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The article examines the implications of the Russian Orthodox Church's social ethics for ecumenical dialogue, particularly in times of war.

May 24, 2026Open Access

Ecumenical Theses on War. Proposal and Response

Key Points

The article examines the implications of the Russian Orthodox Church's social ethics for ecumenical dialogue, particularly in times of war.
Developed four theses on the consequences of the church's position during wartime.
Applied securitization theory to analyze impacts on social freedoms in Russia and Ukraine.
Critically assessed the end of dialogue between the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Finland and the Russian Orthodox Church.
Identified that social freedoms are threatened during conflict, impacting religious practices.
Demonstrated the necessity of critical dialogue among churches instead of promoting unity at all costs.
Highlighted the consequences of the lack of institutional dialogue between major churches.

Abstract

Abstract This article raises four theses regarding the ecumenical consequences of the Russian Orthodox Church’s position on social ethics. It analyses how social freedoms are often at risk in times of war, applying the securitization theory to the current situation of religious freedom in Russia and Ukraine. The theses are developed from core principles of ecumenical dialogue and show how churches cannot simply promote unity for the sake of it, but must pay attention to socio-ethical developments and criticize one another, if necessary, which can be demonstrated by the end of institutional dialogue between the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Finland and the Russian Orthodox Church.

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