Religion and the Russian - Ukraine War

Authors

Abstract

This paper explores the religious dimensions of the ongoing war in Ukraine, emphasizing how faith has been used both as a tool of political influence and as a symbol of national identity. It analyzes the split between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Patriarch Kirill’s theological justification for the invasion, and the rapid growth of religious life in Ukraine as a form of resistance.

References

Dickinson, Peter. Russian Orthodox Leader Patriarch Kirill’s Unholy War against Ukraine – Atlantic Council. Atlantic Council, 3 Aug. 2023, https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/ukrainealert/russian-orthodox-leader-patriarch-kirills- unholy-war-against-ukraine/.

Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. Encyclopædia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ecumenical-Patriarchate-of-Constantinople.

Goble, Paul. Religious Life On the Rise in Ukraine, With Enormous Consequences for Kyiv and Moscow – Jamestown. The Jamestown Foundation, https://jamestown.org/program/religious-life-on-the-rise-in-ukraine-with-enormous-consequences-for-kyiv-and-moscow.

News. Russian Orthodox Church Cuts Ties with Constantinople over Ukraine. BBC News, 15 Sept. 2018, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45529355.

Staff. Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) Declares Its ‘Full Independence.’ National Catholic Register, 28 May 2022, https://www.ncregister.com/cna/ukrainian-orthodox-church-moscow-patriarchate-declares-its-full-independence.

Ukrainian – Religion – Cultural Atlas. Cultural Atlas, https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/ukrainian-culture/ukrainian-culture-religion.

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Published

2025-08-10

How to Cite

Bodaken, A. D. . (2025). Religion and the Russian - Ukraine War. Young Scholars Grinchenko – Seton International Journal, (6), 21–24. Retrieved from https://ysgsij.kubg.edu.ua/index.php/journal/article/view/241

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Section

Section 1. Young American Scholars