Religion and belief in Eastern Europe: Preface

Abstract

This special issue of the social research journal “Culture and Society” contributes to theoretical discussions about the role of religion in public sphere of contemporary societies and provides some new empirical insights. It particularly focuses on the region of Eastern Europe that has seen recent and most significant social, political and economic transformations. The official atheist doctrine of the socialist period was overcome between the years 1989 and 1991 (Gerlach & Topfer 2015). Such change interplayed with public life, while religion and belief found various and different roles in society, usually more apparent. This period enhanced the notion of ‘freedom of religion and belief’ (Gerlach & Topfer 2015). Nonetheless, contemporary societies in Eastern Europe experience a heterogeneous religious landscape. The population’s religious and belief identities grow diverse as we move on in the 21st century. The current makeup of the society also depicts new challenges and controversies in different spheres of public life. The role of religion and belief has also changed while non-belief and the contested notions of secularity have gained much attention in discourse and personal belief, both.