St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology (May 2023)
Orthodox Political Theology
Abstract
This entry outlines the evolution of various political theologies in the Eastern Christian milieux, from the time of the apostles up until the present. It begins with the definitions of and distinctions between political and public theologies. Then it explores the dialectics of the relationship between the church, the state, and the public square in the Graeco-Roman world, both before and after the latter recognized and merged with Christianity. The article continues exploring the modifications of symphonia (a view of the church and state as complementary) under the conditions of secularization and disestablishmentness. It focuses on the earliest instances of the culture wars in Eastern Christianity and on the Russian religious renaissance. This entry differentiates between two major trends, one conservative, the other liberal, in modern Orthodox political theology. The conservative trend dominated in the interwar period, while liberal currents attained prominence after the Second World War. The most recent theories of civilizational exceptionalism, including the idea of the ‘Russian world’ that underpins the war in Ukraine, will be explored. There are two positions in current Orthodox political theology: one that accepts and appreciates modern liberal democracy and one that criticizes it. This entry concludes with an analysis of modern Orthodox social doctrines.
