A "holy crusade"?
A considerable number of the hierarchs, priests, and lay members of the Russian Orthodox Church perceive Russia’s occupation of Ukraine as a “holy crusade” against the “godless West.” Many argue that their support encourages the Russian leadership to continue the war, and are concerned that the war has, to a significant extent, been inspired by religious figures who have indoctrinated the Russian masses by the ideology of the Russian world.
Such views are currently dividing the Christian Orthodox Churches across the world, as Putin’s war also carries a further strengthening of the schism within the Church. Are religious figures able to provide a different perspective, and can theologically based arguments convince those in Russia supporting the war to favour peace?
We want to invite engagement and discussion on these topics, and are therefore planning a seminar and panel discussion to be held at Domus Juridica by the end of the month.
Open lecture at Domus Juridica
The Oslo Coalition and the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights have invited Fr. Cyril Hovorun to discuss these topics in closer detail. Hovorun, who is a long-term partner of the Oslo Coalition, will also engage in a panel discussion moderated by Dr. Lena Larsen, Director of the Oslo Coalition. We anticipate an interesting discussion!
More information about the event and how to sign up can be found here. We hope to see you there!