Orthodox Churches, like most religious bodies, are inherently political because they seek to defend their core values. To accomplish that, they need to engage in politics, among other ways by promoting certain legislation and seeking to block other legislation. For Orthodox Churches, the key fields in which their self-defense is staged are Nationalism (presenting themselves as protectors of the national being), Conservatism (defending traditional values such as the "traditional family"), and Intolerance of institutions and movements (such as feminism and New Age) that they find threatening. Nationalism and Conservatism put the Churches at odds with the communist regimes that governed most of Eastern Europe from around 1945 until 1989/90 but these represent less of a complication in the post-communist era.
“The second edition of Orthodox Churches and Politics in Southeastern Europe, Russia, and Ukraine is a timely and invaluable resource. This thoroughly revised volume incorporates the momentous changes of recent years—notably the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war—that have critical challenges for Orthodox Churches, their societies, and politics in the countries under investigation. With contributions from leading experts, the book combines breadth of coverage with analytical depth, offering nuanced insights into the interplay of nationalism, traditionalism, and intolerance in the Orthodox world. It will be useful not only for scholars and students of religion and politics, but also for a wider audience seeking to understand a region and a faith tradition that the war in Ukraine has brought to the forefront of global attention.”
— Kristina Stoeckl, author of The Russian Orthodox Church and Human Rights.
Orthodox Churches, like most religious bodies, are inherently political because they seek to defend their core values. To accomplish that, they need to engage in politics, among other ways by promoting certain legislation and seeking to block other legislation. For Orthodox Churches, the key fields in which their self-defense is staged are Nationalism (presenting themselves as protectors of the national being), Conservatism (defending traditional values such as the “traditional family”), and Intolerance of institutions and movements (such as feminism and New Age) that they find threatening. Nationalism and Conservatism put the Churches at odds with the communist regimes that governed most of Eastern Europe from around 1945 until 1989/90 but these represent less of a complication in the post-communist era.
Sabrina P. Ramet is a Professor Emerita of Political Science at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, in Trondheim, Norway. She is the the author of 16 scholarly books, co-author of three, and editor or co-editor of 41 previous books.
