Abstract
Based on long-term fieldwork in a Pentecostal church in Saint-Petersburg, Russia, this paper focuses on the religious experiences of Pentecostal Christians in contemporary Russia in the context of Russia-Ukrainian war, oppressive state legislation, and Orthodox propaganda. Revived under the influence of Western missionaries after the collapse of the USSR and being in close contact with both Western and Ukrainian religious leaders, the Russian Evangelical community has become the main victim of the new legislation and the primary target of pro-state media and Orthodox activists. The hunt for “foreign agents” and “terrorist organizations” threatening state security, which has strengthened after the escalation of the Ukrainian conflict in 2014, has contributed to the marginalization of the whole Pentecostal community in Russia. Drawing from my fieldwork interviews and some high-profile cases in the media, I show how the religious identity of a marginalized minority can increase the vulnerability associated with the current political regime in Russia.
Presenters
Tatiana NovotolskaiaStudent, MPhil in Social Anthropology, University of Oxford, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Pentecostal Christianity, Politics of religion, Post-secular Russia
