State Funding of Religious Organizations in Georgia

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the existing model of state funding of religious organizations in Georgia, taking into account its assumptions and nature and focusing on the problem of the preferential treatment of some religious organizations (especially the Georgian Orthodox Church). First, the key assumptions of funding religious organizations from public sources in Georgia are presented. Then, the article discusses the relevant case law of the Constitutional Court of Georgia. Finally, the challenges of the current model are identified, and some suggestions for the desirable changes in the system are made accordingly. It is argued that the future solutions in this area should respect the principle of secular state. The article concludes by indicating some possible European models that could be followed by the Georgian legislator.

Keywords

• church-state relations
• funding of religious organizations
• georgian orthodox church
• georgia
• democratic republic of georgia
• church-state relations