Eastern European Studies Commons^™

Forms And Roots Of Contemporary Religiosity In Estonia, Kaido Soom, Tõnu Lehtsaar

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The Republic of Estonia is a country on the east coast of the Baltic Sea. It borders Russia and Latvia on land and Latvia, Sweden, Finland and Russia on sea. As of 31 Dec 2011, Estonia had a permanent population of 1,294,455 (data from the Population and Housing Census). Estonia is a member of the European Union (2004) and of the Eurozone (2011).

Estonia has often been exemplified as a secularized nation having little regard for religion. Even so, religion is an important topic of conversation in Estonian society. For instance, Ave Tampere asked, in an article in one of …

Life Under Ban: Jehovah's Witnesses In Russia Since 2017, Emily B. Baran

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Since 2017, Jehovah’s Witnesses have been barred from legal practice of their faith in Russia. This marks the first criminalization of a major religious faith in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. For Witnesses, it has been a disturbing return to life under ban, a reality they experienced for decades under Soviet rule. Moreover, all indications suggest that this situation is unlikely to improve in the short term. Russian officials have shown consistent willingness to enforce a broad interpretation of the ban, including through the arrest and imprisonment of individual Witnesses. This article offers an overview of recent …

The Religious Aspect Of The Macedonian Society In The Condition Of The Crisis Caused By Covid 19, Gjoko Gjorgjevski, Ivan Blazhevski

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic has influenced all spheres of social life of the Republic of North Macedonia. Introduction of precautionary and restrictive measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus impacted on the religious life of citizens-believers. The attitudes of the religious communities towards these measures impacted the behavior of the believers, but also on the opinion and attitudes of the general public. In order to give a clear picture of the religious aspect of the Macedonian society, this paper is divided into two parts. The first part presents the action of the larger religious communities during conditions of the …

Specifics Of State-Religious Relationships During Covid-19: Eastern Europe Vs Western Europe, Sergii Rudenko, Vitalii Turenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This paper highlights the peculiarities of the implementation of relations between the authorities and religious organizations in Eastern and Western Europe during the coronavirus pandemic. It has been proven that Western European countries have relatively quickly adapted to the new model of state-religious relations during the pandemic. At the same time, local protests and/or ignorance of the quarantine measures taken by the authorities of a particular country should be noted, which led to the detention of those responsible and/or an increase in the incidence of diseases among the population. It was revealed that the relationship between the authorities and religious …

Attitudes Of Medical Students Towards Artificial Termination Of Pregnancy And Euthanasia In The Context Of Christian Ethics, Iryna Vasylieva, Kateryna Hololobova, Olha Nechushkina, Viacheslav Kobrzhytskyi, Serhii Kiriienko, Anna Laputko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Medical students’ attitudes towards issues associated with the beginning and end of human life are analyzed using interdisciplinary approaches and empirical material (statistics, sociological surveys). The purpose of this article is to determine the peculiarities of Christian morality’s influence on the attitudes of contemporary Ukrainian medical students towards the issues of artificial termination of pregnancy and euthanasia. Based on a comparative analysis of the evaluative judgments of three groups of respondents (group 1 — those who consider themselves Christians; group 2 — respondents who are undecided about religious belief; group 3 — those who consider themselves non-believers), a complex relationship …

Foreword: Interactions Between Religion And Medicine In Eastern Europe During The Sars-Cov-2 Pandemic: Social Context, Iurii Kuchyn, Nataliia Ishchuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

A special issue of OPREE, dedicated to the interaction of religion and medicine, is being released on the anniversary of the struggle of humankind against the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Unfortunately, hopes of overcoming the infection quickly proved futile. The outbreak of this infectious disease has caused chaos in the private and social lives of billions of people. It changed the usual rhythm and forced people to obey new rules. For many people, it caused job and income loss and changes in personal priorities. For most people, the question of reappraisal of values arose when the need for self-realization gave way to …

How Christians Of The First Centuries Experienced Epidemics, Maryna Lukashenko, Lidiya Biletska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article examines the ethical responses of the Christian communities of the first centuries to the challenges of the Antonine Plague and the Plague of Cyprian. During these times, the institutionalization and development of the Christian church took place, and thus the strategies of its social service and behavior in the conditions of acute social crises and trials were developed. Already during the first epidemics, the Christian communities showed a radically different attitude to the sick and sufferers than was accepted in the society of that time. This attitude was based on Christian love and charity, self-sacrifice and service to …

Interaction Of Religion And Medicine In The Period Of Existential Challenges: Ukrainian Context, Irina Utiuzh, Nataliia Kovtun, Ihor Kapritsyn, Iryna Vitiuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The social transitivity of Ukrainian society has only intensified as a result of the implementation of quarantine restrictions in March 2020 that covered various areas of the country's social life. In the situation of transferring most industries and services to remote work, the problems of an existential choice in citizens' perception of quarantine restrictions and the need to ensure their own economic and physiological survival in a severe socio-economic crisis in Ukraine and military aggression by Russia appeared in 2014. In this context, it remains relevant to define how medical and religious organizations should help Ukrainian citizens adapt to the …

Frontmatter (Volume 41, Issue 1), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Editor’s Note: The first issue of OPREE for the year 2021 is on a relevant topic to both religion and medicine in the times of the Covid-19 pandemic which has already infected millions of lives and killed hundreds of thousands throughout the world. It continues to be an enormous challenge as of the date of this issue.

Religious "Covid Fundamentalism" In Eastern And Central Europe: Challenges And Lessons, Vita Tytarenko, Iryna Bogachevska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article examines specific religious and social challenges in the context of mass diseases that arose in the past and are present today during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors explain the concepts that characterize the “new” reality of state-church interactions in the time of COVID-19. The authors consider the arguments of the followers of “Covid Fundamentalism.” An analysis of the reactions of different Christian confessions to the COVID-19 pandemic in Central and Eastern Europe, emphasizing the Ukrainian segment and multiple religious trends, showed that the phenomenon of “COVID fundamentalism” did not become widespread. However, in every religious community some believers …

Eudaimonic Happiness As A Convergence Point For Religion And Medicine: The Ukrainian Context, Uliana Lushch-Purii

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The paper is aimed to present arguments for consideration of eudaimonic happiness as a convergence point between religion (Christian denominations) and medicine in the contemporary world in general and Ukraine in particular. Similarities between eudaimonic definition of happiness and traditional interpretation of happiness as a virtuous good life in historic Christianity are shown. The present tendency of modernized Christian denominations in Ukraine to elaborate a secular context of happiness concept is traced. Based on analysis of contemporary religious information resources and documents, it is shown that nowadays the majority of Christian denominations in Ukraine concur in considering happiness with others, …

Pray And Vaccinate: Worship And Pastoral Care In Times Of Pandemic In Hungary, András Máté-Tóth

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The major churches in Hungary—Catholic, Calvinist and Lutheran—felt concerned about the Corona pandemic, especially about Sunday services. As in the spring wave, so in the autumn wave, the question of offline/online services was in the center of public communication. It has kerygmatic reasons—especially among Catholics—since, according to Vatican II, the Eucharist is the source and summit of the relationship with God. (Lumen Gentium 11.) Without Eucharistic celebration, congregations are "grace-poor" and priests, too, can feel deprived of their first-order mission and "service-poor." Similarly, Protestant pastors experience and exercise their priestly ministry primarily through Sunday worship, preaching, and the Lord's Prayer. …

Religious Epidemics On The Territory Of Ukraine: Historical Parallels And Essential Characteristics, Olena Predko, Denis Predko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article deals with two religious epidemics that unfolded in Ukraine in a span of one hundred years. The study analyzes the factors influencing the emergence and development of religious epidemics. On this basis, their peculiar algorithm has been singled out, the components of which are, on the one hand, the worldview and crisis of values caused by the rapid turns of history, and—on the other—-choosiness by God, charisma of the leader of a particular organization, which is “fed” by an eschatological idea, syncretic teachings, which are cultivated as an alternative religious model to established traditions. The definition of a …

Interrelation Of Religiousity And Physical Health Condition: Ukranian Case, Maksym Parashchevin

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The role of religion for supporting of physical health is a popular and debatable topic. This topic can be considered from two sides – the impact of health condition on the acceptance of religious faith and the strength of its manifestation, and the possible impact of religious affiliation on the health. The analyses of the interrelation between religion and physical and mental health was made in many publications, but there was no such a publication as for Ukraine. We used here the data from the longitudal sociological survey, which shows that some indicators of health are worse among religious Ukrainians …

All-Union Council Of Evangelical Christians And Baptists As A Product Of Work Of Soviet Special Services, Oleksandr Korotaiev

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The purpose of the study is to show the work of the Soviet special services in the 1940s among the evangelical denominations of the Ukrainian SSR, which consisted of the formation of the All-Union Council of Evangelical Christians and Baptists (hereinafter ACECB). The study of the work of the Soviet special services among the Protestant denominations of Ukraine during WWII and in the post-war period is generally a poorly studied topic of modern historical science. The article attempts to fill this gap by highlighting the work of the NKVD-MGB bodies among Evangelical Christians and Baptists, which aimed to create a …

Visa Fraud In The Commercial Sex Market In The United States: An Overview, Youngbee Dale

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

This paper describes various fraudulent visas used by criminals operating in the U.S. sex market. Studies show that many foreign women exploited through commercial sex rely on visa brokers to enter the U.S. However, scholars have not investigated various visa brokers and the techniques they use to bring foreign women into U.S. prostitution as a whole. Therefore, this paper aims to provide an overview of the different types of fraudulent visas and criminal techniques used in the U.S. sex market. In doing so, this paper relies on both primary and secondary sources, such as interviews with both survivors and U.S. …

Latest Developments Affecting Russian Protestant Seminaries And Churches, Mark R. Elliott

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Excerpt: "Of course, the Russian state assault on Protestant theological education does not occur in a vacuum, as can be seen by an ongoing parallel campaign against individual Protestant congregations. A sample of three cases of direct disruption of Baptist, Pentecostal, and Adventist worship by local authorities in 2019, 2020, and 2021 may illustrate the point."

Fr. Leonid Kishkovsky, In Memoriam, James R. Payton

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

The Pearl Of Siberia: The Emerging Threat To Lake Baikal, Blake Donithan

Kentucky Journal of Equine, Agriculture, & Natural Resources Law

No abstract provided.

Book Review: Orthodox And Greek Catholics In Transylvania (1867-1916): Convergences And Divergences, Beth Admiraal

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

A review of Marcarie Drăgoi, Orthodox and Greek Catholics in Transylvania (1867-1916): Convergences and Divergences, Translated by Carmen-Veronica Borbely, Yonkers, NY: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2015, 289 pp, hardback. ISBN: 979-088141-507-0.

"Then What Are We Fighting For": Securitizing Religion In The Ukrainian-Russian Conflict, Viktor Yelenskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

With the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, religion has shifted from a sphere of great importance in inter-state relations to the national security domain, where the sides in the conflict perceive religion as potentially posing the utmost threat and have resorted to extraordinary measures to securitize it. The author argues that at the core of the Ukrainian securitizing move was the struggle for the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, which allowed weakening Russia's influence not only on the Orthodox milieu but also on Ukrainian society as a whole. Russia, viewing the loss of control over Ukraine …

Book Review: Orthodox Christian Renewal Movements In Eastern Europe, Walter Sawatsky

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

A review of Aleksandra Djurić Milovanović & Radmila Radić, eds. Orthodox Christian Renewal Movements in Eastern Europe. London: Palgrave MacMillan, 2017. ISBN 978-3-319-63354-1, 339 pp. Index.

Was Soft Power Used During The Cold War?, Drake C. Dewey

Capstone Showcase

On December 25, 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as the leader of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics which resulted in the formal conclusion of the Cold War. The Cold War was an ideological battle between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from the mid-1940s until 1991. I have decided to put the beginning date of the Cold War as March 5, 1946, while the end date is December 25, 1991. During the Cold War, there was a new form of power which was coined by Joseph Nye. Scholars have questioned the influence of soft versus hard …

Is There Discrimination Against Women By The Orthodox Church In The Republic Of North Macedonia?, Aneta Jovkovska

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The growing interest in the issue of gender equality in the past few decades ranks this topic among the main themes of various research and reflection.There does not seem to be much agreement between the numerous studies, which in itself makes it difficult to understand them and again raises questions about the interpretation of fundamental Christian doctrines. In light of the existing and offered considerations, we believe that biblical texts, such as Galatians 3:28 (“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus”), have encouraged women to stand up …

Frontmatter (Volume 41, Issue 8), Paul B. Mojzes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

No abstract provided.

Does Ict Result In Dematerialization? The Case Of Europe, 2005-2017, Annika Marie Rieger

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Current levels of resource use are unsustainable, but there is a debate about the most feasible way to reduce them. One proposed mechanism is technological innovation: specifically, the implementation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) could result in significant reductions in material consumption by substituting virtual for material goods, increasing resource efficiency, and replacing more resource-intensive sectors. Critics of this view argue that dematerialization due to ICTs is unlikely: they consume large amounts of resources and encourage additional consumption. Additionally, increased efficiency resulting from ICT use could lead to rebound effects, reducing their environmentally beneficial impact. This paper uses a …

Integration Of The Pochaiv Lavra Into The Structure Of The Russian Orthodox Church Between 1830s And 1860s, Ella Bystrytska, Nadiia Volik

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

A series of imperial decrees during the 1820s contributed to the spread of the autocratic and synodal system of government, and the installation of control over the Greek Uniate Church institutions in the territories of Right Bank Ukraine.1 The Greek Uniate Church was moved in “standby mode” for favorable conditions for the government to rapidly localize its activities. The accusation of the Basilian monks in support of the November Uprising of 1830-1831 in Poland contributed to the liquidation of this order and most of their monasteries. The transfer of the Pochaiv Lavra to the ownership of the Orthodox clergy in …

My Own Distinguished People: An Analysis Of Carpatho-Rusyn Autonomy Movements, Alexandra S. Benc

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

What factors must a stateless nation possess in order to gain political autonomy? This question is explored through the perspective of Carpatho-Rusyns, an East Slavic stateless nation with a largely unknown, yet rich and distinct, history and culture. Throughout modern history, the Rusyns have made three significant attempts to gain political autonomy and become a semi-independent entity. I argue that stateless nations that possess high levels of the elements of political opportunity structure, cultural maintenance, and economic functioning are more likely to succeed in their efforts to gain political autonomy than those stateless nations who do not. Each of these …

All Victims Matter. Reconciliation Of The Balkan Faiths And Peoples: An Assessment Of Recent Progress, Vjekoslav Perica

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Excerpt: "Overall, the recent progress toward reconciliation of the peoples and faiths in the Balkans is good news. The moderates within ruling nationalists’ ranks marginalized the extremists domestically and found support abroad, notably in the European Union, which is interested in fostering greater stability in the troubled southeastern periphery, as well as from the Vatican, both during the pontificate of John Paul II and under Pope Francis, with his ambitious ecumenical agenda concerning the Eastern Orthodox sister church."

Gender Justice And Islam: For Male Two And For Female One Qurban. Why?, Zilka Spahić-Šiljak

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Excerpt: "The question we have to ask today as believing Muslims is this: how is it that, in the 21st century, Muslims would rather use a hadith that prefers boys over girls than the actual practice of the Prophet Muhammad? If the Prophet treated his children equally, and showed public affection for his daughter Fatima with the specific gesture of standing up to welcome her every time she came to visit, and if he constantly warned believers to take care of their daughters, how have Muslims ended up cultivating this naming tradition that sends a clear message to daughters that …