Religion and Forced Displacement in Modern Bulgaria

Abstract

The modern Bulgarian state has encountered a series of forced displacement acts, as either the receiving state or the state of origin. As a rule, they were triggered by outbursts of nationalism, military campaigns, border changes and population exchanges. Meanwhile, the role of religion was not constant: a key factor in the pre-communist acts of forced migration, religion was suppressed under communism (1944-1989). The collapse of this regime returned religion in the public arena, and the recent refugee crisis revealed the renewed potential of religious authorities to influence the attitudes of Bulgarians towards the newcomers.

Governing religion in Russia and Bulgaria: Between religious diversity and religious nationalism

“…After the end of Communism, however, while religion was slowly beginning to regain its dominant position (Kalkandjieva, 2020), the link between the BOC and Bulgarian national identity was challenged. This was first due to the BOC's inability to alleviate the plight of the Bulgarian people and 'rationalise their existence' in the face of the major political transformations and economic crisis of the immediate post-Communist years (Hopkins, 2006).…”

“…A number of scholars have pointed out that religion in Bulgaria is not so much an internal belief system as it is a signifier of belonging to a cultural group with shared history, traditions and language (Ghodsee, 2009: 241). Thus, it is unsurprising that after the end of Communism, the state has favoured Orthodox Christianity at the expense of other religions contradicting some of the principles of democracy and religious pluralism (Kalkandjieva and Schnitter, 2007: 365).…”