Reflections Of A Queer Latvia: How The Past Has Shaped Contemporary Activism,
2026
Connecticut College
Reflections Of A Queer Latvia: How The Past Has Shaped Contemporary Activism, Gray Ruffer
Slavic Studies Honors Papers
This thesis aims to create a transhistorical map of queer Riga through the tolerance, treatment, and activist moments in Latvia from the early twentieth century to 2025, with special focus on the divided legal and social attitudes toward LGBT identities in different pockets of Riga. By tracing the role the Russo-Soviet occupations on Latvian soil from 1914-1991 had on the structure of governmental organizations, the treatment of the Latvian language and culture, and the social atmosphere in the capital of Riga, this thesis establishes a Latvian national historical memory through memory narratives that focus themselves in authentic Latvian traditionality, as …
Churches' Struggles After Receiving Freedom For Its Mission,
2026
the Evangelical Theological Faculty of Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia
Churches' Struggles After Receiving Freedom For Its Mission, Július Filo
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
Július Filo, Prof. ThDr. Dr.h.c. Professor of practical theology at the Evangelical Theological Faculty of Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. Bishop emeritus of the Lutheran Churches (1994-2006). Chairperson of the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Slovakia (1994-2005). In his research focusses on renewal of congregational life, missiology, diaconal theology, liturgical theology.
Eurovision As A Platform For Cultural Diplomacy In Times Of Conflict,
2026
Claremont McKenna College
Eurovision As A Platform For Cultural Diplomacy In Times Of Conflict, Lucy Meza
CMC Senior Theses
This thesis examines how states utilize the Eurovision Song Contest as a platform for soft power, focusing on the conditions under which cultural performance translates into reputational gains. Drawing on Joseph Nye’s concept of soft power, Biasioli’s theory of songwashing, Zamorano’s typology of cultural diplomacy, Anholt’s competitive identity framework, and Feklyunina’s analysis of identity and narrative, it argues that Eurovision’s effectiveness as a soft power platform is fundamentally contingent on the alignment between a state’s cultural narrative and dominant international perceptions of its legitimacy. Through a qualitative comparative case study approach, the thesis examines two nations whose Eurovision participation during …
The Politics Of Russian Regional Development,
2026
Claremont McKenna College
The Politics Of Russian Regional Development, Claire Moore
CMC Senior Theses
This thesis examines why Chechnya’s independence movement shifted from a secular nationalist struggle in the First Chechen War (1994–1996) to a religiously framed insurgency in the interwar period and Second Chechen War (1999–2000; 2007). Drawing on presidential speeches, interviews, archival materials, and secondary scholarship, it argues that religious radicalization cannot be explained solely by external influence or Russian military brutality. Instead, three underexplored variables–strategic economic appeals to the Islamic world, culturally-embedded practices of vengeance, and the enabling conditions of poverty and mass armament–collectively shaped this transformation. Chechen leaders increasingly emphasized Islamic identity to secure financial and military support from Middle …
Gender As The Moral Framework Of War: Religious Discourse In Wartime Russia,
2026
King's College London
Gender As The Moral Framework Of War: Religious Discourse In Wartime Russia, Olga Vlasova Dr., Ulviyya Khalilova
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
The article explores how wartime religious discourse constructs the moral framework of war through gender rhetoric. Based on the critical discourse analysis of wartime public statements by Russian Orthodox and Muslim religious leaders (2022-2026), the study shows how gender can be used as a framework through which violence becomes meaningful and tolerable. It highlights that the discourse of masculinity provides precisely those moral categories (duty, sacrifice, and protection) which depict participation in war as a moral obligation. At the same time, femininity is primarily associated with the reproduction of social order through care, support, and motherhood, while remaining outside the …
Frontmatter (Volume 46, Issue 2),
2026
Rosemont College
Frontmatter (Volume 46, Issue 2), Paul B. Mojzes
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
No abstract provided.
Nato's Evolution And European Security Dynamics,
2026
Old Dominion University
Nato's Evolution And European Security Dynamics, Chick Edmond
Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has transformed dramatically since the end of the Cold War. As a collective defense alliance, it was primarily focused on defending itself against the Soviet Union. NATO is now focused on addressing multiple types of threats: traditional, hybrid, and non-traditional. This study uses a qualitative methodological approach that includes a systematic content review of NATO’s Strategic Concepts from to 1991–2022; NATO Summit Communiques; NATO Defense Planning Guidance and Elite Speeches. This allows us to analyse the causes and effects of NATO’s transformation over time. Our results suggest that because of Russia’s actions as a …
Frontmatter (Volume 46, Issue 1),
2026
Rosemont College
Frontmatter (Volume 46, Issue 1), Paul B. Mojzes
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
No abstract provided.
Orthodox Traditionalism In The Late 16th – Early 17th Century: The Religious-Anthropological Dimension,
2026
Volyn in-Service Teachers Training Institute, Lutsk, Ukraine
Orthodox Traditionalism In The Late 16th – Early 17th Century: The Religious-Anthropological Dimension, Olena Hudzenko, Olga Dobrodum
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
This article explores the religious-anthropological concepts in the works of Ukrainian thinkers of the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Formed in the context of Catholic expansion and intense confessional conflict, their ideas sought to preserve the Byzantine and Old Rus’ Orthodox tradition. Thinkers of this period emphasized the importance of safeguarding ancestral faith through a return to the principles of Holy Scripture, the foundational structures of early Christian doctrine, and the spiritual legacy of Kyivan Rus. These themes were especially prominent in the theological discourse of the so-called “Ostroh traditionalists,” centered around the Ostroh and Derman religious and cultural …
Psychological Aspects Of Religious Faith Among Participants Of Combat Operations In Crisis Situations,
2026
Kremenets Regional Humanitarian and Pedagogical Academy named after Taras Shevchenko, Ukraine
Psychological Aspects Of Religious Faith Among Participants Of Combat Operations In Crisis Situations, Ivan Bilosevych, Hanna Voshkolup, Andriy Hirnyak, Anastasiia Yatyshchuk, Volodymyr Shafranskyi
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
The purpose of the study is to examine the influence of the psychological dimensions of religious faith on the sense of coherence among military personnel, which in turn serves as an indicator of heightened stress tolerance. The study employs various empirical methods, including questionnaires, as well as both qualitative and quantitative analyses. The Duke Religiosity Index is utilized to assess the level of religiosity among military personnel, encompassing three dimensions: organizational religious activity, non-organizational religious activity, and intrinsic religiosity. To evaluate the level of coherence in military personnel under stress and combat conditions, the Antonovsky SOC-13 scale is employed, utilizing …
The Social Role And Significance Of Religion For Ukraine Today – Historical Dynamics And Current Contributions,
2026
George Fox University
The Social Role And Significance Of Religion For Ukraine Today – Historical Dynamics And Current Contributions, Olena Svysiuk
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
The paper delivers an analysis of Ukrainians’ religious worldview, tracing its development and transformation under historical, social and political influences. The contribution of the main Christian denominations − Orthodoxy, Greek-Catholicism and Protestantism − to national identity-building, the shaping of moral values, social cohesion and civic engagement is outlined. The work highlights how religion is deeply entwined with Ukrainian traditions, spirituality, and political life, serving as both a moral compass and a catalyst for social change. It also points to the churches’ social ministry − humanitarian, educational and psychological support − during the full-scale war. The involvement of religious institutions as …
Serving God Under Siege: How War Transformed A Ukrainian Community: A Review,
2026
George Fox University
Serving God Under Siege: How War Transformed A Ukrainian Community: A Review, Mark R. Elliott
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
A review of Valentyn Syniy, Serving God Under Siege: How War Transformed a Ukrainian Community. Eerdmans, Paperback, 9780802885692, 266 pp. $24.99, £18.99.
Pilgrims Of Hope: Sociotheological Considerations,
2026
University of Szeged in Hungary
Pilgrims Of Hope: Sociotheological Considerations, András Máté-Tóth
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
Today, we can no longer view Europe according to the old political division between the progressive West and the lagging but striving East. Europe is a continent struggling with geopolitical challenges, a struggle in which it needs the offer of Christian thinking and behavior, which fully recognizes and acknowledges human beings and is capable of bridging the divides created by selfish interests. The bishops and episcopal institutions of Europe can humbly but confidently draw on the resources of faith and social knowledge, and with courageous consistency take their part in evangelization, journeying together in synodality with hope.
Who Can We Trust When They Are Watching? Lessons From Communist Surveillance For Today's Hybrid And Authoritarian Realities: An Interview Series,
2026
University of Helsinki
Who Can We Trust When They Are Watching? Lessons From Communist Surveillance For Today's Hybrid And Authoritarian Realities: An Interview Series, Katharina Kunter
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
This article explores the intersection of trust, surveillance, and political instrumentalization in authoritarian and hybrid warfare contexts, drawing on interviews with four contemporary witnesses from the Cold War era: Paul Mojzes, Laurens Hogebrink, Renate Ellmenreich, and Markus Meckel. Their experiences—spanning communist surveillance in the GDR, ecumenical diplomacy, and Western peace activism—reveal enduring challenges for churches, activists, and scholars engaging with partners in authoritarian regimes.
Yugoslavia As A Future To Fear: Evangelical Anti-Communism And The Cold War Imagination Of Yugoslavia,
2026
Institute for Balkan Studies, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Yugoslavia As A Future To Fear: Evangelical Anti-Communism And The Cold War Imagination Of Yugoslavia, Aleksandra Djurić Milovanović
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
For some, Yugoslavia represented an alternative form of socialist modernity. Others, especially those within conservative religious discourse, believed that socialism inevitably leads to moral collapse, and saw Yugoslavia as an example of this idea. In this article, Aleksandra Djurić Milovanović reflects on an unusual archival encounter between competing visions of the future and explains why it matters today.
Frontmatter (Volume 46, Issue 8),
2026
Rosemont College
Frontmatter (Volume 46, Issue 8), Paul B. Mojzes
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
No abstract provided.
Frontmatter (Volume 46 Issue 9),
2026
Rosemont College
Frontmatter (Volume 46 Issue 9), Paul B. Mojzes
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
No abstract provided.
The Rise And Fall Of The First Atheist State: Albania’S Rediscovery Of Faith,
2026
University of New York Tirana
The Rise And Fall Of The First Atheist State: Albania’S Rediscovery Of Faith, Fatos Tarifa
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
This paper explores Albania’s unprecedented experience as the only modern state to constitutionally declare itself atheist. After World War II, Enver Hoxha’s communist regime sought to reshape society through radical ideological transformation. In 1967, the regime banned all religious practice, dismantled churches, mosques, and monasteries, and persecuted clergy. Religion was criminalized, while atheism was promoted as a central component of socialist identity, enforced through education, propaganda, and cultural policy. In 1976, Albania was proclaimed by its constitution the world’s first atheist state. The paper examines the historical circumstances that produced this extreme stance and its consequences: suppression of traditions, erosion …
The Romanian Orthodox Church And Ukrainian Refugees: Humanitarian Response And Ecclesial Solidarity,
2026
University of Bucharest, Romania
The Romanian Orthodox Church And Ukrainian Refugees: Humanitarian Response And Ecclesial Solidarity, Damian Buchiu
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
Following the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Romanian Orthodox Church’s public response to Ukrainian displacement combined emergency assistance with forms of solidarity that became increasingly connected to ecclesial life. A purposive corpus of twenty-four English-language items published by the Basilica News Agency, the official news agency of the Romanian Patriarchate, between February 2022 and December 2025 forms the principal source base. These materials record humanitarian and pastoral activity while also showing how the Church publicly interpreted its response. The early response relied heavily on structures already present in dioceses and local communities, which could be redirected quickly toward …
Politicization Of Christmas Ritual Practices Of Ukrainians During The Modern War,
2026
G. S. Skovoroda Philosophy Institute of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
Politicization Of Christmas Ritual Practices Of Ukrainians During The Modern War, Olga Nedavnya
Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe
The article analyzes the manifestations of politicization of Christmas ritual traditions of Ukrainians (nativity scenes (verteps), caroling, Generous Evening performances) during the ongoing war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The corresponding forms (transformations of classical characters of caroling texts and Christmas performances, addition of military-political motifs to them), the influence of political reasons on the organization of customary practices (transition of their Christmas cycle to a new calendar), collections of donations for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are clarified. It is shown that the strengthening of political accents in nativity scenes, carols and Generous Evening performances …
