Russian World and Ukrainian Autocephaly

Religious Narratives in Anti-Colonial Nationalism of Ukraine

Datos Bibliográficos

ID3282015
AutoresLena Surzhko Harned (0000-0001-7329-4108, Pennsylvania State University, autor de correspondencia)
Año2022
Volumen13
Número4
Páginas349
Fecha de publicación2022-04-12
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaReligions (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444
EditorialMDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT)
DOI10.3390/rel13040349
OpenAlexW4224085411
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas9
Referencias citadas22

The paper examines the role of religious narratives in the on-going Russo-Ukrainian conflict. The literature on religious nationalism offers several ways in which religion plays a role in national identity narratives. The strong connection between the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) and the Russian state have been well-known. The narrative of the "chosen" nation and "third Rome" have fueled Russian neo-imperial national discourse of Russkii Mir (Russian World) which shapes Russian Foreign Policy in the "near abroad". The Church is used as tool to shape and disseminate these narratives, as a means for justification of Russian aggression in Ukraine. This paper seeks to analyze the role of the religious narratives of Russia neo-colonial and post-colonial nationalism in Ukraine. It argues that Ukrainian religious nationalism, should it develop, will do so in response to the Russian actions driven by the ideological religious narrative. President Poroshenko's decision to support the recognition of an autocephalous Orthodox Church of Ukraine (OCU) in 2018 was a valiant effort to aid in the construction of Ukraine's anti-colonial religious national narrative. Prior to the Russian invasion, there seemed to be relatively weak public support for the religious nationalist narrative in Ukraine. The evidence shows that commitment to religious pluralism continues to be prevalent in Ukrainian society

Colonialism · Ideology · Literature · Narrative · National identity · Nationalism · Political science · Politics · Religiosity · Religious identity · Sociology · Ukrainian · European and Russian Geopolitical Military Strategies · European Politics and Security · Gender Studies · Law · Philosophy · Religion and Society Interactions