Description: Putin's Altar Boy examines Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine, exploring how deeply held religious and historical myths influence the ideology and identity of Putin's Russia. Merilainen traces the resurgence of the Russian Orthodox Church from a persecuted institution to a power that justifies and supports Russia's illegal war.
Brief description:
Juha Meriläinen is a theological advisor on international and ecumenical affairs for the Archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, Lutheran minister, and associate professor of church history at the University of Helsinki. His areas of academic expertise include the history of the ecumenical movement, religion and politics during the Cold War, religious nationalism, and immigration history.
Review Quotes:
Putin's Altar Boy offers a deeply insightful analysis of the entanglement between church and state in Russia, both historically and in the present day. A must-read for anyone seeking to understand the formative forces shaping Russian identity and its impact on the war on Ukraine. Moreover, this brilliant theological examination of religiously fueled nationalism and the role of faith communities is critical for grasping the current dynamics within--and between--the East and the West. --Rev. Dr. Antje Jackelén, archbishop emerita, Church of Sweden, and senior advisor, Lund University
A fascinating narrative and incisive analysis of the "symphony" between President Putin's regime and Patriarch Kirill's church. While based on meticulous documentation, this book is accessible also for non-specialists. Written by a historian-churchman from Finland, a country with the world's longest shared border with Russia, the study also brings to light many accounts and sources previously unavailable for an English-speaking readership. Strongly recommended for anyone interested in the relationship between religion and politics. --Rev. Dr. Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, professor of systematic theology, Fuller Theological Seminary, and docent of ecumenics, University of Helsinki
Juha Meriläinen's book exposes the instrumentalization of religion in Russia's current politics and the ideological rationale behind its war against Ukraine. It offers a compelling overview of the nationalist myths and historical narratives on which Putin's Russia today is built -- from Eurasianism and claims of Russia's messianic destiny to the call to defend the holy Rus' and the "Russian world" against the supposedly "Satanic" West. A must-read for anyone seeking to understand the roots of Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the role interpretations of Russian Orthodoxy play in it. --Rev. Dr. Anne Burghardt, General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation