Eastern European Studies Commons^™

Macedonian Orthodox Church-Archbishopric Of Ohrid And Its Arduous Road To Autocephaly, Gjoko Gjorgjevski, Ruzhica Cacanoska, Ivan Blazhevski, Aneta Jovkovska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The aim of this paper is to examine the recent developments related to the Macedonian Orthodox Church–Archbishopric of Ohrid, the acceptance of the canonical status by the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and the conferring of status to autocephaly by the Serbian Orthodox Church in 2022. From the ecclesiological and the liturgical aspect, the MOC-OA is no longer in isolation and is part of the family of Orthodox churches through the restoration of Eucharistic communion. The final step, the granting of a Tomos by the Ecumenical Patriarchate is expected, which would make the MOC-OA the first by all recognized and accepted autocephalous church …

A Situation Of The Crimeans Diocese Of The Orthodox Church Of Ukraine In Russian Occupied Crimea (2014-2022), Andrii Ivanets, Iryna Krasnodemska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article is devoted to the situation regarding the Crimean Diocese of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine after the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation. It should be noted that Orthodoxy and Islam are the most common religions on the peninsula. The Crimean Diocese of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine is the largest and most prominent among the Crimean religious organizations. The authors highlight Russia's consistent discriminatory policy toward the Ukrainian Orthodox Church–Kyiv Patriarchate/the Orthodox Church of Ukraine on the temporarily occupied peninsula, which is aimed at their gradual but rigorous expulsion from Crimea. The methods of its implementation …

Focusing On Wounded Collective Identity: Toward A Regional Interpretation Of Religious Processes In Central And Eastern Europe, András Máté-Tóth

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Excerpt: "Defending the value system of Christian Europe, defending the nation with the help of God, and defending the nation against nationalism. Three recent statements from three different countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Such ideas and avowals lay the provocative groundwork to take a closer look to the points of connection between religion and security.

I have two theses to put forward, aiming to make them understandable and discussable. The first is that the region Central and Eastern Europe (hereafter CEE) can be appropriately interpreted in the theoretical framework of wounded collective identity. The primary marker of the region …

Attitudes Of Major Religious Organizations In Ukraine To Abortion And Reproductive Medicine, Kateryna Karpenko, Alla Guzhva

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The attitude of the largest religions of Ukraine to reproductive medicine is determined by a variety of practical approaches, which are still in process of change between the rather strict negative official position of major religious organizations of Ukraine, on the one hand, and a rather liberal approach to reproductive medicine in secular legislation of Ukraine. The harsh negative official position of the main religious organizations of Ukraine to surrogacy and abortions is presented in a joint document adopted by the Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations. While the diversity of practical approaches of these organizations is represented by …

Repressive Policy Of The Occupiers During Hybrid War Against Religious Communities Of Ukraine, 2014-2022, Oksana Vysoven, Yuriy Figurnyi, Valentyna Molotkina, Nina Brehunets

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes the repressive policy of the occupiers during the undeclared Russian-Ukrainian hybrid war against the religious communities of Ukraine in 2014–2022. It has been established that the “russian world'' is a neo-imperial, geopolitical, ideological doctrine aimed at the theoretical substantiation and practical restoration of the "great historical Russia" within the borders of the Russian Empire at the peak of its power in 1914. By way of the "russian world," an important "soft power" of the Kremlin, Russia first planned to capture the mental space of Ukraine and the brains of its citizens; then, if necessary, they would deploy …

Book Review: Ina Merdjanova, Ed. Women And Religiosity In Orthodox Christianity, Nadieszda Kizenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

A review of Ina Merdjanova, ed. Women and Religiosity in Orthodox Christianity (New York: Fordham University Press, 2021), 287 + xix pp., $35, ISBN: 9780823298617.

Between Oriental Orthodoxy And European Modernity: Georgian Orthodox Church, Market Economy, And Social Message, Leons Gabriels Taivans

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Excerpt: "This article aims to ask what the history of the Protestant ethic might contribute to our understanding of the contemporary relationship between Georgian Orthodoxy, economics, and capitalism. In doing so, we engage with a handful of retrospections that offer engagements with Weber regarding this interface. We begin with the key arguments advanced in The Protestant Ethic. Then we incorporate contemporary Pentecostalism into Weber's genealogical account of the rise of capitalist modernity. Thus, we hope to find parallels between twenty-first-century Pentecostalism and the seventeenth-century ascetic Protestantism as a sort of modernization paradigm.

The second part of the article is an …

Frontmatter (Volume 42, Issue 5), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church: Foundation And Beginnings In Post-War Germany, Vladyslav Fulmes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) met many obstacles regarding its activities from the Soviet and German occupation regimes. Due to persecution and oppression, the hierarchy and clergy of the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church decided to emigrate. Preserving the canonical episcopate, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church began a new stage of existence in emigration, ushering a new period of activity of UAOC. This study is relevant to modern historical science since the study and introduction into the scientific sphere of new archival documents and memoirs of contemporaries gives an opportunity to establish a coherent picture of the activities of the UAOC …

Church, State And Human In The Process Of Secularization, Metropolitan Luke (Andriy Kovalenko)

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article examines the processes of socio-cultural change under conditions of secularization. The conditions for the appearance of several secularization areas are considered, and the features of their formation and their current state are revealed. Analysis of the anthropological factor in the processes of secularization is carried out and its role in the process of desecularization is shown. Within the framework of secularization, there has been an expansion of the possibilities for a person to determine his or her understanding of the connection with God. As a result, a new socio-religious population stratum has formed: those who consider themselves believers, …

Landscape Design And Architecture Of Wooden Churches In Ukraine, Valentyna Kuryliak, Volodymyr Dudarets, Valeriy Bulatov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article examines the features of landscape design and architecture of wooden churches in Ukraine. Analysis of literary sources shows that the sacred wooden architecture of Ukraine is a source of inspiration for artists, art historians, writers, and other people interested in church buildings made of wood. During the research process, it was found that the natural landscape exactly complements the architecture of wooden temples, creating a natural environment for worshiping God. It is important to emphasize the following features, highlighted in the study of temple structures made of wood on the territory of Ukraine. First, the builders carefully selected …

Book Review: Anna Niedźwiedź And Kaja Kajder, Eds., Mapy Miasta: Dziedzictwa I Sacrum W Przestrzeni Krakowa / Maps Of The City: Heritages And The Sacred Within Kraków’S Cityscape., Christopher Garbowski

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The book Maps of the City is the result of an exhibition at The Seweryn Udziela Ethnographic Museum in Kraków that was held between November 2017 and February 2018. As the subtitle makes clear, the exhibition focused on the place of heritage and the sacred within Kraków’s cityscape, together with the relationship between the two, both for the city’s residents and visitors. The latter group includes pilgrims. The curator of the exhibition was Anna Niedźwiedź, a cultural anthropologist at Jagiellonian University and author of The Image and the Figure: Our Lady of Częstochowa in Polish Culture and Popular Religion (2010). …

Religious Beliefs Of World Boxing Champions As A Factor Of Influence On Ukrainian Society In The Context Of Social Responsibility, Bogdan Synchak, Petro Livak, Olga Kuvaldina

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The issue regarding the influence of mass media on the public consciousness is one of the priorities in the times of the digitalization of the information space. Great sports such as professional boxing are world-famous and have a wide resonance in the media. As a result, scientists are paying attention to the study of factors of influence that arise during the information coverage of sporting events. Religious beliefs are a conditional plane of differentiation of different worldview systems, but in the 21st century, they are harmoniously integrated into the colors of different cultures, nationalities, and states. Celebrities’ religious beliefs can …

Surzhyk, Andás Máté-Tóth

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Chronology Of Church-Related Public Statements On The Russian War Against-Ukraine War, (February 25-March 16, 2022), Mark R. Elliott

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Historical Burdens And The “German Sonderweg”: Why It Is So Difficult For The Protestant Church In Germany To Stand On The Side Of The Victims In The Ukraine War, Katharina Kunter

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Excerpt: "An Open Letter initiated by the German theologian Ellen Ueberschär and me to the Synod, the Council of the Protestant Church of Germany (EKD) and the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) was published the week before Pentecost.1 A broad spectrum of members of the Protestant Church in Germany signed the letter; so far around 90. These include many GDR Protestants who were formerly in the Christian opposition in the GDR and belonged to the civil rights movement of the Peaceful Revolution in 1989. From this circle, Marianne Birthler and Markus Meckel are perhaps the best-known …

Activities Of The Jehovah's Witnesses Organization As A "Litmus Test" For Religious Freedom In Ukraine, Roman Bogachev, Yana Tsymbalenko, Olena Leovkina, Igor Bogdanovskiy

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article deals with the history and present stage of activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization in Ukraine. The attitude and actions of a state and the majority of its population towards the activities of the Jehovists and other non-traditional religious communities is viewed as a “litmus test,” which reveals how successfully the principle of religious freedom and freedom of conscience is implemented in public policy. It is emphasized that, unlike during the Soviet period, when the Jehovists were persecuted for their beliefs and missionary work, a required legal framework for free development of this religion has been created in …

Religious Revival Of Pentecostals In The Occupied Territories Of Ukraine In 1941-1943, Anton Shchelkunov, Svetlana Karpova

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article studies the Pentecostal religious revival during the German occupation of the territory of the Ukrainian SSR. The study reveals that the Pentecostal religious organization, destroyed as a result of the Stalinist repressions, revived rapidly in 1941-1943. Analyzing the religious revival of Pentecostals, the authors of the article come to the following conclusions. 1)In the specific conditions of the Nazi occupation, an episcopal structure emerged among the Soviet Pentecostals, which is not otherwise characteristic of this religious movement. 2) At first, the occupation authorities were neutral or supportive of Pentecostals and did not interfere with the activities of Pentecostal …

The Level Of Accessibility Of Inclusive Design Of Christian Temples And Churches In Ukraine, Olga Polumysna, Oktyabrina Chemakina, Valeriy Bulatov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article explores the issues of accessibility of inclusive design of Christian churches in Ukraine. The principle of accessibility as the main element of inclusive design often causes a conflict of interests in modern Ukrainian society, as it requires changes in the existing state of affairs. To make the subject-spatial environment accessible not only in everyday life, production, but also in the Christian sacred environment is one of the primary tasks of inclusive design. Many Christian churches in Ukraine are not ready to accept people with inclusion since the conditions of accessibility are not met. One of the reasons is …

The Image Of Jehovah's Witnesses In State Publications In The Ussr, Roman Orlovskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The paper presents a description of the image of Jehovah's Witnesses in the anti-religious books of Soviet authors. A comparison is made of anti-religious books from the times of Nikita Khrushchev and Leonid Brezhnev. The main points that Soviet authors drew upon when describing the Religious Organization of Jehovah's Witnesses and its adherents in the Soviet Union are described. Under Khrushchev, anti-religious texts were imbued with offensive rhetoric in an attempt to humiliate members of this denomination in the minds of Soviet society. In turn, during the Brezhnev era, there was a significant decrease in the emotional and offensive coloring …

Religion And Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine, Beth Admiraal

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Putin's Invasion Of Ukraine And Disintegration Of States, Paul Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Excerpt: "As of February 24, 2022, the history of Eastern Europe and perhaps the world is changing like it did during the implosion of communism in Eastern Europe in the late 1980s. The fall of communism brought a major geopolitical realignment. It is too early to know what catastrophes Vladimir Putin’s attempt to reverse that realignment will bring. After 1990 several of the countries of Eastern Europe faced fragmentation. During the decade of the 1990s, Yugoslavia broke up into seven states in an eruption of war which was replete with genocides. Two other countries also partitioned, but in contrast to …

Frontmatter (Volume 42, Issue 2), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Scholarly Study Of Religion In Ukraine, Vita Tytarenko, Liudmyla Fylypovych, Larysa Vladychenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes the specifics of religious studies of religious minorities (RM). This religious phenomenon needs a concrete applied methodology that would make it possible to study the RM in its entirety. It is proposed to rely on the materials, which, in this case were the materials of a sociological study conducted within the project "Religious Minorities of Ukraine and State-Religious Relations" (2021), carried out by the authors of the article. As a result, it was clarified which religious organizations should be attributed to the RM, and how they differ from the religions of the majority, who have specific needs …

Training Of Military Chaplains For The Armed Forces Of Ukraine In Conditions Of The Invasion By The Russian Federation, Bogdan Synchak, Petro Livak, Mykhailo Fedorenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes the comprehensive training of military chaplains for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The legislative basis of chaplaincy, and the methods and state of its implementation are characterized. The problems that can befall a military chaplain are identified, in particular the contradiction in the combination of military service and pacifism. The development of chaplaincy in Ukraine is outlined. Active assistance to the chaplaincy began only after the Orange Revolution (2004-2005). The following year, a legislative act was made through the directive “On streamlining issues of meeting the religious needs of the military personnel of the Armed Forces of …

Development And Changes In The Ergo Design Of Protestant Churches In Ukraine (1991-2021), Valentyna Kuryliak, Volodymyr Dudarets, Valeriy Bulatov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article presents the evolution of ergonomics and design of Protestant churches in Ukraine in the period from 1991-2021. Since Ukraine left the Soviet Union, the Soviet worldview of Ukrainian Protestants has gradually changed, which, in turn, influenced the formation of the subject-spatial environment and, in general, the ergo design of Protestant churches. The concept presented in the article is that ergo design is similar to a living organism, which changes under the influence of external factors, such as the emotional feeling of believers, political and economic changes, etc. This influence was especially evident during the transitional period on the …

Development Of The Ukrainian Orthodoxy In The Conditions Of The Revanchist Policy Of The Russian Federation Against Ukraine, Yuriy Figurnyi, Oksana Semenova, Liubov Otroshko, Оlнa Shakurova

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes the development of Ukrainian Orthodoxy in the context of the revenge policy of Russia against Ukraine at the turn of the 21st century. It is discovered that almost a quarter of a century of inactivity of the Ukrainian authorities and active anti-Ukrainian and anti-state actions of the Russian Orthodox Church and its Little-Russian branch the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate contributed to their introduction into the Ukrainian humanitarian space of fundamental ideas, dogmas, and postulates of the “Russian World,” which subsequently led to the occupation by Russia of Crimea and parts of Donbas and the …

Non-Religious Influence Of The Ukrainian Orthodox Church Of The Moscow Patriarchate On Ukrainian Society, Bogdan Synchak, Maksym Balaklytskyi, Volodymyr Dudarets

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The relevance of the study is provided by the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, more specifically, the hybrid nature of the war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine since 2014. The use of information technologies along with military force, among other things, provides for the involvement of the churches of the Moscow Patriarchate as an additional tool for the spread of destructive ideological influence in Ukraine. Attention to the non-religious influence of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) on Ukrainian society is being updated against the background of the ideological confrontation between the Russian and Ukrainian worldview systems in …

International Theological Conference “Orthodoxy And The ‘Russkii Mir’ (Russian World): The Threat To Orthodox Ecclesiology And The Ideological Basis Of Russian Neo-Imperialism, Vladyslav Fulmes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

In connection with the full-scale military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which was largely based on the ideology of “Russian world,” on June 16, 2022, Volyn Orthodox Theological Academy (Lutsk, Ukraine) together with the educational platform “ETHOS / God Against War” (Kyiv, Ukraine) held an international theological conference “Orthodoxy and the “russkii mir” (Russian world): The Threat to Orthodox Ecclesiology and the Ideological Basis of Russian Neo-Imperialism.” Brief information about this international scientific conference is given.

Reasons For The Rupture Of The Ukrainian Orthodox Church With The Moscow Patriarchate Against The Backdrop Of The War In Ukraine 2022, Valentyna Kuryliak, Bogdan Synchak

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The object of the study is provided by the conflict of interests of the Ukrainian society and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-(MP) against the backdrop of the 2022 full-scale Russian war against Ukraine. The article considers the impact of new legislative initiatives aimed at minimizing the destructive Russian influence, including on the religious area. The main content and contradictions of certain points of the Decree of the Council of the UOC (MP) dated May 27, 2022, as a result of which the religious denomination declared independence from the Moscow Patriarchate, are analyzed. The main reasons for …