Bulgaria

Abstract

This chapter seeks to establish the relationship between secularism and religious diversity governance in Bulgaria. It provides an account of state-religion relations and religious diversity governance in the country in historical perspective. The model of state-religion relations in Bulgaria is one of a two-way autonomy involving separation of church and state. The country acknowledges freedom of belief and religious pluralism, however, Orthodox Christianity maintains a dominant place as the majority religion. While most of Bulgaria’s population (both Christian and Muslim) is highly secularised, religion still retains a strong influence as it constitutes an important component of most Bulgarians’ cultural identity. Another important factor to account for when discussing state-religion relations is the weakness of the main religious institutions (the Orthodox Synod and the Chief Muftiate) in the context of the communist legacy and post-communist political rivalries. Within this context, the first section outlines the ethno-confessional structure of the Bulgarian population and attendant socio-economic characteristics, and the rest of the chapter traces the dynamics of state-religion relations and the governance of religious diversity.