Sociological Analysis of Orthodox Religious Identity: Discussion of Patriotism and Opposition

Religious identity is a complex, multifaceted, emotionally and rationally charged phenomenon rooted in reli-gious competence. Religious competence is a complex of socio-psychological qualities and properties of an individual that enable trust in people, social groups, institutions, and, ultimately, religious faith. The authors of the study are positioned that there are various types of religious identity: normative-confessional, folklorized, marginal, nomadic and virtual. The basic types of religious identity are the first three. The main goal of this study is to identify the share of normative-confessional Orthodox religious identity among Orthodox believers. Normative-confessional religious identity manifests itself in a good knowledge of the canonical foundations of one’s religious doctrine and in compliance with the basic precepts: practices of fasting, prayer, ascetic exercis-es, regularity of attending divine services and communion. Normative religiosity is difficult to form among the majority of respondents who call themselves Orthodox. It is this identity that becomes the basis for the for-mation of state-oriented sentiments and the discourse of patriotism in Russian society. And the folklorized and marginal forms of religious identity serve as the basis for the development of Frondiers, opposition sentiments, the base of the discourse of opposition and extremism.