Religion Commons^™

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

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

The Assault On Protestants And Other Minority Faiths In Russian-Occupied Ukraine, Mark R. Elliott

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 Russian forces have been responsible for damaging or destroying at least 660 churches and other religious structures, including at least 206 belonging to Protestants.1 The largest number of Protestant churches damaged or destroyed have been Pentecostal (94), Evangelical Christian-Baptist (60), and Seventh-day Adventist (27).2 And what Russians have not destroyed or seized they have closed and banned for purposes of worship.3 For example, in the portions of the Luhansk Region under Russian and pro-Russian separatist control not a single Protestant church remains open for worship, and in Russian-occupied Donetsk Region, only …

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 …

Ecumenical Dialogue Between Reformers And Orthodox Under The Ottomans (15-16th Century), Svetoslav Svetoszarov Ribolov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Despite the capture of Constantinople by the Ottomans in 1453, the Orthodox Church continued to make contacts with the West. In the 15^th and 16^th centuries, Patriarchs Joasaph II and Jeremias II had ecumenical contacts and theological dialogues with two generations of Reformers. Martin Luther and Melanchthon, and later Martin Crusius, Jakob Andrеä, and their associates in Wittenberg took up the initiative for a serious ecumenical dialogue with Constantinople. Despite a sincere desire on both sides, lack of a common methodological framework in the talks did not allow for significant results. In the end, both sides did not …

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 …

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

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

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 …

Georgian Orthodoxy: Navigating The Middle Eastern Landscape, Leons Gabriels Taivans

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This paper explores the complex sentiments among Georgian Orthodox believers, who simultaneously exhibit unwavering allegiance to the "spiritual power" of former imperialistic Russia alongside discontentment due to its military aggression. The author contends that the prevailing scholarly perspective is incomplete, stemming from a Eurocentric approach, and advocates instead for a broader consideration of Georgia, along with Azerbaijan and Armenia, within the cultural milieu of the Middle East rather than the European context. In the Middle Eastern cultural sphere, characterized by Islam, distinctions between secular and religious realms are blurred—a feature similarly reflected in Georgian Orthodox Christianity. Shaped by historical encounters …

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 …

Calendar Reforms In Ukrainian Orthodoxy, Nataliia Ishchuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The study provides a brief retrospective and the current state of the calendar issue in Ukrainian Orthodoxy. To achieve this, the attitude towards the calendar issue of those Orthodox Ukrainians who, in certain historical periods, lived in Ukrainian territories as part of European states and the Russian Empire, is examined. The ideological discourse of the calendar reform during the existence of the Soviet Union is outlined. Special attention is given to the calendar issue in Independent Ukraine. The reasons, main stages, features, and difficulties of the current transition of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to the new Julian calendar are systematized. …

When Traditions Meet: The Case Of Georges Florovsky, Adolf Von Harnack, And Jaroslav Pelikan, Theodor Avramov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The author examines the relationship and mutual influences of Georges Florovsky, Adolf von Harnack, and Jaroslav Pelikan as a path towards approaching the majority of the history of Christianity in a methodological key. An interesting figure emerging from the research is that of Nikolay Glubokovsky, who spent the last part of his life in Bulgaria and through whom the previously mentioned authors came into contact. An argument is provided towards a more personal approach towards historical scholarship and Pelikan is suggested as acting as the figure allowing for the disagreements between Florovsky and Harnack to be creatively brought together and …

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.

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 …

Russia: Freedom Of Religion And Belief Monitoring Group Ordered Closed, Felix Corley

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

"A Moscow court has ordered the liquidation of one of Russia's leading organizations monitoring freedom of religion or belief violations in Russia and Russian-occupied Crimea, as well as nationalism and xenophobia. On 27 April, Moscow City Court approved the Moscow's Justice Department's suit claiming that the Moscow-based SOVA Centre for Information and Analysis should be closed down because it held events outside Moscow."

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 …