The Growth of Religiosity in Post-Soviet Ukraine: Empirical Findings and Theoretical Approaches

Abstract

"The article examines the growth of religiosity in Ukraine during the last twenty-five years. In the first part, we carefully assess the developments of religiosity by combining various data sources that separately yield quite different results. In order to better understand the state of religious affairs in the late Soviet years, we undertake a brief historical review of the Ukraine’s post-1945 period. From this starting point, we can clearly see that there were two waves of religious upswing: between 1987 and 1992 as well as between 1999 and 2009. In the second part, we look more closely at types of religiosity in four regions of Ukraine, revealing that the population of the Western region was and remains much more religious than the rest of the country. The analysis of religiosity growth in different regions provides evidence that part of this growth has been nominal. Finally, we review three possible theoretical approaches that can explain the observed developments: an institutional approach, an »ideological« approach, and a socio-psychological approach." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Peter Lang Verlag) ((en))

Cite article

Gatskov, M. & Gatskova, K. (2015): Zum Anstieg der Religiosität in der postsowjetischen Ukraine: Empirische Befunde und theoretische Erklärungsansätze. In: K. Boeckh & O. Turij (Hrsg.) (2015): Religiöse Pluralität als Faktor des Politischen in der Ukraine, p. 153-187. DOI:10.3726/b12074