Russia’s Modernization: The Role of the Russian Orthodox Church

Abstract

These theses form part of a book length project on the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in the modernization of Russia. In it I will seek to explain why the rise of traditional religious institutions in Russia is occurring at the same time that the government and society are embarked upon a massive program of modernization. Social science theory suggests that modernization ought to be accompanied by a decline in both religious sentiment and the influence of religious institutions. Exactly the opposite has happened in Russia since the collapse of USSR, and we need to understand why.

Keywords: Russian Orthodox Church, Modernization