The Role of the Orthodox Church in the Formation of Georgian National Identity

1. Ilia State University The Role of the Orthodox Church in the Formation of Georgian National Identity 2010 –2012

2. Research Team • SergoRatiani – Project Manager age: 43, Professor • TatiaMebagishvili – Research Leader age: 26, PhD student • EleneGavashelishvili – Senior Researcher age: 25, PhD student • ShotaKhinchagashvili – Senior Researcher age: 27, PhD student • KonstantineLadaria – Junior Researcher age: 24, MA

3. Hypothesis Today, theOrthodox Church of Georgia plays a major role in theconstruction of thenationalidentity, as itsinfluenceoverGeorgiansociety has beengraduallygrowingsince 1991.

4. Religious-ethnical Picture in Georgia(CRRC Household Survey 2010)

7. Research Questions 1. how does the Georgian orthodox church operate to keep or grow its influence on people’s view of national identity? 2. what is the ideology that the church and the government, willingly or not, coordinately spread?

8. Time periods dealt with

9. Methodology(Main parts) • Data collection and analysis • In-depth interviews • Case studies

10. I. Data Collection

11. II. In-depth Interviews Respondent groups: • clerics from different regions of Georgia • Politicians Aims to establish: • how “The Ideal Georgian” is; • how children should be brought up; • how the Church and State relate.

12. III. Case Studies

13. Expected Results • The orthodox church has generated the formula according to which to be Georgian is to be orthodox; • The orthodox church’s ideology is anti-modern and its objective is to prevent open society building; • Religious and political figures exchange benefits: politicians gain legitimacy, church authorities – economic privileges; • We are witnessing the birth of religious nationalism in Georgia.

14. Relevance for Specific Policy Fields • State policytowards religion; • Universities’ policy (publishing, research, education); • Humanrights (ombudsman of Georgia) – religiousfreedomconcerned; • Think tanks.

15. Preliminary Findings (Mostly based on public press) • The public press of 1989-1991 writes much less about religion than the papers of 1999 and 2008-2010. • 1989-1991 nationalist movement tries to use religion as its ideology; whereas the orthodox church tries to use nationalism as its ideology (confining itself to ethnical sign); • 1999 – the winner is the church’s ideology.

16. Preliminary FindingsMain themes • Encouraging religious faith • Messianistic or reclusive • Religious messages on first pages • Irrelevant titles and symbols of religious character • Religious news • Historical/Educational • Church and State relations • Sacred and secular – no distinction • Political figures about religion • Religious figures about nationalism • Mystics and religion compatible

17. Messianism and Reclusion 1990 – Sacralization of Georgian nation 1999 – The church’s negative attitude and fear towards: • Other religious denominations • Ecumenism • Globalization, modern lifestyle, values • “The West” • Technical progress and information flow • Sharing our culture • Rock music and “certain movies”, foreign products like “Sprite” 2008-2010 – in addition, negative attitude and fear towards: • Freemasons, Zionists, liberals • NATO, EU, USA • Protest against new biometric passport.

19. Church and State relations

20. Why church needs more power…

21. MergedSacred and SecularSpaces(relevant for everyperiodstudied) • Nostalgia towards good old times (pre-modern) when Church and State were together; • Georgia is St Mary’s share country; • Religious interpretation of and interference in secular events (and not vice versa); • To be Georgian = to be orthodox (but not vice versa).

23. Main Problem • time limit for the study of the press and its analysis, especially with regard to ecclesiastical publications, which need a different frame of analysis.

24. Thank you!