A Comparative Analysis on Church-State Relations in Eastern Orthodoxy: Concepts, Models, and Principles

Religion and nationalism revisited: Insights from southeastern and central eastern Europe

“…It is worth noting that in this regional context, relations between church and state never followed the principle of a ‘free church in a free state’ ( Kalkandjieva, 2011 : 602) as happened in western Europe with the concordats regulating the relationship between the Catholic Church and the modern nation-states.…”

“…By contrast the close entanglement of nation and religion and of church and state in the region may be seen as quintessentially paradoxical from a religious tradition perspective (see Malesevic 2019 for a full discussion). Kalkandjieva (2011 : 595-6) argues that the creation of autocephalous churches with clear territorial jurisdictions significantly transformed Christian Orthodoxy, imbuing it with the concept of phylethism despite its condemnation by the Great Local Synod in Constantinople in 1872 as a deviation from Orthodox ecclesiology. The linkages between church and state in those newly created states were further strengthened as national languages were adopted for the liturgy with a view of bringing believers closer to the church (Kalkandjeva: 596).…”

Ethno-Religiosity in Orthodox Christianity: A Source of Solidarity & Multiculturalism in American Society

“…As illustrated by the self-motivated mode of lay organization that occurred as Orthodoxy entered American civil society, there was arguably the necessity for a democratization of Orthodox communities due to the initial absence of established overarching ecclesiastical structures. The social scientist Daniela Kalkandjeva has described "the phenomenon of autocephaly in Orthodoxy as a major reason for its past and contemporary decentralization", claiming that "At the international level, the decentralization of the Orthodox Church…allowed for more democratic behavior by individual Orthodox churches" ( [12], p. 14). The democratization of the individual ethno-religious Orthodox congregations is directly linked to the ways in which they had to pursue their preservation in voluntary associations.…”

“…Taking up a cause entails a personal choice to pursue a particular end, which when shared by others becomes a shared aim for a common good. This common goal propels people into mutual action, thereby enabling them to engage in shared practices, deepen their sense of solidarity, and cultivate a shared identity and way of life 12 . The necessity of having to adopt a new form of organizing their communities as de-territorialized cause-oriented ethno-religious associations contributed to both the success of preserving their unique traditions as well as a more robust sense of fellowship amongst community members.…”

“…Conversely, religious groups are usually dominated by formally organized denomination in which informal groups play interstitial roles ( [18], p. 581). 12 None of this should be taken to imply, however, that religious traditions are now somehow unable to uphold their mission statements, so to speak, and the "old" causes they have historically been committed to. Rather, it is merely to suggest that they must now add, if they haven't already done so, "self-preservation" to their repertoire of pre-ordained causes, goals, aims, and ends.…”