Socio-religious relations in the optics of the Russian-Ukrainian war: correction of methodological approaches
Keywords:
religious security, national security, security strategy, state-church relations, methodological religious studies approachesAbstract
The article proves the necessity to correct methodological approaches available in the arsenal of Ukrainian academic religious scholars. Scientists are called upon to timely analyze the trends of changes which the socio-religious sphere of Ukraine is undergoing during the Russian-Ukrainian war, which defined the security challenges threaten the Church, the state, and society. The authors insist on the urgency to include religious security in the national security strategy and to update those areas of state-church, inter-confessional and socio-religious relations which are critical today. It should be said, in particular, about perceived parity between freedom of belief and national security; finding a reasonable balance between individual (person) and collective (community) interest; fair regulation of relations between the religious majority and the religious minority; a clear definition of the main threat to national security from pro-Russian religious structures or pro-Russian members of certain religious organizations; and the earliest possible formation of a concept of religious security from scientific, methodologically verified positions, which will form the basis for the modernization of Ukrainian and international legislation in this area.
The authors conclude that religious security as a fundamental, existentially important, axiologically formulated, sacredly attested, religiously defined segment of national security has turned out to be relevant not only for Ukraine. It has become a global challenge for the entire civilized world, which has faced the problem of protecting both democratic values, in particular freedom of conscience, and national security. International documents developed by the world community are aimed at harmonizing personal and collective interests in the sphere of socio-religious relations. Recommendations written in peacetime and for peacetime are of a preventive nature and do not work in a war situation. The invaluable experience which Ukraine gained during the Russian-Ukrainian war, the civilizational war between totalitarianism and democracy, should be studied and used to improve socio-religious relations both in Ukraine and abroad.
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