Theopolitics of the Orthodox World—Autocephaly of the Orthodox Churches as a Political, Not Theological Problem

Abstract

The recognition of the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 2019 sparked a debate in the Orthodox world about the legitimacy of such an act. In the present study, we aim to explain, through the concept of theopolitics, this event which has caused a schism in the contemporary Orthodox Church. Following a brief introduction to Buber’s concept of theopolitics, we focus on a historical overview, demonstrating that the problems of the Orthodox world do not originate in theological issues, as it might seem at first glance, but primarily in political issues. The case of the autocephaly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church proves the importance of theopolitics.

Keywords

• theopolitics
• Orthodox churches
• Russia
• Ukraine
• Ecumenical Patriarchate
• Kyiv