Examination of the crisis of classical theodicy in the context of contemporary warfare, with particular attention to the experience of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. The problem of innocent suffering can no longer be approached solely through speculative attempts to justify the world order or reconcile radical evil with divine providence. Methodologically, the study combines hermeneutic, phenomenological, and comparative-conceptual analysis. It reconstructs a selective genealogy of Gottverlassenheit from Martin Luther’s Theologia Crucis through Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Jürgen Moltmann, brings this tradition into dialogue with contemporary moral anti-theodicy, and examines Ukrainian philosophical and religious reflections shaped by wartime experience. The article’s central contribution is the conceptualization of the anthropodical shift: a reorientation from the metaphysical justification of suffering toward a practical ethics of responsibility, witness, solidarity, and the defense of human dignity. In this perspective, Gottverlassenheit is interpreted not as a problem to be resolved by another theoretical theodicy, but as an existential condition that redirects philosophical and religious reflection toward the suffering Other. The Ukrainian wartime context demonstrates how this shift acquires concrete ethical significance through practices of presence, moral responsibility, solidarity, and resistance to dehumanization.
An analysis of the transformation of the religious field in Poland between 2014 and 2024 in light of Ukrainian wartime migration. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of the religious field as its conceptual framework, the study explores the redistribution of symbolic capital, the evolution of religious habitus, and the emergence of new actors within the field. Particular attention is given to the Roman Catholic Church, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church, and evangelical communities. The study reveals a weakening of the RCC’s monopoly and an expansion of symbolic legitimacy among previously peripheral or new players. Ukrainian migration has not only reshaped interfaith relations but also stimulated new forms of ecumenical cooperation. These changes suggest a shift from a monolithic model of religion to a more polycentric and dynamic field, where symbolic struggle coexists with intercultural solidarity.
A comprehensive historical and religious studies analysis of the evolution of Church- state relations, repressive practices, and transformations of cultural memory in Ukraine from the Soviet era to contemporary wartime challenges. The mechanisms of Soviet "spiritual genocide" as an institutional prelude to the Holodomor are examined, accompanied by the destruction of religious infrastructure, confiscation of property, and deprivation of legal status of religious communities. The formation of the contemporary Ukrainian model of Church- state relations, which is grounded in the principles of religious pluralism, partnership, and the separation of Church and state as a direct antithesis to state-imposed totalitarian atheism. Drawing on empirical and statistical data, the article reveals the revival of Soviet totalitarian methods by the Russian Federation's occupation authorities in the temporarily non- government-controlled territories of Ukraine. Ultimately, it demonstrates that under conditions of hybrid and full-scale aggression, the protection of freedom of conscience and the deconstruction of imperial-Soviet narratives have become part of the national and humanitarian security of the state.
This study examines the Jadidist movement as a fundamental sociocultural and religious- reformist phenomenon that redefined the intellectual, spiritual, and educational landscape of the Turkic-Muslim populations within the Russian Empire and Central Asia. Moving beyond traditional historical narratives, this article analyzes Jadidism through the lens of sociological theories of modernization, cultural identity, and transnational intellectual exchange, placing special emphasis on its Islamic reformist core. By integrating Western secular pedagogical models with indigenous Islamic renewal discourse, Jadidists attempted to navigate the delicate tension between religious tradition and modern demands. The research investigates the institutional development of "Usul-i Jadid" schools, the role of reformist print media in shaping a new "public sphere," and the revival of ijtihad (rational interpretation) as a driver of collective consciousness. Furthermore, it addresses the intersection of Jadidism with broader Pan-Islamic and Pan-Turkic aspirations, and its eventual politicization as a response to imperial constraints and socialist radicalization. The findings suggest that the religious- philosophical and educational legacy of Jadidism remains a pivotal ideological framework for contemporary nation-building, spiritual identity, and cultural diplomacy in post-Soviet Turkic states.
This article examines the process of religious transformation in post-Soviet Kyrgyzstan, focusing particularly on its institutional, social, cultural, and political dimensions. The study aims to identify the main characteristics of religious transformation, analyze the factors that have shaped its development, and assess its implications for contemporary Kyrgyz society. Methodologically, the research combines historical, comparative, and qualitative approaches to examine changes from the Soviet period to the present. The analysis demonstrates that the collapse of Soviet atheistic ideology and the expansion of religious freedom created favorable conditions for the revival of religious institutions, the growth of mosques and madrassas 1 , the development of Islamic education, and the strengthening of personal religiosity. At the same time, religious transformation has been shaped by identity processes, economic and social changes, labor migration, foreign religious influences, globalization, and the expansion of digital religious communication. The study also reveals that post-Soviet religious transformation is characterized by increasing religious pluralism and individualization. Alongside the traditional Hanafi–Maturidi 2 understanding of Islam, new religious movements and interpretations have emerged. These developments have created challenges related to radicalization, religious literacy, and the balance between state regulation and religious freedom. The article concludes that sustainable religious development requires quality religious education, constructive state–religion dialogue, respect for religious freedom, and a comprehensive approach to preventing radicalization.
