ORTHODOX RELIGIOUS IDENTITY AND EUROPEAN VALUES: SUPPLEMENTS OR OPPOSITES?

Abstract

The processes of European integration taking place on various levels and in diverse spheres of life are full of contradictions and obstacles. What bonds present-day inhabitants of Europe at the level of mass consciousness, the so-called European values are an object of heated discussion. Religion and religious values may well unite and contribute to the sense of common collective identity at different levels. At the same time, religion may lead – and in actuality often led – to ferocious and bloody conflicts. Christianity that has determined civilizational identity for the overwhelming majority of European nationstates is not unified. Orthodoxy tradition of Christianity is conceived of by elites and general public in the countries of ‘core Europe’ as a rather contradictory phenomenon. The author attempts to answer a research question: Does Christian Orthodox tradition exhibited in people’s religious identity contradict to the modern European values and, subsequently, slow down European integration? This article uses secondary quantitative approach to undertake an exploratory analysis and test religious identity effects on European value systems in six countries with predominantly Orthodox religious profile. Preliminary findings testify that two phenomena at question are not antipodes, in opposition to what is widely believed. The Orthodox faithful differ from non-believers and adherents of other confessions by several value attitudes, but these dissimilarities validate more pro-democratic and pro-European values of Orthodox believers. In particular, the latter show stronger support for democratic values, including democratic political system, and civic political culture. Strong Orthodox believers hold a more consistent system of values and worldview than non-believers, who mostly demonstrate consumerist and ego-centric attitudes.