Berkley Center

Senior Fellow José Casanova will deliver a May 4 lecture at Central European University in Vienna, Austria, on religious dynamics of the war on Ukraine.

In recognition of the one-year anniversary of the Russian war against Ukraine, Georgetown University brought together a diverse group of scholars and policymakers for a March 2 conference to explore the impact of the war on Ukrainian society, the dynamics of reconciliation across religious communities and civil society, and the domestic and international dynamics of post-war reconstruction.

Constantin Sigov, Ukrainian philosopher and director of the European Center at the University of Kyiv, has decided to stay in Ukraine as a witness. In this interview, he reflects on the presence and role of nihilism in the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

The Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University and the Religious Freedom Institute convened an expert panel for a January 30 online discussion to address the state of religious freedom in Ukraine.

In an extended interview with Voice of America's Ukrainian-language service, Senior Fellow José Casanova discussed the importance of dialogue and reconciliation in resolving recent tensions regarding the role of the Russian Orthodox Church in the war against Ukraine.

A Berkley Center policy brief, "Ukrainian Religious Actors and Organizations after Russia’s invasion: The Struggle for Peace," published as part of the Transatlantic Policy Network on Religion and Diplomacy (TPNRD), was referenced in Seton Hall University's Diplomacy News to introduce their new course on religion, race, and international relations in their School of Diplomacy and International Relations.

In this interview, published by the Transatlantic Policy Network on Religion and Diplomacy, Kristina Stoeckl joins Senior Research Fellow Judd Birdsall to discuss her forthcoming article on the origins and impact of Russia’s “spiritual security” doctrine. Birdsall asks Stoeckl about where “spiritual security” came from, how it’s being used by Russian leaders, and what policymakers can do about it.

In an article for ResetDOC, Senior Fellow José Casanova comments on the complex history of the Russian and Ukrainian Orthodox churches and how they are entangled in the challenges of the current war between the two nations.

Constantin Sigov, Ukrainian philosopher and director of the European Center at the University of Kyiv, has decided to stay in Ukraine as a witness. In this essay, he deconstructs the enduring barbecue metaphor of Russian militarism and reflects on the lasting impacts of the war in Ukraine, both across Eastern Europe and on the world stage.

This summer, Senior Fellow José Casanova and fellow Georgetown professor Eli McCarthy traveled to Kyiv as part of a delegation of religious leaders to advocate for peace and pray for justice in Ukraine. 

related | Religious Just Peace Delegation to Kyiv

Constantin Sigov, Ukrainian philosopher and director of the European Center at the University of Kyiv, has decided to stay in Ukraine as a witness. In this article he discusses the crucial roles of universities and book publishers in creating a culture of encounter within an independent Ukraine.

Senior Fellow José Casanova is part of a high-level delegation of religious leaders traveling to Kyiv and seeking to contribute to ending aggression against Ukraine, the bombing of Ukrainian cities, and to pray for a just peace.

related | Delegation visits Babyn Yar

related | Delegation meets with Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church leaders

On May 26, Senior Research Fellow Peter Mandaville will participate in a webinar examining how the “Russian World” (Russki Mir) ideology deployed by Vladimir Putin and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow has been received by Muslim leaders within the Russian Federation. The event is sponsored by the Orthodox Christian Studies Center at Fordham University.

In a Daily Comment for the New Yorker, Senior Fellow Paul Elie writes about the many and intricate religious conflicts involving Ukraine—conflicts which long predate Russian's current invasion of the country.

Senior Fellow José Casanova will participate in an April 21 webinar, hosted by the University of Notre Dame, about Russian President Vladimir Putin's use of religion to justify the Russian invasion of Ukraine and how religion is helping to address the human cost of the war, as religious NGOs provide assistance for Ukrainian refugees.

Constantin Sigov, Ukrainian philosopher and director of the European Center at the University of Kyiv, has decided to stay in Ukraine as a witness. In this interview he reflects on the time he left the USSR, the war in Ukraine, and what Easter means at this critical time.

Senior Fellow José Casanova will participate in an April 14 webinar to address questions related to Ukraine through its language, literature, and religion in order to provide a counter-narrative to Putin’s “imagined reality.” The event is sponsored by the UC Berkeley Library.

Research Fellow Eric Patterson has written a multi-part series about jus post bellum and the Russia-Ukraine war for Providence. He is the author of Ending Wars Well: Order, Justice and Conciliation in Contemporary Post-Conflict (2012).

Constantin Sigov, Ukrainian philosopher and director of the European Center at the University of Kyiv, has decided to stay in Ukraine as a witness. In this interview he discusses the three catastrophes that occurred on February 24, the echoes of the 2014 Maidan protests that can be seen today, and why he would like Pope Francis to visit Ukraine.

What are the religious dimensions of an ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine? What are the global religious and theological responses to this war? Religion in Praxis Conversation podcast host Tornike Metreveli interviewed Senior Fellow José Casanova about these and other questions pertaining to the religious aspects of this war.

In a virtual lecture on March 30, Senior Fellow José Casanova will discuss the role of religion in the war in Ukraine. The event is hosted by the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination at Princeton University.

On April 12, Senior Fellow José Casanova participated in a panel discussion on "Religion and Russia's War in Ukraine," hosted by the UCLA Center for European and Russian Studies. Video is now available.

related | Read a Recap

In a Daily Comment for the New Yorker, Senior Fellow Paul Elie examines the religious dimension of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and suggests a way for Pope Francis to exert moral authority for peace and against Putin.

Senior Fellow Rev. Drew Christiansen, S.J., offered expert commentary to the National Catholic Register about why what’s taking place in Ukraine today has the capacity to reshape international dynamics well beyond Eastern Europe.

Constantin Sigov, Ukrainian philosopher and director of the European Center at the University of Kyiv, has decided to stay in Ukraine as a witness. In this telephone interview, he recounts his country's slide into war and the resistance of his people—as well as his own and that of his son.

Vladimir Putin has long styled himself as a defender of Christian values. In the second of a two-part series on ABC National Radio's The Religion and Ethics Report, Senior Fellow Jocelyne Cesari discusses how nationalism has hijacked Russian religion.

related | Listen to Part One

Senior Fellow Rev. Drew Christiansen, S.J., writes in America Magazine that we have a moral duty to protect Ukrainian civilians—but that doesn’t mean going to war with Russia.

In the space of few days, the war in Ukraine has accomplished what successive U.S. presidents and European leaders could not in 30 years. This March 11 online conversation, co-sponsored with Reset Dialogue on Civilizations, will consider how these new tectonic shifts force a sincere reassessment of national commitments to international values.

As the war and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine deepen, Georgetown University is expressing its support for the people of Ukraine, accompanying Ukrainian-connected members of the community, and engaging the whole university in responding to growing international needs.

President John J. DeGioia offered a statement on standing with the Ukrainian community and described some of the early efforts of the Georgetown University community to support Ukrainian students on campus and the people of Ukraine at-large.

Senior Fellow José Casanova spoke with Research Fellow Eric Patterson, executive vice president of the Religious Freedom Institute, about the religious dynamics in Ukraine, particularly the multidimensionality of religious freedom in Ukraine, amidst the current crisis.

In the first of a two-part series on ABC National Radio's The Religion and Ethics Report, Senior Fellow Jocelyne Cesari discusses what Russian President Vladimir Putin sees as a divine mission to restore the ancient territory of the 'Holy Rus,' with the Ukrainian capital Kyiv as the 'Third Rome.'

related | Listen to Part Two

Berkley Center Senior Fellow José Casanova is quoted extensively in an NPR article discussing Putin's claim of fighting against "neo-Nazis" in Ukraine. 

In this interview, Constantin Sigov reflects on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which began in late February 2022, highlighting what the conflict might mean for the future of Ukraine, Europe, and the world order more broadly.

Writing for the United States Institute of Peace, Senior Research Fellow Peter Mandaville argues that Moscow’s stance on the Orthodox Church is indicative of how aspiring powers use religion to either build solidarity or sow seeds of conflict.

This October 2019 conference examined the ecclesiological implications of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine's formation, impact on ecumenical relations and dynamics of religious pluralism and civil society in Ukraine, and geopolitical dimensions of relations between Moscow, Constantinople, Rome, and beyond.