1st Edition

Religion and Politics in Russia: A Reader A Reader

By Marjorie Mandelstam Balzer Copyright 2010
    416 Pages
    by Routledge

    416 Pages
    by Routledge

    Russia is not only vast, it is also culturally diverse, the core of an empire that spanned Eurasia. In addition to the majority Russian Orthodox and various other Christian groups, the Russian Federation includes large communities of Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, and members of other religious groups, some with ancient historical roots. All are in a state of ferment, and securing formal state recognition for specific communities is often daunting. This collection provides entry into the diversity of Russia's religious communities. Marjorie Mandelstam Balzer's introduction to the volume illuminates major political, social, and cultural-anthropological trends. The book is organized by religious tradition or identity, with further thematic perspectives on each set of readings. The authors include ethnologists, sociologists, political analysts, and religious leaders from many regions of the Federation. They analyze the changing dynamics of religion and politics within each community and in the context of the current drive to recentralize both political and religious authority in Moscow. Topical coverage extends from reassertions of Russian Orthodoxy to activities of Christian and Muslim missionaries to the revival of many other religions, including indigenous shamanic ones.

    List of Figures and Tables; Introduction; Part I. Christianity: Orthodoxy and Others; 1. Russia: Trends in Orthodox Religiosity in the Twentieth Century (Statistics and Reality) Kira V. Tsekhanskaia; 2. Icon in the Home Kira V. Tsekhanskaia; 3. People of the Schism (1667-2007) Oleg L. Shakhnazarov; 4. Russian Lutheranism: Between Protestantism, Catholicism, and Russian Orthodoxy Sergei Filatov and Aleksandra Stiopina; 5. Religious Searching and New Religious Organizations G. V. Eremicheva; 6. The Catholic Community of St. Petersburg: The Phenomenon of Conversion and the Transformation of Power Relations la. B. Moravitskii; Part II. Islam: Sunnis and Shi'ites in Cultural Perspective; 7. "Folk Islam" and Muslim Youth of the Central and Northwest Caucasus Akhmet A. Yalykapov; 8. For Us, Religion Is Life Tamara Sivertseva; 9. Anyone for Polygamy? A Marriage Boom in Ingushetia Is Not Expected Abu Gadaborshev; 10. Islam and Muslims in Contemporary Tatarstan Roza M. Musina; Part III. Judaism: From Persecution to Revival; 11. Who Are Those Mountain Jews? Mikhail Chlenov; 12. Russian Jews: The Confessional Situation in Late Twentieth Century Semen la. Kozlov; 13. Judaism Throughout the Commonwealth of Independent States? Semen Charnyi; Part IV. Buddhism: Cultural Variations; 14. Lamaism Natalia L.Zhukovskaia; 15. The Revival of Buddhism in Buryatia: Problems and Prospects Natalia L. Zhukovskaia; 16. Buddhists of Russia at the Turn of the Twenty-first Century Natalia L. Zhukovskaia; 17. Lamaism in Kalmykia Elza P. Bakaeva; Part V. Old and New Religious Movements: Burkhanism and Falun Gong; 18. Burkhanism in Gorny Altai Liudmilla I. Sherstova; 19. The Phenomenon of "White Faith" in Southern Siberia Andrei Vinogradov; 20. Activity of the Chinese Religious Movement Falun Gong in Russia Liudmilla A. Kravchuk; Part VI. Shamanism: Syncretism and Revival of Traditional Worldviews; 21. Traditional Religious Beliefs of the Peoples of Sayano-Altai and Problems of Religious Syncretism Olga M. Khomushku; 22. The Teleut Ritual Chymyr: Exorcism and Explanation Dmitri A. Funk; Recommended Readings; Index; About the Editor.

    Biography

    Marjorie Mandelstam Balzer