Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-21T10:30:30.388Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Orthodoxy, Islam, and the Desecularization of Russia's State Schools

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2010

Elena Lisovskaya  and
Vyacheslav Karpov
Elena Lisovskaya*
Affiliation:
Western Michigan University
Vyacheslav Karpov*
Affiliation:
Western Michigan University
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Elena Lisovskaya or Vyacheslav Karpov. Department of Sociology, 3822 Edinburgh Drive, Kalamazoo, MI 49006. E-mails: elena.lisovskaya@wmich.edu, or v.karpov@wmich.edu
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Elena Lisovskaya or Vyacheslav Karpov. Department of Sociology, 3822 Edinburgh Drive, Kalamazoo, MI 49006. E-mails: elena.lisovskaya@wmich.edu, or v.karpov@wmich.edu
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This article explores the social origins and consequences of Orthodox-Muslim tensions surrounding the attempts to find a place for religion in Russia's state schools. It demonstrates that the Orthodox-Muslim tensions are an inevitable outcome of what we define as Russia's pattern of “desecularization from above.” The attempts to restore religious education are carried out by alliances of top religious and political elites, which almost by default focus on the state-run schools. These attempts run into serious social and institutional constraints, and generate considerable Orthodox-Muslim tensions and controversies spilling over to public opinion. On the surface, the Orthodox-Muslim tensions often appear in the form ironically resembling “culture wars” between religious traditionalists and secularists in the West. Our survey data indicate that public support for religious instruction in state-run schools has reached high levels and is infused with a noticeable element of religious intolerance. We predict that further attempts to desecularize Russia's state schools “from above” may have destabilizing effects in society and fuel ethno-religious tensions.

Type
Articles
Information
Politics and Religion , Volume 3 , Special Issue 2: Post-communist Eastern Europe and the Caucasus , August 2010 , pp. 276 - 302
Copyright
Copyright © Religion and Politics Section of the American Political Science Association 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Berger, Peter L. 1999. The Desecularization of the World: Resurgent Religion and World Politics. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.Google Scholar
Borodina, Alla. 2002. Osnovy Pravoslavnoi Kul'tury. Uchebnik (Foundations of Orthodox Culture). Moscow: Pokrov.Google Scholar
Borogan, Irina. 2008. “Islam Garazhei i Podvalov: Rossiyskaya Versiya (Islam of Garages and Basements: Russia's Version).” http://www.ej.ru/?a=note&id=7818 (Accessed February 25, 2008).Google Scholar
Bunimovich, Evgenii. 2004. “Pedagog: Vsio te zhe Grabli (Pedagogue: Stepping on the Very Same Rakes).” Roditel'skoe Sobranie (Teacher-Parents Meeting). http://www.rodsobr.ru/issuephp? (Accessed May 2, 2004).Google Scholar
Burdo, Michael, and Filatov, Sergei, eds. 2004. Sovremennaia Religioznaia Zhizn' v Rossii. Opyt Sistematicheskogo Opisaniia (Contemporary Religious Life in Russia. An Attempt of Systematic Description). Vol. 1. Moscow, USSR: Logos.Google Scholar
Casanova, Jose. 1994. Public Religions in the Modern World. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chaplin, Vsevolod. 2006. “Protoierei Vsevolod Chaplin Rezko Raskritikoval Muftiia – Protivnika Vvedeniia OPK v Shkolakh (Archpriest Vsevolod Chaplin Harshly Criticized a Mufti in Opposition of Teaching Foundations of Orthodox Culture in Schools).” http://www.religare.ru/article30579.htm (Accessed June 15, 2006).Google Scholar
Codevilla, Giovanni. 2008. “Relations between Church and State in Russia Today.” Religion, State and Society 36:113–138.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Davie, Grace. 1994. Religion in Britain since 1945: Believing without Belonging. Oxford, UK: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Furman, Dmitrii, Kääriäinen, Kimmo, and Karpov, Vyacheslav. 2007. “Religioznost' v Rossii v Kontse XX – Nachale XXI Veka (Religiosity in Russia from the 1990s through the early 21st century).” In Novye Tserkvi, Starye Veruiuschie – Starye Tserkvi, Novye Veruiuschie Religiia v Postsovetskoi Rossii (New Churches, Old Believers – Old Churches, New Believers: Religion in Post-Soviet Russia), eds. Kääriäinen, Kimmo and Furman, Dmitrii. Moscow: Letnii Sad.Google Scholar
Gainutdin, Ravil'. 2007. “Ravil' Gainutdin Sravnivaet ‘Osnovy Pravoslavnoi Kul'tury’s Bomboi Zamedlennogo Deistviia i Schitaet chto Etot Predmet Narushaet Konstitutsiiu RF (Ravil Gainutdin Compares ‘Foundations of Orthodox Culture’ with a Ticking Bomb and Believes this Course Violates the Constitution of Russian Federation).” http://www.portal-credo.ru/site/print.php?act=news&id=51332 (Accessed January 30, 2007).Google Scholar
Glanzer, Perry. 1999. “Teaching Christian Ethics in Russian Public Schools: The Testing of Russia's Church-State Boundaries.” Journal of Church and State 41:285–305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Halstead, Mark. 1992. “Recent Development in Religious Education in Russia.” British Journal of Religious Education 14:99–106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Idrisov, Umar-Khazrat. 2006. “Umar-Khazrat Idrisov: Mezhkonfessional'nyi Mir k Sentiabriu – Utopiia ili Spektakl'? (Umar-Khazrat Idrisov: Interfaith Peace by September – Utopia or a Theatrical Performance?)” Islam v Nizhnem Novgrode (Islam in Nizhnii Novgorod) http://www.islamnn.ru/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1130 (Accessed June 14, 2006).Google Scholar
Karpov, Vyacheslav, and Lisovskaya, Elena. 2005. “Educational Change in Time of Social Revolution: The Case of Post-Communist Russia in Comparative Perspective.” In Educational Reform in Post-Soviet Russia: Legacies and Prospects, eds. Eklof, Ben, Holmes, Larry E., and Kaplan, Vera. London, uk: Frank Cass, 23–54.Google Scholar
Karpov, Vyacheslav, and Lisovskaya, Elena. 2008. “Religious Intolerance Among Orthodox Christians and Muslims in Russia.” Religion, State & Society 36:361–377.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kazakov, Sergei. 2008. “Praktika Katekhizatsii v Drevnei Tserkvi i Vozmozhnost' Primeneniia eio v Sovremennykh Usloviiakh (Practice of Catecization in Ancient Church, and the Possibility to Use under Contemporary Conditions).” http://bogoslov.ru/text/272178.html (Accessed February 29, 2008).Google Scholar
Krotov, Yakov. 2002. “Tserkovnyi Pokrov nad Svetskoi Shkoloi (Church Protection over Secular School).” Ezhednevnyi Zhurnal (The Daily Journal) http://supernew.ej.ru/023/life/04church/index.html (Accessed February 17, 2010).Google Scholar
Levada-Center. 2009. Russian Public Opinion – 2009. Moscow, USSR: Levada-Center.Google Scholar
Lisovskaya, Elena, and Karpov, Vyacheslav. 2001. “The Perplexed World of Russian Private Schools: Findings from Field Research.” Comparative Education 37:43–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Makarov, Dmitrii, and Mukhametshin, Rafik. 2003. “Official and Unofficial Islam.” In Islam in post-Soviet Russia. Public and private faces, eds. Pilkington, Hilary and Yemelianova, Galina. New York, NY: Routledge Kurzon.Google Scholar
Mitrokhin, Nikolai. 2004a. Russkaia Pravoslavnaia Tserkov': Sovremennoe Sostoianie I Aktual'nye Problemy (Russian Orthodox Church: Present State and Problems) Moscow: New Literary Review.Google Scholar
Mitrokhin, Nikolai. 2004b. “Klerikalizatsiia Obrazovaniia I Reaktsiia Sovremennogo Rossiiskogo Obschestva (Clericalization of Education and the Response of Present Russia's Society).” http://religion.sova-center.ru/publications/4C5458F/469DA52 (Accessed October 29, 2004).Google Scholar
Mitrokhin, Nikolai, and Sibireva, Olga. 2007. “Ne Boisia, Maloe Stado!: Ob Otsenke Chislennosti Pravoslavnykh Veruiuschikh na Materiale Polevykh Issledovanii v Riazanskoi Oblasti (Do Not be Afraid, Little Flock!: About Estimating the Number of Orthodox Believers Based on Field Research in Ryazanskii Region).” Neprikpsnovennyi Zapas. Debaty o Politike i Kul'ture (Reserved Funds. Debating Politics and Culture) http://www.krotov.info/history/21/61_statistika/2007sibireva.htm (Accessed February 17, 2010).Google Scholar
Mozgovoi, Sergei. 2006. “Minobrnauki ‘Umyvaet Ruki (The Ministry of Education Washes its Hands).’” http://www.civitas.ru/openartprint.php?code=302 (Accessed February 5, 2007).Google Scholar
Mukhetdinov, D. V., ed. 2009. “Islam na Nizhegorodchine: Entsiklopedischeskiy Slovar' Medina: 2007 (Islam in Nizhnii Novgorod: Encyclopedic Dictionary Medina 2007)” http://www.idmedina.ru/books/encyclopedia/?807 (Accessed November 24, 2009).Google Scholar
Nedumov, Oleg. 2002. “Rossiiskaia Shkola Perestaet Byt' Svetskoi (Russia's School Seases to be Secular) Nezavisimaia Gazeta (Independent Newspaper) http://www.ng.ru/printed/politics/2002-11-18/2_school.html.” (Accessed November 18, 2002).Google Scholar
Eparkhiya, Nizhegorodskaya 2007. (Nizhnii Novgorod Diocese). http://www.nne.ru/news.php?id=3821 (Accessed November 30, 2009).Google Scholar
Shcipkov, Daniil. 2002. “Zakon Bozhii ili ‘Pravoslavnaia Kul'turologiia.’” (God's Law or ‘Orthodox Culturology’) Nezavisimaia Gazeta (Independent Newspaper) http://religion.ng.ru/printed/society/2002-10-30/1_law.html (Accessed October 30, 2002).Google Scholar
Sergii, Metropolitan of Solnechnogorsk. 2002. “Mitropolit Sergii Kritikuet Nekotorykh Goschinovnikov za Ateism (Metropolitan Sergii Criticizes Some State Officials for Atheism).” World of Religions http://www.religio.ru/news/relisoc/4738_print.html (Accessed November 18, 2002).Google Scholar
Shaburov, Nikolai. 2003. “Ekspertnoe Zakliuchenie na Knigu A. B. Borodinoi ‘Osnovy Pravoslavnoi Kul'tury (Expert Review of the ‘Foundations of Orthodox Culture).’” http://www.religare.ru/2_1478.html (January 16, 2003). (Accessed February 17, 2010).Google Scholar
Shul'ga, Olga. 2004. “Christos Akbar! (Christ Akbar!).” Tsenter Asia (Center Asia) http://www.centrasia.ru/newsA.php?st=1084277280 (Accessed February 17, 2010).Google Scholar
Smith, Christian. ed. 2003. The Secular Revolution: Power, Interests, and Conflict in the Secularization of American Public Life. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Den Berken, W. 1994. “The Russian Orthodox Church, State and Society in 1991–1993: The Rest of the Story.” Religion, State, and Society 22:163–181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vasilenko, K. 2005. “Ne Boisia Boga: Patriarkhiia Nastaivaet na Religioznykh Urokakh (Do not be Afraid of God: Moscow Patriarchate Insists on Teaching Religion).” Vremia Novostei (News Times) http://religion.sova-center.ru/events/13B7455/273A135?month=2005-01 (Accessed January 28, 2005).Google Scholar
Verkhovskii, A. 2008. “Problemy Realizatsii Svobody Sovesti v Rossii v 2007 godu (Problems of Implementation of Freedom of Conscience in Russia in 2007).” http://religion.sova-center.ru/publications/AA3B942/AA3BAD2 (Accessed February 20, 2008).Google Scholar
Walters, Philip. 2006. “Islam in the Former Soviet Union: Traditional Faith or Radical Threat?” Frontier 12:2–50.Google Scholar
Zaiavlenie dvizheniia. 2008. “Rossiiskoe Islamskoe Nasledie 2008 (Declaration of ‘Russia's Islamic Heritage’ Movement) http://religion.sovacenter.ru/events/13B7455/13DF6DE/A7C7344 (Accessed February 17 2010).Google Scholar