Adaptability as a Survival Strategy under Communism: Reconsidering the Approach of the Russian Orthodox Church
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Date
2019
Authors
Shlikhta, Natalia
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Abstract
Adaptability is a broad and crucial topic for the Soviet-period history of the
Russian Orthodox Church that has not received the scholarly attention that it
merits. An important reason for this scholarly neglect is in the highly negative
connotation of the very concept, as it was not easy and arguably not right for the
Church to adapt to Soviet sociopolitical circumstances. Such a view was formed
back in the Soviet era under a combined influence of church opposition’s and Soviet
officials’ critique.
This paper suggests approaching the issue through contextualizing the Church’s
strategy that allows for a more balanced and less value judgment interpretation.
Two major contexts are taken into account: of the ecclesiastical tradition and legacy
of the Soviet state. Ever since the Great Terror, Soviet power tolerated no opposition and no Other while it employed quite effective methods of the socialization of population.
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Keywords
Russian Orthodox Church, Soviet period, Stalinism, Khrushchev’s antireligious campaign, the Ukrainian Exarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, article
Citation
Shlikhta N. Adaptability as a Survival Strategy under Communism: Reconsidering the Approach of the Russian Orthodox Church / Natalia Shlikhta // Reliģiski-filozofiski raksti. - 2019. - Vol. XXV. - P. 217-241.