Beyond ethnocentric identity: understanding Orthodox communalities in Estonia

Abstract

ABSTRACT Orthodox believers in Estonia constitute the majority of self-identifying churchgoers (according to the 2011 census). They are, however, divided ethnically and institutionally. While religion is an important source of identity, Orthodoxy in particular has been often identified with nationalism . This article explores the complex identity and self-understanding of the Orthodox minority in Estonia. Contrary to studies examining conflict and irreconcilable differences, we focus on social and religious practices and discourses that de-emphasize institutional and methodological ethnocentricity and provide an alternative heuristic framework for understanding forms of co-existence, tolerance, and solidarity. Through combining historical research and sociological interviews, the article argues that some forms of grass-root solidarity have been neglected or downplayed, while the differences have been exaggerated and taken as intrinsic by church and political actors.