Reflexive and Reasoned Religious Nationalism: The Exploratory Case of Russia. Issue 2 (26th March 2018) - Bacon, Edwin
Abstract: Nationalism theory has long acknowledged that in its relation to nationalism, "religion" can refer both to a reflexive identity attached to a people group, and to a reasoned value-based position articulated by an élite. Even this bifurcation remains insufficiently precise. Religio-nationalisms reasoned ex patria —that is, beginning with the nationalist and proceeding from there to incorporate religion—tend toward values of exclusivity and animosity toward "the other". They have been charged with hijacking religion as an identity while being at odds with those who actively practice that religion or lead its practicing community. The exploratory case of the relationship between Russian Orthodoxy and Russian nationalism allows a comparison of ex patria religio-nationalism with its ex religio counterpart. It supports the hypothesis that when reasoned religio-nationalism begins with the religious and proceeds to the nationalist, emphases such as inclusivity and benevolence—rather than exclusivity and animosity—are to the fore.