Aggravation of interfaith relations in the Belarusian provinces of the Russian Empire (late 19th – early 20th century) in the light of archival documents

The article analyzes various aspects of the relationship between the largest confessional groups of the Belarusian provinces of the Russian Empire (Orthodox and Catholics) in the late 19th – early 20th centuries in the context of the implementation of the models of self-identification «our – other» and «our – alien». Particular attention is paid to the characteristics of the activities of Catholic clergy and fanatical parishioners to incite interfaith hostility (insults to representatives of another confession, unfounded calls for conversion to Catholicism, erroneous interpretation of the Decree «On strengthening the principles of religious tolerance» and the Manifesto of October 17, 1905, and etc.). The authority that Catholic priests had among the parishioners often caused the latter to be hostile to their neighbors of other faiths. The article provides many examples of the fact that the appearance of fanatical priests in a certain area often disrupted the peaceful, conflict-free course of religious life. At the same time, there were cases when the erroneous actions of Orthodox priests and ordinary parishioners became a catalyst for the exacerbation of interfaith relations. The article provides factual evidence of the propaganda activities of Catholic priests in the Polish national spirit, analyzes the reaction of the authorities to it. The most resonant conflict between Catholics and Orthodox at the beginning of the twentieth century is described in detail – an episode in the town of Zelva, Volkovysk district, Grodno province. The basis of the source base of the article was made up of documents of the National Historical Archives of Belarus and the National Historical Archives of Belarus in Grodno. This article can be useful for specialists in history, students, everyone interested in the problems of religious and national relations in European countries. We see prospects for further research in this area in a comparative analysis of the situation in Belarus and other regions of Central and Eastern Europe of the 20th – 21th centuries, mixed in confessional and ethnic terms.

For the Life of the World: Some Reflections

As its title would suggest, For the Life of the World: Towards a Social Ethos of the Orthodox Church offers a comprehensive statement of the ideals and principles that should guide Orthodox Christians, and the church itself, in the effort to live a Christlike life in today's pluralistic society. The expression “social ethos” might suggest that this document limits itself to social questions as these are commonly understood, offering a kind of Orthodox equivalent of Roman Catholic social encyclicals. On examination, it is clear that this document goes beyond the standard topics pursued under the rubric of social ethics. It includes an extended discussion of marriage and family life, addressing questions of marital relations and family dynamics as well as the social dimension of marriage; a comparably extended discussion of medical ethics; extended comments on ecumenical and interfaith relations; and reflections on the liturgy as the ultimate context for the moral life. We even find brief but perceptive remarks on our treatment of animals. This document is not so much a presentation of social ethics as a treatise on moral theology comprehensively considered. The nearest Roman Catholic parallel would be Veritatis Splendor, rather than one of the social encyclicals.

The distanced closeness. The model of ecumenical relations between Catholics and Protestants – sociological contexts

The article deals with the nature of ecumenical relations between Catholics and Protestants. In order to grasp their specificity, they are compared with everyday relations which are not focused on building religious unity between these Christians. This analysis served to reconstruct the model of ecumenism presented on the websites of Catholic weeklies. Additionally, a reflection has been undertaken on the possibility of supporting the ecumenical movement by these services. The analysis is conducted in the sociological perspective on the basis of empirical studies of the content of the Internet services of the Catholic weekly magazines “Gość Niedzielny” and “Niedziela”. Content analysis was applied as a research method, and the texts dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the Reformation were studied. This selection of empirical material resulted from the fact that ecumenical themes are rarely taken up in the Catholic press, and the jubilee caused greater interest in them. The sources used were also found research on interfaith relations. The analysis shows that relations between Catholics and Protestants are close and characterised by openness, but they are also marked by distance and remembrance of a difficult history. Moreover, the model of ecumenism promoted by the websites is superficial and concentrates, among other things, on its practical aspect at the expense of its spiritual and theological dimension. The websites of Catholic weekly newspapers, on the other hand, face a hitherto untapped opportunity to support the ecumenical movement.

FREEDOM OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND RELIGION IN UZBEKISTAN ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE ACTIVITIES OF RELIGIOUS OBJECTS AND PLACES OF RIGGUAGE

The article provides a scientific analysis of religious conflicts in the world and their resolution, as well as measures for constructive dialogue and peaceful coexistence and interfaith relations in the Republic of Uzbekistan.Today, about 94-95% of the population of Uzbekistan believe the religion of Islam. Based on this, educational centers and a place of pilgrimage of the religion of Islam function in all regions of the country.And also, the article examines the conditions created for believers of non-Islamic religions and their religious beliefs,who make up 5-6% of the population of Uzbekistan, the activities of religious confessions and the tolerance shown to them by the Uzbek people

Mutualitas Si Tou Timou Tumou Tou: Hospitalitas Kultural Toleransi Komunitas Jawa Muslim dan Minahasa Kristen di Tondano

This paper will analyze and provide a general description of the philosophical meaning of Si Tou Timou Tumou Tou in the Javanese Muslim and Christian Minahasa communities in Tondano. More deeply, the author tries to see how the philosophy of life of Si Tou Timou Tumou Tou, which is the slogan of the Minahasa people, is applied and lived by the Javanese Muslim and Christian Minahasa communities in Tondano as an glue and an effort to build relationships with the lives of various communities. This paper draws a temporary conclusion that in order to encourage peaceful relations and the creation of the maintenance of shared life, a concept of cultural hospitality that goes beyond tolerance is needed in accordance with the context of the problems in each region. Using a sociological perspective, this paper examines the extent to which cultural hospitality values can play a role in interfaith relations in Tondano. In the final section, this paper will explore the cultural concept of the Tondano people as embodied in the philosophy of life of Si Tou Timou Tumou Tou as an effort to go beyond tolerance between religious communities, while at the same time maintaining the existence of the historical heritage of local culture.

“... And Their Mosques From Churches of God to Build in Distant Places”: to Qquestion of Formation of Interethnic and Interfaith Borders in Western Siberia in 18th Century

The process of building ethno-religious boundaries in the 18th century in the social space of Western Siberia is considered on the example of the provincial center — Tobolsk. The relevance of the study is due to the transformation of ethno-confessionalism from a cultural phenomenon into an instrument that can be used for political purposes in modern Russia. One of the methodological research tools is the method of analysis of the “new local history”, which allows you to create a holistic perception of the study of the social life of the past “at a local object”. The main stages of the state ethno-confessional policy in the 18th century are highlighted. The facts of the forced Christianization of Muslims are clarified. The authors draw attention to the role of the personal (subjective) factor in the processes under study. On the example of the activities of Metropolitan Sylvester Glovatsky and the governor F. I. Soimonov, the vector of the development of interfaith relations is considered, which often depends on the foresight and ideological attitudes of local authorities. Particular attention is paid to government decrees reflecting the position of the state in the ethno-religious sphere. The features are revealed and the main stages of the process of Christianization of Siberian Muslims during the 18th century are highlighted. The process of formation of interfaith boundaries in the multiethnic Siberian region is analyzed. The historiography of the topic under study is presented.

-COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF INTERCONFESSIONAL RELATIONS IN KAZAKHSTAN AND UZBEKISTAN

The article examines the history of religions of the Turkic past, Islamic Renaissance, Tsarist imperialism, Soviet atheism, and nowadays. The author analyzes constitutional and special laws, describes religious diversity and cultural pluralism, examines the system and institutions of religious education, identifies the main reasons for the radicalization of the two countries. He pays special attention to the specifics of the manifestation of religious radicalism in each of the two countries, their approaches to this problem and ways of countering the terrorist threat, and systematizes the opinions of various scientists. The negative consequences of historical and political events on the religious life of the Uzbek and Kazakh societies are determined. The choice of these states is due to the similarity of their history, culture, and political system. A comparative analysis of the state of interfaith relations in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan is carried out according to the following criteria: historical stages, legislative and legal framework, religious associations, religious education, the problem of religious extremism and fundamentalism. The purpose of the article is to determine the features of the interaction of the authorities with religious and confessional structures, to identify the main problems of interfaith relations and the religious situation in general. This study contributes to a better understanding of ethno-confessional and inter-confessional politics in modern realities, as well as an analysis of the state and forecast of the prospects for the development of tolerant inter-confessional relations in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan in the context of religious pluralism, globalism, and actual challenges of the postmodern era. It is necessary to gradually strengthen the legislative, political and socio-economic base, which will be aimed at the secular path of development of our countries, without prejudice to confessions and religious organizations, which are separated from the state by definition. In the Turkic period history of Central Asia, many concrete examples testify to the positive experience of historically peaceful coexistence of various religions in the Central Asian Turkic-Muslim region. These historical facts should and can positively influence the further strengthening of interreligious cooperation and harmony

Overcoming Orientalism

The term “Orientalism” reduces Islam and Muslims to stereotypes of ignorance and violence, in need of foreign control. In scholarly discourse, it has been used to rationalize Europe’s colonial domination of most of the Muslim world and continued American-led interventions in the postcolonial period. In the past thirty years it has been represented by claims that a monolithic Islam and equally monolithic West are distinct civilizations, sharing nothing in common and, indeed, involved in an inevitable “clash” from which only one can emerge the victory. Most recently, it has appeared in alt-right rhetoric. Anti-Muslim sentiment, measured in public opinion polls, hate crime statistics, and legislation, is reaching record levels. Since John Esposito published his first book nearly forty years ago, he has been guiding readers beyond such politically charged stereotypes. This Festschrift highlights the contributions of scholars from a variety of disciplines who, like—and often inspired by—John Esposito, recognize the misleading and politically dangerous nature of Orientalist polarizations. They present Islam as a multifaceted and dynamic tradition embraced by communities in globally interconnected but substantially diverse contexts over the centuries. The contributors follow Esposito’s lead, stressing the profound commonalities among religions and replacing Orientalist discourse with holistic analyses of the complex historical phenomena that affect developments in all societies. In addition to chapters focusing on diversity among Muslims and interfaith relations, this collection includes chapters assessing the secular bias at the root of Orientalist scholarship, and contemporary iterations of Orientalism in the form of Islamophobia.