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CIAO DATE: 04/05/07
Volume 6, Number 2, Winter 2006
Religion and Politics (PDF, 2 pages, 79.9 KB)
PolSci Focus
A Christian Or A Laic Europe? Moving Beyond A False Dichotomy (PDF, 30 pages, 214.8 KB) by Camil Ungureanu
In order to assess the debate concerning the constitutional recognition of Christianity in Europe, we need to pose the more general question of the role (if any) of the symbolic function of the modern democratic constitution in relation to religion. In the present paper, we differentiate between three stylized understandings of constitution making, namely communitarian, liberal and discursive. Our argument is that the discursive "model" of the symbolic function of the constitution combines the merits and avoids the demerits of communitarianism and liberalism.
Some Reflections On Religion And Multiculturalism In Romania: Towards A Reappraisal Of The Grammar Of Traditions (PDF, 21 pages, 212.3 KB) by Silviu E. Rogobete
This paper discusses the potential of the Christian tradition in Romania to offer a constructive answer to the contemporary dilemmas of multiculturalism. However, for this to happen there is a significant need for a fresh re-reading of this tradition. The starting point of my work will be an overview of the data on the question of religion and ethnicity in postcommunist Romania. This will be followed by an assessment of the predominant trends involved in the building of the societal texture of Romanian contemporary society, with special emphasis on attitudes towards authority, otherness and dialogue. The ambiguous potential of traditions, both for destruction and for the healing of societal relations, will be singled out as an important characteristic of traditions. The work will argue for a reappraisal of the Christian tradition and its role, pleading for a fresh re-reading of its complex and pluriformed grammar. Emphasis will be placed on seeing Christianity – and its implicit traditions – as a Religion of Neighbourliness and a Religion of Love, oriented towards the future rather than the past, towards the other rather than the self, inspired by eschatological hope rather than blind allegiance to fixed dogma. Methodologically, my paper will fall in the area of conceptual analysis, partially informed by quantitative analysis and the data available from auxiliary sources
Church - State Relations In Post-Communist Romania. Real Deprivatization Or The Way Back To Byzantine Symphonia? (PDF, 13 pages, 154.0 KB) by Felicia Alexandru
This paper starts from the belief that the realities of post-communist world, including the relations between Church and State, should benefit from an appropriate theoretical delineation, which is currently missing. This is more relevant if one bears in mind the relevance of Orthodox Church in Romania due to its high legitimacy among Romanian population, in a more general context described by an increasing relevance of religious issues, here being also included the European Union and the internal debates about its Christian roots, about the potential role of a catholic Poland or the eventuality of admitting a Muslim country within its borders.
Charity Or Tolerance? Debating Moralities In The Educational System Of Contemporary Serbia (PDF, 18 pages, 165.2 KB) by Jelena Tošic
After regime change in 2000, the Serbian Ministry of Education introduced two new subjects in the schools: civic education and religious education. Representatives of local civil society associated the establishment of religious education in schools with a rise in nationalism and a split of the society into “believers” and “citizens”. Representatives of the church, on the other hand, criticised the concept of civic education as redundant, and its establishment as merely the minister’s “plot” to weaken the reintroduction of religious education. The paper discusses the debate on the new school subjects against the background of Serbia’s socialist past, the rise of militant nationalism in the 1990s (respectively its recent ascension), and the democratisation and human rights discourse.
Secularism In Republic Of Moldova - Politics Of Religion Or Religious Politics: Where Do We Draw The Boundaries? (PDF, 12 pages, 149.0 KB) by Sergiu Panainte
This paper focuses on the relationship between church and state in the Republic of Moldova, and particularly on the increasingly-blurred boundaries between the two. Given the fact that the ruling party is Communist, it seems even more inconceivable that a "union" between state and church could even be possible. The research presented here answers what is behind this sudden alliance of state and church, and which party benefits from relationship. In answering this, this paper draws on secularism theory, particularly the reasons this theory offers for why we still have modern or modernizing states where the institutions of church and state are intermixed. The findings show that the alliance between state and church in Moldova was possible after the government lost the case at the European Court of Human Rights concerning the issue of recognizing and registering the Bessarabian Orthodox Church, which was in conflict with Moldovan Orthodox Church (MOC). This event fostered an alliance between MOC and the ruling Communist party, and as a result the MOC became another tool in the political arsenal of the governing party used to win the support of the electorate by any possible means.
The Consent Of State And The Blessing Of Church: A Case Study On The New Bulgarian Denominations Act (PDF, 14 pages, 157.5 KB) by Daniela Kalkandjieva
This paper is an attempt to reveal how the law-making process confronts new problems that arise in the search for pragmatic solutions to state-church relations. The specific case study used is the Denominations Act, adopted by the Bulgarian National Assembly on December 20, 2002,2 which serves as an example of a meeting ground for secular and religious politics in post-communist Bulgaria.
The Chance For Civil Society In Central Asia Or The Role Of Islamic Movements In Shaping Political Modernity (PDF, 14 pages, 158.2 KB) by Ioana Ban
The aim of this paper is to analyze the theoretical and practical underpinnings for a potentially beneficial role that religion can play in strengthening counter-authoritarian groups and civil society in Central Asian states. Both fundamentalist and moderate standings on compatibility between religious practices, key Islamic sources, and pluralism are assessed. The present political situation in the five Central Asian states constitute a suggestive case study and show the need, as well as the opportunity, for religious channels of expression of dissident and opposition sentiments.
PolSci Papers
Brusselian As Newspeak. The EU'S Public Discourse On Enlargement And The Constitutional Treaty (PDF, 20 pages, 285.6 KB) by Dr. Cosmina Tanasoiu
Problems of European integration and governance are increasingly analysed from a discursive perspective. This article seeks to examine the reasons behind the increasing distance between Europe/European Union and its citizens by taking a discourse and content analysis approach. It argues that the current situation is due to a "communication deficit" as a result of a tendency to rely upon an overly-technical vocabulary. Hence, unlike previous studies, the article does not focus upon the structural difficulties to develop an EU communication strategy but examines the language and the discourse coming from Brussels and used to "communicate" Europe to its citizens. It applies a case study approach by looking at the discourse coming from the European Commission on the Eastern enlargement and the Constitutional Treaty. Seen as one of the main reasons for the current public concern and for the failure of ratifying the Constitutional Treaty, the Eastern enlargement was in fact an event insufficiently explained or justified to the European public. Data collection is archive-based and it relies on primary sources from the European Commission (speeches, press conferences, and press releases).
PolSci Reviews
Byzantine ecclesiology in a new member state of the European Union: The Romanian case (PDF, 6 pages, 131.4 KB) by Petre Guran