Religion in the anti-imperial strategy of Ivan Nechuy-Levytsky

Abstract

The research subject is the role of religion in Ivan Nechuy-Levytsky's anti-imperial practice. Past studies have focused on general issues of the author's discourse against the empire in his novels, essays, and correspondence. However, the religious aspect of his anti-imperial approach remains unexplored. This study aims to uncover Nechuy-Levytsky's use of religion against the Russian Empire in his writings. To achieve this goal, we analyzed the concept of human nature in his novels through the lens of Christian anthropology. We also explored the author's explanation of the emergence of Protestantism on Ukrainian territory during the second half of the 19th century, along with his portrayal of Protestants in his literary works. Finally, we presented the Nechuy-Levytsky view on the essence of religion. Our primary methods of analysis are analogy and hypothesis. Three main conclusions have been reached. 1. Nechuy utilizes the Christian doctrine of passion as a sin to depict literary characters. He grounds passions not in metaphysical evil but in social ones, a result of the societal structure of the Russian Empire. The redefined idea of passion is a challenge to imperial power. 2. The imperial narrative suggests that German settlers and Ukrainian believers were responsible for the spread of Protestantism. On the contrary, Nechuy-Levytsky attributes responsibility to the Orthodox clergy, who exerted dominance by using the Russian language in religious rituals and eventually disconnected from their congregations. The author's portrayal of Protestantism shows an understanding of its rational nature as a religious creed, its potential to satisfy the spiritual needs of its adherents, and its role in promoting enlightenment and religious freedom. Protestantism serves as an additional argument against the empire. 3. According to Nechuy-Levytsky, religion can be viewed as a form of magic. However, he contrasts ancient Ukraine's pantheism and Christianity's monotheism regarding the transmission of this magic. Pantheism relies on imagination to create an imaginative and poetic world, while monotheism fixates on a single object and limits creativity. Nechuy-Levytsky argues that pantheism, as a form of unrestrained religious imagination, is inherently linked to national identity. Conversely, Christian monotheism, which restricts and centralizes imagination, carries inherent imperial connotations. These religions embody the dichotomy between the nation and the empire. Christianity's limitation of pantheistic creativity thus also serves as an anti-imperial position. These concepts may lead to further examination of the role of religion in Ivan Nechuy-Levytsky's literature, his opposition to imperialism, and the anti-imperialistic intentions of Ukrainian literature.