Communism, Atheism, and the Orthodox Church of Albania

Hoxha, Artan R.

doi:10.4324/9781003207726

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“…In the footsteps of Lenin, the communist regime then confiscated the property of religious institutions; vilified religious doctrine; imprisoned and massacred clergy and the faithful; and prohibited and criminalized the performance of religious rites and rituals (Sinishta 1976;Prifti 1975Prifti , 1978. The decision to ban religion was the final stage of a long-term propaganda campaign undertaken by the communist state starting in 1944 (A. Hoxha 2022). Two stages can be distinguished, which led to the definitive ban of religion.…”

Section: The Historical Context: Atheistic Albaniamentioning

confidence: 99%

Importing Religion into Post-Communist Albania: Between Rights and Obligations

Абази

2023

Religions

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After the communist regime seized power in Albania in 1944, the vilification, humiliation, persecution and execution of clergy of all faiths, including Muslim, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox, were conducted publicly. Religious estates were nationalized in 1946, and around the same time, religious institutions were closed or converted into warehouses, gymnasiums, workshops or cultural centers. In the communist constitution of 1976, Albania became the first constitutional atheist state in the world. In Article 37 of the Constitution was stated “the state does not recognize any religion”. Albanians were forced to deny their religion, change their belief system and adopt the new socialist way of life that praised secular gods such as the Communist Party and its leaders. The image of the party leader replaced religious icons. Young people were encouraged to follow worldly pursuits, including offering their life for communist deities. With the fall of communism, Albanian clerics and foreign missionaries encouraged the revival of religiosity in the country. Because in Albania, religious institutions and clergy did not exist for more than 3 decades, foreign actors played a major role in the return of religion to social life and among young people. Post-communist Albania represents a quintessential case study of importing religion into a formerly atheistic country that lacked qualified clergy, religious institutions and strong religious beliefs. In the permissive post-communist Albania, people, especially young people, attributed different meanings to religion and religiosity. Mere investigations and surveys of faith communities along traditional lines would fail to provide useful insights into the significant transformations that have impacted the religious field in Albania after the fall of the communist regime and the current challenges faced by new and “traditional” denominations. The post-communist religious context is dominated by two opposing currents: The first trend is marked by the legal organization of religious practice in the public space, which grants freedoms and equality to the “traditional” religions recognized by the state, but autonomous and independent from it. The other trend is shaped by the rituals and practices of believers from abroad who are pushing for the creation of new autonomous religious communities. This paper is not investigating religious “communitarianism” along traditional lines but rather examines salient religious identification and societal relationships and discusses their implications. This analysis rests on survey data and free-flowing and open-ended interviews conducted mainly with students of the Political Science Department of the University of Tirana and of the European University of Tirana, as well as research of different social networks. The article is divided into three parts, which present the following: literature insights, the historical background of Albania’s secularization and current religious trends and practices.

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Section: The Historical Context: Atheistic Albaniamentioning

confidence: 99%

Importing Religion into Post-Communist Albania: Between Rights and Obligations

Абази

2023

Religions

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Communism, Atheism, and the Orthodox Church of Albania

Cited by 1 publication

References 0 publications

Importing Religion into Post-Communist Albania: Between Rights and Obligations

Importing Religion into Post-Communist Albania: Between Rights and Obligations

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