International and Area Studies Commons^™

Tenets Of Neoconservatism: Biological And Theological Versions Of Life And Gender In Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church, Aivita Putniņa

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The paper examines the tenets of neoconservatism in current Christian discourse. The notion of life that evolves around biology and procreation is seen as a marker of conservative argumentation. As Jordanova (1995) has argued, a shift in the ‘natural’ association of children with their mothers instead of their fathers occurred in the18th century due to a shift in perspective in life sciences and technology. The new model of procreation involving both parents and a biological, rather than theological, understanding of the process supports arguments that justify not ordaining women and taking anti-LGBTQ+ positions while simultaneously deleting its historical ties to …

"Ruskiy Mir" And "Ukrainskyi Svit": Ontological And Anthropological Antagonists, Liudmyla Fylypovych, Oksana Horkusha

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article focuses on a crucial issue of global interest--attempts of the Russian Federation to reformat the world according to the worldview model of the "Ruskiy mir." The paradigm of the "Ruskiy mir" assumes a system of values (ontological, anthropological, theological, and historiographical ideas and behavioral models) programmed by the entire russian history, as defined by russian culture, traditions, and the russian worldview. According to the "Russian worldview," the world should have a different structure, and the global international system should have a different format: Moscow (the Russian Empire and the Russian Federation) should be at the center of the …

Use Of The Council Of Religious Cults By The Totalitarian Regime To Fight Against Protestant Communities In Ukraine, Oksana Vysoven, Olga Shkolna, Alina Zadorozhnya, Yuriy Figurnyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes the use of the Council for the Affairs of Religious Cults in the fight against Protestant communities in Ukraine by the totalitarian government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. In the 1940s, the Council for the Affairs of Religious Cults, created by the order of J. Stalin, directed all of its activities to the unification of Protestant communities and their comprehensive subordination to the totalitarian government. In the 1950s and 1960s the Council for the Affairs of Religious Cults continued to successfully perform the registration, control, punitive, and repressive functions towards Protestant communities in Ukraine and …

Search For Resonance: The Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church’S Quest For Relevance And Resonance Amidst The Complexity Of Contemporary Societal Discourse, Jānis Meļņikovs

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This investigation examines the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church's role in Latvia's political debates, uncovering diverse opinions within the church on its public policy influence. Despite some members' active opposition and others' reluctance to engage in polarizing topics, the church steadfastly positions itself as a moral arbiter in society. Applying Hartmut Rosa's theories on public discourse and resonance, the study proposes the church as a place for deep, meaningful engagement with faith and society, where resonant experiences can foster individual and community well-being. Analysis of interviews illustrates the church's struggle to maintain its values in a modern, secular world, with individual …

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 Problem With The Performance Of Alternative Or Military Service Of Ukrainian Adventists In War Conditions, Valentyna Kuryliak Dr

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article discusses the lack of legal documentation faced by Ukraine in defending its borders and national interests, taking into account its historical experience. Attention is drawn to the issues encountered by Protestant churches, especially, but not exclusively, the Seventh-day Adventist Church. A proposal has been made to utilize the volunteer non-combatant potential of churches, regulating it legislatively without involving the Ukrainian court system. The question of alternative (non-combatant) service during mobilization and in times of war in Ukraine is analyzed. The author argues the necessity of preserving the right to alternative service for church members, which according to the …

Gendered Labor Division In The Evangelical Lutheran Church Of Latvia Through The Lens Of Gifts And Reciprocity, Māra Neikena, Gareth E. Hamilton

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article explores the concepts of 'gift's and 'reciprocity' within anthropological literature and applies them to ethnographic fieldwork conducted within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia. In interviews, pastors and members of parishes used the word 'gift' to rationalize gender differences in performed tasks and assumed inherent abilities of men and women. The article aims to investigate the variety of reciprocity that takes place when informants refer to the idea of the 'gift' in various social contexts. Through qualitative interviews, analysis highlights that the gendered labor division in managing the 'household' of a parish is tied to a sense of …

(Non)Ordination Of Women In The Evangelical Lutheran Church Of Latvia: Response Of Partner Churches, Dace Balode, Valdis Tēraudkalns

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article uses archival sources and other materials to analyze opinions in order to reconstruct events and responses, and to reveal theological arguments used by various sides in the debates on the ordination of women within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (ELCL). The primary interest of authors has been to provide a comprehensive historical exposition. In studying historical documents, authors employ classical methods like identifying the origin and context of documents, as well as using generic, comparative, and content analysis. Secondly, authors are exploring how the issue of women's ordination has impacted the ELCL's relationships with its partners, and …

Religious Symbolism In Rhetoric Of Right Populist Parties, Serhii Kostiuchkov, Dmytro Garaschuk, Viacheslav Serhieiev, Kateryna Volkova

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article explores the use of religious symbolism in the populist rhetoric of Poland's Law and Justice (PiS) party and Hungary's Fidesz party. Both parties leverage historical and cultural narratives emphasizing Christianity's role in their national identities to legitimize their political agendas and mobilize support. The study examines how these populist leaders incorporate religious imagery and language to create a moral dichotomy between the “righteous people” and the “corrupt elite,” thereby deepening societal divisions and undermining democratic governance. In Poland, the PiS party's close alignment with the Catholic Church reinforces its nationalist and anti-EU stance, while in Hungary, Fidesz employs …

When Local Meets Global: Siberian Khanty Religious Traditions In The Everchanging World, Elena Glavatskaya

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article focuses on the ethnic history and religious traditions of the Khanty (formerly known as Ostiaks), a Finno-Ugric people dwelling in the north of Western Siberia and its responses to the global influences. With 40 other widely dispersed small peoples of the Russian North and Siberia, they are classified as aboriginal small-numbered people of the North and Siberia. The last three decades of their ethnic history was marked by a stormy process of ethnic and religious mobilization started in the context of the environmental crisis of the 1980-90s, which threatened their traditional land use. This article aims to analyze …

“Under The Influence Of Soviet Reality”: The Life And Work Of The Kgb Agent “Goroshko” (Chief Bishop Of The Pentecostals Of The Ussr Gavril Ponurko), Oleksandr Korotaiev

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article attempts to describe, based on top secret OGPU-KGB materials, the life and work of a KGB agent, a major Pentecostal authority, chairman, and later Chief Bishop, of the All-Ukrainian (in fact, of the all-USSR) Council of Christians of the Evangelical faith, aka Pentecostals (AUCCEF), Gavril Gavrilovich Ponurko (1889–1978). The article presents interesting, previously unknown, facts from the life of Gavril Ponurko, describes his life milestones and the reasons that led Ponurko to cooperate with the special services. The article also cites the dogmatic teaching of Pentecostals in relation to the Soviet and Nazi authorities, approved by them in …

Persecution Of Clerics In Shida Kartli During The First Years Of Soviet Occupation, Giorgi Sosiashvili Prof. Dr., Aleksandre Mgebrishvili Prof. Dr.

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the profound impact of Bolshevik repression on Georgian society following the establishment of the Soviet regime in 1921, focusing particularly on the Orthodox Church and other religious communities. The Bolshevik government implemented a series of oppressive measures, including the closure of over a thousand churches and the systematic persecution of clergy, drastically reducing their numbers from thousands to just a few dozen. Key documents, such as Decree #22, exemplify the state’s efforts to strip the Church of legal rights and property, thereby eradicating its influence. The article highlights the formation of the "Union of the Godless," a …

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 …

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. …

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 …

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 …

Religious Issues In The Journal "Ukrainian Life" (1912-1917), Olga Polumysna, Mariia Bobro

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article establishes that at the beginning of the 20th century, the journal Ukrainskaia Zhizn became a reliable and unbiased source of information about the social-political and religious life in Ukraine. The reports published in the journal make it possible to state that through the mediation of Russian priests, the authorities imposed the use of the Russian language while holding services in Ukrainian churches. Besides, it is ascertained that those priests who advocated the Ukrainian national idea, the spreading of the Ukrainian language in all spheres of life, who upheld the Ukrainian issue in various state institutions were humiliated and …

Still Sticking To The Big Brother: History, German Protestantism, And The Ukrainian War, Katharina Kunter

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

It has often been revealed, in the great historical upheavals of contemporary history, that a quick, situational ad-hoc assessment and reaction is not the strength of German Protestantism. This was the case after the collapse of Imperial Germany (Kaiserreich) and the sovereign church regiment (Landesherrliches Kirchenregiment; summus episcopus) in 1918, as well as after the end of the Second World War, when German Protestantism was long at odds with democracy and Adenauer's ties to the West.4 The Peaceful Revolution in the GDR in 1989 (during the civic uprisings of 1989/90 in the other Central European countries) also surprised the leaders …

Analysis Of The Contributions To The Statement On The War In Ukraine Of The World Council Of Churches 2022, Kia Peränen

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This essay is structured around a review and analysis of the statement "War in Ukraine, Peace and Justice in the European Region" discussed at the 11th General Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Karlsruhe, Germany in 2022 in Business Session 6. The material for the essay will include both the written statement and the related discussion that took place at the discussion on the topic. My intention is to draw on both the statement and the discussion to highlight strong and useful points, but also to try to bring to the surface the weaker or somewhat flawed arguments …

Fooling The West: Top-Secret Work Of The Kgb Manipulating Protestants Of The Ussr Regarding Religions Outside The Ussr, 1954-1957, Oleksandr Korotaiev

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article presents the issue of the use of the Protestant clergy by the Soviet special services in matters of intelligence and counterintelligence work abroad and among the Baptist World Alliance delegations that visited the USSR in the 1950s. The article contains the names of KGB agents and their secret pseudonyms and describes for the first time the specific areas of their intelligence work, which they conducted under religious cover in the interests of the KGB, the Soviet regime abroad, and in the USSR. The article also publishes excerpts from a top-secret KGB document (“Measures to strengthen the intelligence and …

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: …

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 …

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, …

Frontmatter (Volume 43, Issue 4), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

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 …

Christian Denominations On The Territory Of Ukraine In The First Half Of The 20th Century (1900-1939), Fedir Prodanyuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article examines the state of Christian denominations in the territory of Ukraine in the first half of the 20th century. It has been established that the Christian religion occupied an important place in the life of Ukrainian society. However, the period of prosperity and oppression simultaneously fell in the first 40 years of the 20th century. The confessional policy of the Soviet Union, which came to replace the tsarist authorities, gave a limited privileged position for some Christian churches while creating harsh conditions for other denominations. As a rule, these were Protestant movements, but the Orthodox Church also experienced …