State, Religion, and Society in Russia and the Nordic Countries
State, Religion, and Society in Russia and the Nordic Countries
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Political developments in Russia during the last couple of years have made it clear that Western expectations that Russia, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, was about to become a “normal” country have been at best premature, if not simply unfounded; based more on western wishful thinking than on Russian realities. That this seems to have been a surprise to many in the West, including politicians and opinion makers, testifies to an insufficient understanding of those factors in Russian society that inhibit or prevent Russia from developing according to western standards of “normality”.
The proposed conference on State, Religion, and Society in Russia and the Nordic Countries will attempt to widen understanding by focusing on important obstacles of history and mentality against Russia’s development towards western “normality”.
Russia’s long past as a theocracy (governed by assumed divine prescriptions), as an imperial state, now possibly with newly rekindled imperial ambitions, and the accompanying ideas of representing an independent civilization are all factors now being openly and publicly discussed in Russia. None of them are new in themselves, even though they appear in new shapes and contexts and partially with new arguments. As such, they are among many signs of the reinvigorated and growing importance of religion since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
No matter what westerners may think about such ideas (and that’s rarely anything good), it is in the interest of the West, including the Nordic Countries, to know and possibly to understand them as a basis for continuing relations with Russia. In this connection, it is important to note that the Nordic countries, by virtue of their own historical experience of relations between state, religion, and society, have some special, if only partially acknowledged, presuppositions for understanding Russia. In spite of decisive differences, Russia and the Nordic countries also share some surprising historical similarities in this connection. In as much as the Nordic countries, Denmark and Norway in particular, and Russia can be considered paradigmatic of their respective versions of Christianity (Lutheran Protestantism and Orthodoxy), their respective relations between church and state provide a good basis for comparison and analysis of both differences and similarities and of the factors that prevent a mutual understanding. In this context, different experiences and understandings of theocracy are particularly significant.
At the conference, a number of specialists will offer their views on Russia’s “special path” as a basis of interpretation and discussion.
The conference will be arranged by the Foundation for Danish-Norwegian Cooperation and will take place on Tuesday-Friday, 3-4 November 2016, on Schæffergården, Gentofte, Copenhagen, Denmark.
The conference has been planned by Christian Gottlieb.
The conference language is English
Thursday, 3 November 2016
From kl. 11.00 | Arrival. Registration | |
12.00-13.30 | Lunch | |
13.30-13.45 |
The conference will be opend by |
|
13.45-14.00 | Introduktion | |
14.00-14.35 | Christian Gottlieb The history and theology of Russian theocracy |
|
14.35-14.50 | Questions and discussion | |
14.50-15.25 | Per-Arne Bodin The “Symphony” in contemporary Russia |
|
15.25-15.40 | Questions and discussion | |
15.40-16.10 | Coffee break | |
16.10-16.45 | Elina Kahla Third Rome today: Russian Church/State collaboration |
|
16.45-17.00 | Questions and discussion | |
17.00-17.35 | Jeanne Kormina St. Nicholas II: Orthodox understanding of empire |
|
17.35-17.50 | Questions and discussion | |
18.30-20.30 | Dinner | |
20.30 - | Socializing. Musical entertainment |
Friday, 4 November 2016
08.00-09.00 | Breakfast |
09.00-09.35 |
Pål Kolstø Russia’s imperial tradition today |
09.35-09.50 | Questions and discussion |
09:55-10:25 |
Geir Flikke Russia’s “special path” in the relation between state and nation |
10.25-10.40 | Questions and discussion |
10.40-11.10 | Coffee break |
11.10-11.45 | Kristian Gerner
Clericalization, militarization and acquiescence: |
11.45-12.00 | Questions and discussion |
12.00-13.30 | Lunch |
13.30-14.05 | Uffe Østergaard Nordic/Lutheran vs. Russian-Orthodox political culture |
14:05-14:20 | Questions and discussion |
14.20-14.55 | Christian Gottlieb After secularization: Russia and the Nordic countries |
14.55-15.10 | Questions and discussion |
15.10-15.40 | Coffee break |
15.40-16.30 | Concluding discussion |
Medvirkende
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Christian Gottleib
Organizier -
Bertel Haarder
Opens the conference -
Per-Arne Bodin
-
Geir Flikke
-
Kristian Gerner
-
Elina Kahla
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Pål Kolstø
-
Jeanne (Zhanna) Kormina
-
Uffe Østergaard