The role of Orthodoxy in Ukraine’s response to war: from politics to theology

Christianity has historically been part of both conflict escalation and nonviolent conflict transformation, thus acting as an ambivalent factor in the search for solutions to social conflicts and war. So far, the discourse around the Russian Orthodox Church’s (ROC’s) support for Russia’s war against Ukraine has largely focused on the framework of the instrumentalization thesis. This thesis declares (Orthodox) Christianity to be a peaceful religion that is misused or abused by political elites, including Patriarch Kirill and other figures of the ROC’s leadership. The political instrumentalization of religion is a crucial topic for understanding the role Orthodoxy has played in conflicts. However, it is only one of the many ways religion impacts conflicts, conflict transformation, and the relation of individuals and society to violence. This paper argues that the influence of the churches on Ukraine’s societal reconciliation processes lies beyond political instrumentalization and is rooted instead in the theological paradigms that shape the churches’ positions and activities. After sketching the problems of the political approach to the contested landscape of Ukraine’s Christian churches under the conditions of war, this paper offers theological perspectives on the challenges and future tasks Orthodoxy faces to become a force for reconciliation.