Orthodoxy in Diplomacy: An Overview of the Serbian Orthodox Church’s Religious Diplomacy and Role in International Relations

Year 2024, , 103 - 130, 25.06.2024

Miloš Todorović

https://doi.org/10.56679/balkar.1449077

Abstract

Following the revitalization and politicization of religion that happened in Serbia during the late 20th and early 21st century, the Serbian Orthodox Church became an important non-state actor in the country. This article explores its involvement in Serbia’s relations with other countries, with a particular focus on the Church’s and the country’s religious diplomacy efforts. It provides an overview of the Church’s multifaceted roles, including advising Serbian and foreign diplomats, engaging in track II diplomacy, as well as other small-scale initiatives.

Keywords

religious diplomacy, Serbian Orthodox Church, Srpska pravoslavna crkva, SPC

References

• Ahmed, Muddassar. How Religious Diplomacy and Pan-Islamic Organizations Can Help Stabilize Afghanistan. Washington DC, US: German Marshall Fund, 2022.
• Aleksov, Bojan. “The New Role of the Orthodox Church in Serbia.” Südosteuropa. Zeitschrift für Politik und Gesellschaft 3 (2008): 353–375.
• Barišić, Srđan. “The Role of the Serbian and Russian Orthodox Churches in Shaping Governmental Policies.” In The Warp of Serbian Identity, edited by Sonja Biserko, 105–126. Belgrade, Serbia: Helsinški odbor za ljudska prava u Srbiji, 2016.
• Baumgart-Ochse, Claudia. “Israel’s Religious Soft Power: Within and Beyond Judaism.” In The Geopolitics of Religious Soft Power: How States Use Religion in Foreign Policy, edited by Peter Mandaville, 211–231. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780197605806.003.0012
• Baycar, Hamdullah, and Rakipoglu, Mehmet. “The United Arab Emirates’ Religious Soft Power through Ulema and Organizations.” Religions 13 (7) (2022): 646. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel13070646
• Beta. “Conference of European Churches Assembly in Serbia.” May 31, 2018. https://n1info.rs/english/news/a392643-cec-opens-assembly-in-novi-sad/
• Blitt, Robert. “Whither Secular Bear: The Russian Orthodox Church’s Strengthening Influence on Russia’s Domestic and Foreign Policy.” Fides Et Libertas: The Journal of the International Religious Liberty Association 10 (2011): 89–125.
• Bogun, Anna. “Patriarch Porfirije: Serbian Church to help UOC and Metropolitan Onuphry.” UOJ, February 28, 2022. https://spzh.news/en/news/86729-patriarkh-porfirij-serbskaja-cerkovy-pomozhet-upc-i-mitropolitu-onufriju
• Chickering, Lawrence. Strategic Foreign Assistance: Civil Society in International Security. Stanford, US: Hoover Institution Press, 2006.
• Curanović, Alicja. The Religious Diplomacy of the Russian Federation. Paris, France: Russia/NIS Center, 2012.
• Cvetković, Ljudmila. “Kupuje li država lojalnost Srpske pravoslavne crkve?” Radio Slobodna Evropa, March 28, 2019. https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/srbija-spc-kupovina-lojalnost/29845816.html
• Çolak, Hasan, and Bayraktar-Tellan, Elif. The Orthodox Church as an Ottoman Institution: A Study of Early Modern Patriarchal Berats. Istanbul, Türkiye: The Isis Press, 2019.
• Davidson, W. D., and J. V. Montville. “Foreign Policy According to Freud.” Foreign Policy 45 (1981): 145–157.
• Dekel-Chen, Jonathan. “Philanthropy, Diplomacy, and Jewish Internationalism.” In The Cambridge History of Judaism Volume VIII: The Modern World, 1815–2000, edited by Mitchell Hart and Tony Michels, 505–528. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2017.
• Diamond, Louise, and McDonald, John. Multi-Track Diplomacy: A Systems Guide and Analysis. Grinnell, US: Iowa Peace Institute, 1991.
• Džomić, Velibor. “Vašingtonski sporazum i crkveno pitanje.” Crkvene studije 18 (2021): 381–392.
• Džomić, Velibor. “Srpska pravoslavna crkva i tzv. spoljašnji dijalog o Kosovu i Metohiji od 2011. do 2018. godine.” Crkvene studije 16 (2019): 407–420.
• Grabež, Nebojša. “Mladi veruju Crkvi i Vojsci.” Radio Slobodna Evropa, June 4, 2021. https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/tema_sedmice_mladi_drustvene_vrednosti_srbija/24215086.html
• Hafner, Asja. “Ključni događaji u godinu dana Zakona o slobodi vjeroispovijesti u Crnoj Gori.” Radio Slobodna Evropa, December 28, 2020. https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/godinu-dana-zakona-o-slobodi-vjeroispovijesti-u-crnoj-gori/31022713.html
• Hardi, Đura. “O diplomatskoj misiji Svetog Save kod ugarskog kralja Andrije II.” Crkvene studije 16 (2019): 235–248.
• Hofmeisterová, Karin. “Ecclesiastical nationalism and primacy in world Orthodoxy: the case of the Serbian Church at the pan-Orthodox Council in Crete.” Religion State and Society 47 (3) (2019): 341–357.
• Inbar, Efraim. “Jews, Jewishness and Israel’s Foreign Policy.” Jewish Political Studies Review 2 (3/4) (1990): 165–183.
• Irish, John. “Kosovo fails in bid to gain UNESCO membership.” Reuters, November 9, 2015. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kosovo-serbia-unesco-idUSKCN0SY1CW20151109/
• Jerotijević, Dušan. “Srpska pravoslavna crkva u međunarodnim odnosima sa posebnim osvrtom na odnose sa Ruskom pravoslavnom crkvom.” Crkvene studije 17 (2020): 221–240.
• Johnston, Douglas. Faith-based Diplomacy: Trumping Realpolitik. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2003. Kaya, Ayhan , and Drhimeur, Amina. “Diaspora politics and religious diplomacy in Turkey and Morocco.” Southeast European and Black Sea Studies 23 (2) (2023): 317–337. https://doi.org/10.1080/14683857.2022.2095703
• Keiswetter, Allen, and Chane, John. Diplomacy and Religion: Seeking Common Interests and Engagement in a Dynamically Changing and Turbulent World. Washington DC, US: The Brookings Institution, 2013.
• Lenczowski, John. “Cultural Diplomacy, Political Influence, and Integrated Strategy.” In Strategic Influence: Public Diplomacy, Counterpropaganda, and Political Warfare, edited by Michael Waller, 74–99. Washington DC, US: The Institute Of World Politics Press, 2008.
• Mihajlović, Branka. “Istraživanje: Mladi u Srbiji najviše veruju vojsci.” Radio Slobodna Evropa, November 8, 2018. https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/mladi-neoliberalizam-poverenje-konzervativizam/29589827.html
• Mujović-Prajs, Vjera. “Kulturna diplomatija kao činilac promene imidža Republike Srbije.” PhD diss., Singidunum University, 2019.
• Kuburić, Zorica. “Serbian Orthodox Church in the Context of State’s History.” Religija i tolerancija: Časopis Centra za empirijska istraživanja religije 12 (2014): 387–402.
• Latković, Nataša. “Još keša za „blagoslov“ Vučićevoj politici: Vlada Srbije poklonila SPC novih 4,5 miliona evra.” Nova.rs, September 18, 2023. https://nova.rs/vesti/politika/jos-kesa-za-blagoslov-vucicevoj-politici-vlada-srbije-poklonila-spc-novih-45-miliona-evra/
• Nejjar, Sawsene. Morocco’s Political Use of Islam and Its Religious Diplomacy. Barcelona, Spain: EuroMeSCo, 2018.
• N1 (2023a). “Istraživanje: Skoro 50 odsto mladih planira da napusti Srbiju, jača nepoverenje.” N1, August 11, 2023. https://n1info.rs/vesti/istrazivanje-mladi-nemaju-poverenje-u-institucije-veruju-u-crkvu-i-vojsku/
• N1 (2023b). “Serbian Orthodox Church calls for donations to Syria and Turkey.” February 11, 2023. https://n1info.rs/english/news/serbian-orthodox-church-calls-for-donations-to-syria-and-turkey/
• Ozkan, Mehmet. “Turkey’s Religious Diplomacy.” The Arab World Geographer 17 (3) (2014): 223–237.
• Nye, Joseph. Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics. New York, US: PublicAffairs, 2004.
• Prodromou, Elizabeth. Diplomacy, Geopolitics, and Global Orthodox Christianity in the Twenty-First Century. Washington DC, US: Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs at Georgetown University, 2023.
• Radić, Radmila, and Vukomanović, Milan. “Religion and Democracy in Serbia since 1989: The Case of the Serbian Orthodox Church.” In Religion and Politics in Post-Socialist Central and Southeastern Europe, edited by Sabrina P. Ramet, 180–211. London, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137330727_8
• Radovanović, Branko. “Aspekti međusobnih hrišćanskih i kulturnoloških uticaja Srba i Rusa u periodu od 10. do 16. veka.” Crkvene studije 12 (2015): 109–121.
• Sandler, Shmuel. The Jewish Origins of Israeli Foreign Policy: A Study in Tradition and Survival. London, UK: Routledge, 2018.
• Spasojević, C. “Veruju patrijarhu, većina bi u vojsku: Istraživanje KOMS o stavovima mladih.” Novosti, August 12, 2021. https://www.novosti.rs/c/drustvo/vesti/1026567/veruju-patrijarhu-vecina-vojsku-istrazivanje-koms-stavovima-mladih
• Stamenković, Viktor. “Političke poruke Srpske pravoslavne crkve u vreme poglavarstva Patrijarha srpskog gospodina Pavla i Patrijarha srpskog gospodina Irineja.” Politički život: časopis za analizu politike 22 (2022): 25–35.
• Subotić, Jelena. “The Church, the Nation, and the State: The Serbian Orthodox Church After Communism.” In Orthodox Churches and Politics in Southeastern Europe: Nationalism, Conservativism, and Intolerance, edited by Sabrina P. Ramet, 85–110. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-24139-1_5
• Tanić, Dejan. Rusko carstvo i Srpska pravoslavna crkva (1557-1766). Niš, Serbia: Društvo srpsko-ruskog prijateljstva Naisus, 2013.
• Tanić, Dejan. “Ključni momenti srpsko-ruskih kulturoloških i duhovno-ideoloških prožimanja: od Svetog Save do vladike Nikolaja.” In Igumanija Ana (Adžić) - oličenje posvećenosti: zbornik radova povodom 120 godina od rođenja i 70 godina od primanja monaškog čina, edited by Ilijana Čutura and Oliver Đorđević, 59–80. Jagodina, Serbia: Fakultet pedagoških nauka Univerziteta u Kragujevcu & Istorijski arhiv Srednje Pomoravlje, 2019.
• Tanić, Dejan. Diplomatija Srpske pravoslavne crkve u XVI i XVII veku. Jagodina, Serbia: Istorijski arhiv Jagodina, 2020.
• Tasić, J. “Diplomatija, Fest i Veliki post: Patrijarh Porfirije nije primio predstavnike Srba sa KiM povodom sastanka u Briselu.” Danas, February 27, 2023. https://www.danas.rs/vesti/drustvo/diplomatija-fest-i-veliki-post-patrijarh-porfirije-nije-primio-predstavnike-srba-sa-kim-povodom-sastanka-u-briselu/
• Todorović, Miloš. “The Problems of Studying Ottoman Heritage in Serbia.” Journal of Balkan and Black Sea Studies 4 (6) (2021a): 213–237.
• Todorović, Miloš. “Gaining Soft Power through Hard Heritage: Turkey’s Restoration Projects in Serbia.” Balkan Studies Congress Proceedings 1 (2021b): 383–396.
• Todorović, Miloš. “TİKA’s Heritage Restoration Projects: Examples of Foreign Aid or Proof of Neo-Ottomanism?.” Insight Turkey 23 (3) (2021c): 141–156. https://doi.org/10.25253/99.2021233.8
• Todorović, Miloš. Serbia And Egypt: Serbian–Egyptian Intercultural Relations. Belgrade, Serbia: Alia Mundi, 2021d.
• Todorović, Miloš. “Upotreba nasleđa u spoljnoj politici Republike Srbije: kratak pregled dosadašnje prakse i saveti za dalji razvoj.” Napredak: časopis za političku teoriju i praksu 3 (1) (2022): 75–94.
• Vasiljevic, Stevo. “Montenegro govt church deal triggers initiative for no-confidence motion.” Reuters, August 3, 2022. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/montenegro-signs-long-disputed-contract-with-serbian-orthodox-church-2022-08-03/
• V.A. “Kome mladi u Srbiji najviše veruju: Na skali od 1 do 5 samo jedna javna ličnost dobila ocenu preko 2,5. ” Danas, August 12, 2022. https://www.danas.rs/vesti/drustvo/kome-mladi-u-srbiji-najvise-veruju-na-skali-od-1-do-5-samo-jedna-javna-licnost-dobila-ocenu-preko-25/
• Vukomanović, Milan. “The Serbian Orthodox Church as a Political Actor in the Aftermath of October 5, 2000.” Politics and Religion 1 (2) (2008): 237–269. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755048308000199
• Wagner, Markus. “Non-State Actors.” In The Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, edited by Rudiger Wolfrum, 741–749. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2009.
• Waxman, Dov. “Between Isolation and Integration: The Jewish Dimension in Israeli Foreign Policy.” Israel Studies Forum 19 (1) (2003): 34–56.
• Waxman, Dov, and Lasensky, Scott. “Jewish Foreign Policy: Israel, World Jewry, and the Defence of ‘Jewish Interests’.” Journal of Modern Jewish Studies 12 (2) (2013): 232–252. https://doi.org/10.1080/14725886.2013.796153
• Zhang, Juyan. “China’s Faith Diplomacy.” In Religion and Public Diplomacy, edited by Philip Seib, 75–97. New York, US: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013.
• Zivanovic, Maja. “Don’t Abandon Kosovo, Serbian Church Urges Govt.” Balkan Insight, May 11, 2018. https://balkaninsight.com/2018/05/11/serbian-orthodox-church-against-kosovo-independence-05-11-2018/