Eastern christianity and the cold war: An overview

This chapter examines the controversial church-state relations in Eastern Christianity during the Cold War focusing on countries on both sides of the Iron Curtain. The term ‘Cold War’ is usually associated with the ideological, political, economic and military clash between the world super-powers, the Soviet Union and the United States. The chapter reviews the perception of church-state relations in the Orthodox commonwealth. Orthodox churches have been perceived as being fully submissive to their regimes and that religious activity was declining rapidly. It explores Eastern Christianity in the light of recent archival material and post-Cold War publications in various European languages. The chapter explores the subtle ways in which churches adapted to new political regimes and the role of international ecclesiastical relations. The increasing number of religious communities outside predominantly Orthodox territories has led to the reshaping of boundaries within Eastern Christianity.