The Century of Wars
Russian Orthodoxy, War, and Peace
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
Even before the First World War, Russian theologians provided justifications for the Russian Empire’s wars. They did so not in terms of the western doctrine of “Just War”. Instead, they argued in terms of the philosophy of history. Wars are said to be inevitable. Russia in particular was said to have a special mission. Often, this is dictated by adherence to the true faith, to Orthodoxy. The Russian Orthodox Church’s position on war and peace remains dependent on concrete political circumstances.
(Osteuropa 2-4/2014, pp. 279–290)