Dynamics in state-religion relations in postcommunist Central Eastern Europe and Russia

Figures & data

Figure 1. Countries covered in this contribution: Hungary, Lithuania, Slovakia, and Russia.

Table 1. Modes and norms for the governance of religious diversity.

Majoritarian	Strong state identification with one religion
Nationalism	May or may not include toleration for other religions
	May or may not include personal religious laws
	In radical cases the state takes over or controls the institutions and followers of one or more religions
Secularist Statism	State control of religion
	The state excludes religion from the political and the civic, confining religious freedom largely to the private sphere
	This mode of secularism may be self-defined as part of the national identity
	May include some support of some religions, but religion mainly seen as belonging to the private sphere
Liberal Neutralism	Moral individualism – freedom of conscience
	Anti-assimilation and equal civic standing of all religions
	Religions are officially and socially tolerated
	Active ‘de-othering’ but no ‘recognition’
Moderate	Moral individualism – freedom of conscience
Secularism	Religions may enjoy equal or unequal status but all are officially and socially tolerated
	Religion seen as a public good in need of support
	Religion might also be seen as in need of regulation
	Mutual autonomy but restricted neutrality, including ‘weak’ establishment and unequal recognition
	Religious and non-religious citizens give each other generally accessible/dialogical reasons in politics

Table 2. Modelling state-religion relations in Central Eastern Europe and Russia.

	Liberal neutralism	Moderate secularism	Secularist statism	Majoritarian nationalism
Russia			DON	QON
Hungary		DON		QON
Slovakia		DON		QON
Lithuania	DON	QON

QON = Qualifying Operative Norms; DON = Dominant Operative Norms.