Уровень и характер межконфессиональной напряженности в Нижнем Поволжье

Abstract

The article analyzes the data of a sociological survey conducted in the spring of 2020 of the Bottom Volga area by the research team of the Department of history, political science and sociology of the Saratov state law Academy. Primary sociological information was collected using the Internet survey of respondents using the Google forms service. The sample size was 1,100 people. Representatives of the Astrakhan region (184 respondents), Volgograd region (307) and Saratov region (609) were interviewed. The empirical study allowed us to determine the influence of respondents' religion on the perception of religious threats, as well as problems of interfaith dialogue. The regional specifics of the quality of interfaith relations were revealed, and the levels of religious tension in the Astrakhan, Volgograd and Saratov regions were compared. The survey revealed hidden tensions in the region's interfaith relations (including among the Orthodox majority). Representatives of the Muslim community showed an optimistic attitude in their responses. A potentially dangerous predisposition to politicizing religion has been identified among those groups that are under pressure to identify with their faith. The study revealed: there is a high level of concern about issues of faith among representatives of the Muslim community; a positive attitude towards increasing the role of religion in socio-political life, increasing the level of secularization of society. Atheists of the Lower Volga region showed open dissatisfaction with the state of religious relations in the region. Atheists of the Lower Volga region showed open dissatisfaction with the state of religious relations in the region. This group appears as an object of the religious security system, which under pressure is transformed into a subject protesting against secularization processes. The author concludes that the main strategy should be to study and solve the internal problems of religious minorities, and a complementary strategy can be to counteract external (foreign) religious threats.