury, Gethsemane, Mespootamia, Sardis, Wilson's Chapel
Gaffney Circuit Quarterly Conference Records, 1915-1918,
2025
Wofford College
Gaffney Circuit Quarterly Conference Records, 1915-1918, Gaffney Circuit Quarterly Conference
Methodist Local Church Records
Asbury, Gethsemane, Mespootamia, Sardis, Wilson's Chapel
Gowensville Circuit Quarterly Conference Records, 1879-1882,
2025
Wofford College
Gowensville Circuit Quarterly Conference Records, 1879-1882, Gowensville Circuit Quarterly Conference
Methodist Local Church Records
Shiloh, Jacksons Grove, West Chapel, Liberty, Antioch
Edisto Circuit Quarterly Conference Records, 1883-1886,
2025
Wofford College
Edisto Circuit Quarterly Conference Records, 1883-1886, Edisto Circuit Quarterly Conference
Methodist Local Church Records
No abstract provided.
St. Paul Greenville Records, 1912,
2025
Wofford College
St. Paul Greenville Records, 1912, St. Paul Church, Greenville Circuit Quarterly Conference
Methodist Local Church Records
No abstract provided.
Gaffney Circuit Quarterly Conference Records, 1901-1904,
2025
Wofford College
Gaffney Circuit Quarterly Conference Records, 1901-1904, Gaffney Circuit Quarterly Conference
Methodist Local Church Records
Gethsemane, Asbury, Mesopotamia, Wilson's Chapel, Limestone Street, Beulah
Edisto Circuit Quarterly Conference Records, 1869-1878,
2025
Wofford College
Edisto Circuit Quarterly Conference Records, 1869-1878, Edisto Circuit Quarterly Conference
Methodist Local Church Records
No abstract provided.
Colleton Circuit Quarterly Conferece Records, 1847-1901,
2025
Wofford College
Colleton Circuit Quarterly Conferece Records, 1847-1901, Colleton Circuit Quarterly Conference
Methodist Local Church Records
No abstract provided.
Salem Church, Greenville Circuit Register Of Members And Church Conferences, 1883-1929,
2025
Wofford College
Salem Church, Greenville Circuit Register Of Members And Church Conferences, 1883-1929, Salem Church, Greenville Circuit Quarterly Conference
Methodist Local Church Records
No abstract provided.
