Power and Religion in Russia and in European Countries: A Historical Analysis of the Relationship

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The article contains an analysis of the history of the relationship between institutions of government and religion and reveals the systemic interrelationships of these spheres of public life. Despite the existence of a formula of non-interference in each other’s affairs, the government and religion have constantly tried and are trying to influence each other. The author talks about the cyclical nature of competition and cooperation between government and religion over the millennia, about the penetration of religion into the value orientations of power, its ideological foundations, about the role of religion in legitimizing power, about the importance of religion in difficult periods of Russian statehood. Historical periods are described when the desacralization of public and political life was replaced by religiosity, and vice versa. According to the author, the secular government is responsible for the external well-being of people, while religion is responsible for the inner, spiritual world of a person. The author introduces the concept of sovereignty as the ability of a person to keep the arrival of evil on his section of the spiritual front, which is one of the factors of peace and social harmony. It is precisely the power, service, dedication and responsibility that representatives of the modern Russian political elite should possess. The article contains an analysis of historical and religious sources, numerous examples from the history of Russia and Europe, arguing the author’s position.