SOAS Research Online

A Free Database of the Latest Research by SOAS Academics and PhD Students

[skip to content]

Stoyanov, Yuri (2024) 'The War in Ukraine: Challenges to Just War Doctrines in Eastern Orthodoxy.' Studies in Christian Ethics, 37 (3). pp. 669-692.

[img]
Preview
Text - Accepted Version
Download (573kB) | Preview

Abstract

The sequence and escalation of Russian–Ukrainian political and military conflicts since 2014, culminating in Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, have reopened interest in and debates on just war theory and practice in general and specifically in historic and modern Eastern Orthodox cultures and Orthodox-majority states. These debates have significant repercussions in areas like church–state and church–military relations in these cultures; ecclesial involvement in these conflicts has varied from war-justification rhetoric (in the case of the Russian Orthodox Church) to reiterations of the inherited traditions of ecclesial pacifism/condemnation of all violence (the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, a number of Orthodox Churches, clerical and theological networks, etc.). The Russian ecclesial involvements in the justification of war/military necessity and formulation of just war narratives have triggered divisions and antagonisms in the Eastern Orthodoxy. The development and course of the ecclesial conflicts involving Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox churches and parishes (and other Orthodox ecclesiastic bodies) will show whether Orthodox religious actors may begin to play a more significant role in the articulation and application of newly emerging trends in areas like the theology of just peace, just peace-making and Christian realism, Orthodox social ethics and the dynamic praxis of just peace-making.

Item Type: Journal Article
Keywords: Just war theory, Eastern Orthodoxy, pacifism, just peace, church-state relations, Russian Orthodox Church, Ukrainian Orthodoxy, ecumenism and inter-church relations
SOAS Departments & Centres: Departments and Subunits > School of Languages, Cultures & Linguistics
Subjects: B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BJ Ethics
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religions. Mythology. Rationalism
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BR Christianity
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BT Doctrinal Theology
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BV Practical Theology
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BX Christian Denominations
D History General and Old World > DE The Mediterranean Region. The Greco-Roman World
D History General and Old World > DF Greece
D History General and Old World > DJK Eastern Europe (General)
D History General and Old World > DK Russia. Soviet Union. Former Soviet Republics
D History General and Old World > DR Balkan Peninsula
J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
J Political Science > JC Political theory
J Political Science > JF Political institutions (General)
J Political Science > JZ International relations
K Law > KB Religious Law in General
U Military Science > U Military Science (General)
B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion
U Military Science
ISSN: 09539468
Copyright Statement: This is the version of the article accepted for publication in Studies in Christian Ethics published by Sage. Re-use is subject to the publisher’s terms and conditions, and is restricted to non-commercial and no derivative uses.
DOI (Digital Object Identifier): https://doi.org/10.1177/09539468241258947
SWORD Depositor: JISC Publications Router
Date Deposited: 23 Jun 2024 07:03
URI: https://eprints.soas.ac.uk/id/eprint/42091
Related URLs: https://journal ... om/toc/scea/0/0 (Publisher URL)

Altmetric Data

Statistics

Download activity - last 12 monthsShow export options
Downloads since deposit
6 month trend
30Downloads
6 month trend
75Hits
Accesses by country - last 12 monthsShow export options
Accesses by referrer - last 12 monthsShow export options

Repository staff only

Edit Item Edit Item