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Frontmatter (Volume 44, Issue 4), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Frontmatter (Volume 44, Issue 3), Paul Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

The Conflict Of Orthodox Narratives In Ukrainian Society: Searching For A Methodology To Analyze The Religious Crisis, Hennadii Khrystokin, Vasyl Lozovytskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

As a result of the study, we were able to establish that the crisis of Ukrainian Orthodoxy is a conflict that has a clear linguistic and symbolic dimension. In order to analyze the conflict between Orthodox actors, it is advisable to use a critical-reflective methodology that allows for the analysis of both theological language and the tools that form this language. We have been able to establish that the Orthodox crisis in Ukraine reflects a conflict between the religious narratives and practices of the UOC and the OCU, the root cause of which is an internal crisis between the narratives …

The Experience Of Religious Organizations In The Formation And Development Of The Chaplaincy Movement In Ukraine, Oleh Sokolovskyi, Vadym Sluysar, Olha Hordiichuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The formation and development of relations between the Armed Forces of Ukraine and religious organizations, as well as the conditions and factors that influenced the formation of the institution of military chaplaincy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, were analyzed. It was determined that Russia's military aggression against Ukraine actualized the issue of urgent reform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The modernization of the Ukrainian army required not only structural changes in the military administration, the transition to NATO standards, but also the creation of qualitatively new conditions for meeting the religious needs of Ukrainian servicemen. With the beginning …

The Dynamics Of The Involvement Of The Georgian Orthodox Church In The Process Of European Integration: Perspectives, Transformations, And Challenges, Mariam Khakhutaishvili

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This paper explores the role of the Georgian Orthodox Church in the European integration process, considering historical, cultural, and political factors. Despite Georgia's explicit foreign policy objective of integrating into the European Union, the Church's stance exhibits a blend of both support and ambivalence. As a key symbol of national identity, the Church raises concerns regarding potential conflicts between its traditional values and contemporary Western values. Given its status as the most influential social institution in the country, the Church's position significantly shapes political discourse. This paper presents a nuanced perspective on the Georgian Orthodox Church's involvement in Georgia's foreign …

Frontmatter (Volume 44, Issue 2), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Pr Activity Of Muslim Organizations Of Ukraine (On The Example Of The Ramu “Ummah”), Oleh Sokolovskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The content and main directions of PR activities of Muslim religious organizations of Ukraine were analyzed (on the example of the RAMU “Ummah”). It was determined that it is characterized by the use of many resources and modern media technologies. PR activity has a multi-channel nature: through print and electronic media, as well as radio and television, although Internet resources, including social networks, prevail. An universal model of PR activities of Muslim organizations is the posting of general information on the basics of Islamic belief and features of religious practice, as well as digitized thematic literature, on electronic resources. The …

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 …

Analysis Of Public Media Discourses Of The Main Actors Of The Church Crisis In Ukraine, Hennadii Khrystokin, Vasyl Lozovytskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

By analysing the main public statements of the actors of the church crisis in Ukraine, we managed to identify their basic narratives, main discursive logics, power positions, hidden motives and interests that influence social processes. To do this, we used the techniques of narrative analysis of public discourses. The main actors (players, participants) in the church crisis are representatives of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (next - UOC) and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine (next - OCU), the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Russian Orthodox Church (next - ROC), government agencies, popular media, international and Ukrainian experts. Theological, political, state, and mass-media …

Frontmatter (Volume 44, Issue 1), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Sparking Pre-Service Teachers’ Self-Awareness Through A Strengths-Based Psychometric Tool: A Pilot Study In A Christian University, Lisa Devall-Martin Dr.

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

The pilot study outlined in this article aimed to explore the relevance and value of a strengths-based psychometric tool, Lumina Spark©, in a teachers’ education program. The study involved pre-service teachers from a Christian university and was conducted over a six-week winter teaching practicum. The psychometric assessment and workshop were designed to help pre-service teachers explore their personality and develop self-knowledge, social awareness, and stress management skills. The study found that the Lumina Spark© tool was effective in helping pre-service teachers understand their strengths and weaknesses and how they relate to others. The study also found that the tool helped …

Orthodoxy In Ukraine: Strategies Of Reconciliation, Tetiana Havryliuk, Yuriy Chornomorets, Vasyl Lozovytskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes the inter-Orthodox conflict in Ukraine in the context of the search for ways of reconciliation. The path to reconciliation is shown to be a fundamental Christian principle capable of overcoming serious reasons for enmity and hatred, as has been repeatedly demonstrated in history. The potential of the concept of "open Orthodoxy" in the formation of a new culture of inter-Christian dialogue and coexistence is revealed, the implementation of which can ensure Ukraine not only the unity of Ukrainian Orthodoxy, but also the unity of the Ukrainian people. The role of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious …

(Non)Synagogues In Slovakia, Peter Salner

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This paper uses archival and ethnological research to analyze the fates of former synagogues during two totalitarian regimes in present-day Slovakia. The processes described here were catalyzed by the Holocaust. Between 1938 and 1945, over 100,000 Jews from Slovakia were murdered. Out of the 228 Jewish religious communities (JRCs) active before the war, only 79 were reconstituted after liberation. Most were later disbanded because of aliyah to Palestine/Israel. Their abandoned synagogues passed into the administration of the newly founded Central Union of Jewish Religious Communities (CUJRC). During the Communist era (1948-1989), the majority of these synagogues were sold because the …

The Issue Of War In The Basic Social Concepts Of The Russian Orthodox Church And In The Compendium Of The Social Doctrine Of The Catholic Church: A Comparative Analysis, Olga Nedavnya

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The assessment by the Russian Orthodox Church of the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine as a holy war prompts to determine whether this position of this Church is determined by its theological recommendations on social life, recorded in the Basics of the Social Concept of the Russian Orthodox Church. The analysis of this current official document of the Russian Orthodox Church revealed that in the central part of its provisions, where the grounds for evaluating this or that war are given, there are references to the social doctrine of the Catholic Church. This fact led to the need …

Ban Of The Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate In Ukraine: Limitation Of Religious Freedom Or The Fight Against Russian Influence, Bohdan Synchak

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article reviews the activity of the Moscow Patriarchate in Ukraine and abroad, particularly in the EU and the USA. The main problem this study deals with is the probable ban of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC MP) in Ukraine, which is potential against the background of the consideration in the 2nd reading of draft law No. 8371, which refers to “impossibility of the activity of religious organizations in Ukraine, the management center (management) of which is located in the state that carries out armed aggression against Ukraine.” In the course of our review, the key question is whether …

Understanding Humans As Imago Dei: Implications For Curriculum And Pedagogical Choices, Beverley Elizabeth Norsworthy

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

After 15 years as a Christian school principal and 30 years in Christian teacher education, both initial and in-service, I have come to the conviction that a critical component of effective transformative Christian Education is a rich, biblically rooted understanding of humans as imago Dei which intentionally shapes curriculum and pedagogical choices. Rather than ‘having’, ‘bearing’ or ‘being made in’ the image of God, recent scholarship positions imago Dei as one’s vocation. We are being the image of God, it is our identity “rather than a capability or function” and therefore “we cannot lose it” (Imes, 2023, p. 54). When …

Book Review: Flourishing Together: A Christian Vision For Students, Educators, & Schools, Kevin Huinink

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

A review of Swaner, L. E., & Wolfe, A. (2021). Flourishing together: A Christian vision for students, educators, & schools. Eerdmans.

ISBN: 978-0-8028-7957-8, 310 pages

Could Ernest Boyer’S Foundational Perspective Of The Scholarship Of Teaching Help Save Faculty Librarians?, Douglas Wayman

The Christian Librarian

This is a recovery project for Ernest Boyer's scholarship of teaching as presented in Scholarship Reconsidered. It addresses a reinterpretation of Boyer’s scholarship of teaching promulgated by his Carnegie successor, Lee Shulman and popularized throughout the Academy. Serendipitously, that reinterpretation gave birth to what is now known as the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), which has undoubtedly benefitted the Academy. While this project focuses on the reinterpretation's ramifications for tenure-track academic library faculty who teach, it also argues that the foundational interpretation of Boyer's model could benefit the Academy at large, and that the two interpretations are not mutually …

Assessing Spiritual Formation: Perceptions Of Challenges And Successes, Amy H. Bagby, James Drexler

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

P-12 Christian schools are faced with the challenge of assessing spiritual formation. This research aims to understand the perceptions of spiritual formation assessment, describe the difficulties related to this form of evaluation, and make practical suggestions for next steps. Through survey and interview, we gained the perspective of individuals working in P-12 schools. Findings show that there are currently gaps and needs between: (1) mission and vision statements regarding spiritual formation and what is being practiced, (2) biblical integration both in content and in pedagogy, (3) godly relationships with students as an indispensable key in the formation of students spiritually, …

Ready Or Not: The Leadership Preparation Of Preservice Teachers At Christian Liberal Arts Institutions, Kelly A. Lenarz

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Teacher leadership is a component of teaching that exists from the beginning of a teacher’s career and continues to develop over the course of their career trajectory. Research on teacher leadership at the preservice level is limited, but it does speak to the consideration for the starting point of teacher leadership development to be within teacher preparation programs. This quantitative study examined the preparation of preservice teachers for leadership at Christian liberal arts institutions of higher education. One hundred student teachers completed an online survey to determine the relationship between teacher licensure area (elementary, secondary, K-12, and special education) and …

Sustaining The Growth Curve: How Christian Schools Can Sustain The Post-Covid Growth Surge, Jared B. Johnston

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Prior to the 2019-2020 school year, the Christian school movement as a whole was in decline. However, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a surge in enrollment growth to Christian schools across the country. While this is encouraging news, Christian school leaders must be cautious and work to sustain the current growth surge. To maintain the growth surge, Christian school leaders can implement financial and non-financial factors of sustainability. Financial factors of sustainability include budgeting effectively, developing strategic plans, forecasting economic futures, and adhering to sound financial practices. Non-financial factors include a vibrant biblical worldview and Christian culture, effective leadership, a conducive …

Frontmatter (Volume 43, Issue 9), Paul Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

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 …

Frontmatter (Volume 43, Issue 8), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

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 …

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 …

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. …

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 …

Instilling Biblical Dispositions In Faith-Based Teacher Education Programs, Jeff Wiesman

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

Education faculty understand the importance of emphasizing and assessing teacher candidates’ professional dispositions. While all educator preparation providers examine dispositions, should faculty in our community of Christian colleges and universities include a stronger emphasis on Biblically-based dispositions? This essay explores the beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and values Christian educators should embrace, including dispositions teachers should display in a public or private-school setting. Christians are called to conform to the image of Christ (Romans 8:28) and, therefore, they should exemplify the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:22) and the Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22). In addition, the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5), a service …