Published : 2024-03-05

“Holy War” of the Moscow Patriarchate

Andrzej Zwoliński



Abstract

The passage discusses how war develops special formulas for using religion for military purposes. Reference to spiritual matters facilitates the mobilization of citizens and the direction of a great, powerful force of human aggression. Throughout history, the process of sacralizing war occurred at all stages of its course. As a specific social activity (distinct from agriculture or animal husbandry), war was under the protection of special war gods (e.g., Indra among the Hindus, Ares among the Greeks, Mars among the Romans, Thor among the Germans). The clear distinction between two spheres – religious and political, and thus between the Catholic Church and the state – is related to Jesus’ teaching: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” (Matthew 22:21). Both the state and the Church are visible communities and at the same time perfect, meaning equipped with everything they need to achieve their proper goals. Protestantism does not distinguish between the Church and the state. The same can be said about Orthodoxy. A clear example in the face of the Ukrainian-Russian war is the unquestionable dependence of the Moscow Patriarchate on political Russia, as highlighted in the article.

Keywords:

war, “holy war”, Moscow Patriarchate, “Holy Rus”, Russian Orthodox Church, war propaganda



Details

References

Statistics

Authors

Download files

PDF (Język Polski)

Citation rules

Zwoliński, A. . (2024). “Holy War” of the Moscow Patriarchate. Społeczeństwo, 164(4), 54–71. https://doi.org/10.58324/s.362




Editorial Team
ul. Wspólna 25
00-519 Warszawa,
email: spoleczenstwo@civitaschristiana.pl

Publisher:
Fundacja „Civitas Christiana”
ul. Wspólna 25
00-519 Warszawa

About:
Copyright 2021 by
OJS Support and Customization by LIBCOM
Platform & workfow by OJS/PKP