Law And Religion In Post Communist Europe

This book is the first comprehensive description of the Church-State systems that are in force in the post-Communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The reports it contains are structured along similar lines, so that analogies and differences of the national legal systems can easily be identified and no significant profile of Church and State relations is overlooked. After a short historical and sociological introduction, each report deals with issues like registration of religious organizations, financing of Churches, religious education in public schools, etc.

Companion to Law and religion in post-communist Europe.

The study of democratization and constitutional development in post-communist societies raises issues which go beyond specific institutional arrangements initiated in post-communist societies to probe some of the fundamental themes in religion and politics. The Law of Religious Identity: Models for Post-Communism comprises conference-generated papers spanning a wide area of discourse, from theoretical treatises about the role of religion in the public sphere to monographical studies of specific problems of church and state relations in Central and Eastern Europe. The essays in this volume address the need to clarify the assumptions and consequences of the once unassailable belief in traditional liberal political thought, The notion of `state neutrality'. Three key issues form a thread through the work: The relationship of religion To The public space, The meaning of religion in the construction of a modern, liberal concept of citizenship, And The intertwining of religion and nationalism. This book treats these themes via a variety of highly diverse approaches, all of which are scholarly, multi-layered, and extremely provocative. Scholars in a broad range of fields--religious studies, history, philosophy, and others--will appreciate the high quality of this work and its ability to inspire thought, conversation, and writing on several highly controversial issues.

This book addresses the complex intersection of secret police operations and the formation of the religious underground in communist-era Eastern Europe. It discusses how religious groups were perceived as dangerous to the totalitarian state whilst also being extremely vulnerable and yet at the same time very resourceful. It explores how this particular dynamic created the concept of the "religious underground" and produced an extremely rich secret police archival record. In a series of studies from across the region, the book explores the historical and legal context of secret police entanglement with religious groups, presents case studies on particular anti-religious operations and groups, offers methodological approaches to the secret police materials for the study of religions, and engages in contemporary ethical and political debates on the legacy and meaning of the archives in post-communism.

In the post-communist era it has become evident that the emerging democracies in Eastern Europe will be determined by many factors, only some of them political. Throughout the region, the Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Greek Catholic churches have tried to impose their views on democracy through direct political engagement. Moreover, surveys show that the churches (and the army) enjoy more popular confidence than elected political bodies such as parliaments. These results reflect widespread disenchantment with a democratization process that has allowed politicians to advance their own agendas rather than work to solve the urgent socio-economic problems these countries face. In this penetrating study, Lavinia Stan and Lucian Turcescu investigate the interaction of religion and politics in one such country, Romania. Facing internal challenges and external competitions from other religions old and new, the Orthodox Church in Romania has sought to consolidate its position and ensure Romania's version of democracy recognizes its privileged position of "national Church", enforcing the Church's stances on issues such as homosexuality and abortion. The post-communist state and political elite in turn rely on the Church for compliance with educational and cultural policies and to quell the insistent demands of the Hungarian minority for autonomy. Stan and Turcescu examine the complex relationship between church and state in this new Romania, providing analysis in key areas: church collaboration with communist authorities, post-communist electoral politics, nationalism and ethno-politics, restitution of Greek Catholic property, religious education, and sexual behavior and reproduction. As the first scholars to be given access to confidential materials from the archives of the communist political police, the notorious Securitate, Stan and Turcescu also examine church archives, legislation, news reports, and interviews with politicians and church leaders. This study will move the debate from common analyses of nationalism in isolation to more comprehensive investigations which consider the impact of religious actors on a multitude of other issues relevant to the political and social life of the country.

This book brings together leading international scholars of law and religion to provide an overview of current issues in State-religion relations. The first part of the collection offers a picture of recent developments in key countries and regions. The second part is focused on Europe and, in particular, on the Nordic States and the post-communist countries where State-religion systems have undergone most profound change. The third and final part is devoted to four issues that are currently debated all over the world: the relations between freedom of expression and freedom of religion; proselytism and the right to change religion; the religious symbols; and the legal status of Islam in Europe and Canada. The work will be a valuable resource for academics, students and policy-makers with an interest in the interaction between law and religion.

​While religion was expelled from the public space during Communist times and became a secret form of “inner emigration”, it entered the empty public space again in Post-Communist times. Public interest in religious issues and the public prestige of religion have dramatically increased. The book “Under Construction. The Role of Religion in Eastern Europe Today” deals with the (re-)emergence of religion in Eastern Europe and its impact on the economy, the society, and the state in 15 essays. The authors represent various fields of science related to human interaction – Economics, Political Science, Sociology, and Law. The added value is an up-to-date and interdisciplinary perspective on religion and its effects in major spheres of the societies in Eastern Europe today.