The Current Religious Situation in Russia: Challenges and Opportunities

Issues of interreligious dialogue play a special role in the life of multi-confessional countries, such as Russia. According to the Constitution, religion in Russia is separated from the state. At the same time, the spiritual and ideological influence of various faiths on the life of society is quite great. A special role is played by traditional religions – Orthodoxy and Islam, which cover the majority of believers in the country. In Russia, there is a high level of trust in traditional confessions, primarily in the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC). Mechanisms of interaction have emerged between the largest religious organizations and the state, and legislation recognizes the special role of traditional faiths in the country’s history. According to the recent research, a relatively small but close-knit core emerged among the followers of the Russian Orthodox Church, which is characterized by increased activity and its prominent role in parish life, initiating various kinds of social undertakings. The low level of religious education of Russians society hampers the expansion of this core. And this problem has not been solved yet. The introduction of the subject «Fundamentals of Culture and Secular Ethics» into secondary schools, which includes the module «Fundamentals of Orthodox Culture», did not meet the expectations. The problems facing the Russian Orthodox Church are in many ways the same for the Islamic community in Russia. But some additional challenges and threats arise here. They are associated with the erosion of the identity of Russian Muslims due to the mass migration of their co-religionists from neighboring countries and the influence of the spiritual centers of Islam located abroad. The study of the issue shows that in order to overcome extremist tendencies and conflicts on religious grounds, it is necessary to further develop interreligious and state-confessional dialogue and increase the religious literacy of the Russian population.

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