2026/01/01 by Regina Elsner
Social Sciences · #Religion and Society Interactions #Soviet and Russian History #Gender, Security, and Conflict
paper · doi:10.1093/jcs/csag025
Abstract When the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) joined the ecumenical movement in the 1960s, it was perceived as a major breakthrough amidst the hardening of Cold War polarization. This context shaped an extraordinarily resilient relationship between Western churches and the ROC, which endured through the end of the socialist bloc and engendered a decisive impact on global ecumenical relations. However, an analysis of the role ecumenical relations play in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine reveals that the polarized mindset of the Cold War era and the perception of religious networks as soft power instruments have remained a major tool for the ROC. This article argues that the ROC’s shift from focusing on peace to questions of morality in ecumenical relations after the end of the Soviet Union enabled Russia to use the unfolding global polarization in moral matters as a stage for its military escalation of the clash of civilizations. Especially the interrelatedness of the securitization of both gender and religion mirrors Cold War logics and amalgamates them with a post-secular sacralization. The ecumenical relations between conservative currents within global Christianity appear to be allies for the ROC’s legitimation strategy to frame the war as a metaphysical battle against evil. The article investigates how illiberal and anti-genderist arguments within Christian churches subvert their peacebuilding efforts, and advocates for a serious approach to gender issues as a question of national security and theological accountability.