College of Law Faculty Scholarship
How to Entrench a De Facto State Church in Russia: A Guide in Progress
Source Publication (e.g., journal title)
Brigham Young University Law Review
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
January 2008
Abstract
The Russian Orthodox Church's (ROC) assertion of a constitutionally inappropriate role in affairs of state has severely compromised Russia's secular constitutional framework. This gradual but steady erosion of the barrier between church and state is evidenced by a series of contemporary developments that are inexorably linked to the Church's vision of its traditional place in Russian history.
Disturbingly, each successive post-communist regime has further enabled this behavior, and there is no indication that the political transition from President Vladimir Putin to his hand-picked successor, Dmitry Medvedev, will change anything.
This paper argues that the emerging pattern of collusion presents a serious challenge to Russia's constitutional order and to the country's regional and international human rights commitments - chief among these being the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion or belief.
Recommended Citation
Blitt, Robert, "How to Entrench a De Facto State Church in Russia: A Guide in Progress" (2008). College of Law Faculty Scholarship. 181.
https://ir.law.utk.edu/utk_lawpubl/181