Faith and Reason: Christian Strategies Under Post-Soviet Repression in Central Asia^†

† This article draws on 43 interviews conducted by the author and research assistants, primarily in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and the United States. The identities of most of the respondents, including church representatives and members, Western missionaries, and local experts have been concealed to guarantee their anonymity, given the political conditions in these countries. Names listed are pseudonyms, and dates of interviews conducted in Central Asia have been changed.

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Acknowledgement

The author thanks Shawn Stefanick for research assistance.

Notes

† This article draws on 43 interviews conducted by the author and research assistants, primarily in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and the United States. The identities of most of the respondents, including church representatives and members, Western missionaries, and local experts have been concealed to guarantee their anonymity, given the political conditions in these countries. Names listed are pseudonyms, and dates of interviews conducted in Central Asia have been changed.

1. The numbers from the Kazakhstan 2009 census are very similar, with ethnic Russians, Ukrainians, and Germans, who were historically Christian, comprising 26.0 percent of the population (Statistical Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan 2009).

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Kathleen Collins

Kathleen Collins is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Minnesota. She is author of the award-winning book, Clan Politics and Regime Transition in Central Asia (Cambridge University Press, 2006, 2009). She is currently completing a book on Islam and politics in Central Eurasia. She has published articles in World Politics, Comparative Politics, Europe-Asia Studies, the Journal of Democracy, Political Research Quarterly, and other journals and edited volumes.