Anthropology of religion: comparative studies from the Carpathians to the Caucasus

Anthropological research on religion in Eastern Europe reflects the intrinsic complexity and dynamics of religious expression in a region that is constantly facing political challenges, including border mobility (both physical and imaginary) and mass migration. The collapse of the communist era led to hybrid forms of politicization of religious life, especially as the newly independent states sought to consolidate their legitimacy by integrating religion into national / nationalist visions of history. In a number of countries in this post-colonial, post-communist front-line region, religion is perceived as an extremely important component of national identity, belonging to a certain community, associated with the ancient history of a nation and its heroic past. The latter often brings to life irreconcilable contradictions with neighboring countries over the vision of a common history. Involvement of religion and religiosity in political, economic, social life in Eastern Europe reveals a wide variety of religious forms, texts and rites, disputed and common shrines, as well as a number of sects, cults, beliefs and other multilayered movements that form an eclectic picture. religious pluralism in the region. The texts from the collection offered to readers reflect a wide range of research on the outlined topics at the regional and local levels - from Subcarpathia to the Caucasus - and cover the period from the middle of the XX century. to the beginning of the XXI century. The book includes articles by participants of the annual conference on the anthropology of religion, which took place in Kyiv during 2014-2018 and was organized by the Working Group on the Study of Religion in the Black Sea Coast, chaired by K. Vanner. The publication is aimed at specialists in socio-cultural anthropology, sociology, religious studies, history, etc., teachers, graduate students and students of various humanities, as well as all those interested in studying religion with quality methods and features of its functioning in the post-Soviet space.

Contribution. K. Vanner, Y. Buysky.