In 1949, international peace campaign was formed systematically. The Russian Orthodox Church participated in the international peace movement and played a leading role. In the same year, a column “In Defense of Peace” was newly established in the “Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate”. In the “Peace” column, information on the peace campaign and the Russian Orthodox Church's participation in that movement and the most important documents of the World Peace Council began to be published. However, no specialized research on the peace activities of the Russian Orthodox Church in the 20th century exists in Russia, and this theme has not been reviewed and evaluated academically.

In this paper “war and peace” image presented by the Russian Orthodox Church in early postwar years is considered, analyzing the articles published in the “Peace” column in the “Journal”. The followings are observed as features of the “Peace” column. It closely reflects the trend of the peace organizations both inside and outside the Soviet Union, a wide variety of articles are published primarily as editorials, and authors consist mainly of the Orthodox high priests, such as Metropolitan Nikolai. In addition, as character of the “Peace” column, the most articles relate on the Christian Church and the world peace organizations, about half of the articles include direct criticisms directed toward the Western countries and direct praises to Stalin and the Soviet Union.

Nikolai was a leader of peace activities in the Russian Orthodox Church. He talked about Christian church. He insisted that the Russian Orthodox Church contributed to peace, and that the Christian world had to cooperate each other. In addition, Nicolai wrote about world peace organizations. He reported favorably the condition of the various peace movements including the World Peace Council and praised Stalin and the Soviet Union. Furthermore, Nikolai preached about international relations. While striving for peace activities such as the award of the International Stalin Peace Prize, he condemned fighting acts of the Western countries including the United States of America in the Korean war.

In this way, the “Peace” column is filled with the voice of peace as a Christian. However, the Orthodox Churches are praised in the field of Christian church, the Eastern countries are praised in the field of world peace organizations, and the Western countries are criticized in the field of international relations. The "war and peace" image presented by the Russian Orthodox Church in the early postwar period consists of an image of the Orthodox Church which serves peace, an image of the peace-loving Eastern countries, and a militant image of the Western countries. “Journal” actively discussed peace, but it reflected the intention of the Soviet state under the Cold War of those days.

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After the collapse of the Soviet Union, and especially after passage of the 1990 law on freedom of conscience, Russian people showed increased interest in religion, moral values, and national cultural traditions. Such a phenomenon is quite understandable because the ideology of socialism had failed. Every other state also has come to bear various aspects of a multicultural society nowadays. Elements, which constitute society, such as ethnicity, culture, and religion, have become far more diversified than expected. As a result, every state is compelled to restructure its educational system, so that it may better accommodate to this growing diversity. While the specific contents of value education differ from country to country, it can generally be stated that those in advanced countries involve citizenship education, multicultural education, or education aimed at developing autonomous value judgment. On the other hand, those in developing countries involve moral education, religious education, or education aimed at developing national identity.
From the early 1990s on, we have observed the decentralization of the system of education in Russia. School curricula are being revised, new elective and local initiatives in education are being encouraged, and private schools are appearing. Thus the system of education has become more flexible and there is a favorable situation to introduce religious education as an elective. In the early 1990s, the Russian Ministry of Education made the decision to introduce religious studies in Russian schools by means of curricula stressing Christian ethics and morality. High officials from the Russian Ministry of Education also approached Western Christian educators for help. The response was a collaborative effort of over 80 Western mission groups called the CoMission, which instructed Russian public school educators in the teaching of Christian ethics and morality. The CoMission was to teach those Christian beliefs that were common to all Christian denominations, but its curriculum represented a Protestant approach to Christian ethics and Scripture. In 1995 the Ministry of Education suspended the Protocol of Intention with the CoMission.
By virtue of its title Alla Borodina's textbook “Basics of Orthodox Culture” became the symbol of the proponents of introduction of BOC. The textbook has the stamp “Recommended by the Coordinating Council on Cooperation of the Ministry of Education of Russia and the Moscow patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church.” The discussion about the teaching of the “Basics of Orthodox Culture” in public schools began as a reaction to a circular letter by Russian Minister of Education Vladimir Filippov to regional offices of administration of education in October 2002. To the letter was appended sample contents of education in the academic subject of “Orthodox Culture.” Two camps arose; on one hand were those who approve the introduction of basics of Orthodox culture into the curriculum of secondary education; on the other hand are those who categorically oppose it. Two members of a human right organization made an attempt to initiate criminal investigation against Borodina. They accused her of anti-Semitism. More than ten court sessions took place in Moscow concerning this matter. Nevertheless the “Orthodox Culture” has already become a regular school subject in several cities and provinces of Russia: Voronezh, Kursk, Smolensk and others.
It will be a great loss for Russia's children if either the path of indoctrination or an irreligious school education is pursued. In the former case, while trying to preserve national identity and the consolidation of Russian society, they potentially lose democratic principles and freedoms. In the latter case, while trying to preserve freedoms, they lose all connection with their national spiritual tradition and,

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本発表は、現代ロシアにおける宗教的求道の特徴について、歴史観との関係から論じるものである。ロシアにおいてナショナリズムはしばしば、正教ナショナリズムの形を取って現れる。しかしは一枚岩ではない。歴史的状況との関連の中で、教団類型論におけるチャーチ的な教会の他に、旧教、カタコンベなどと呼ばれるセクトが現れたからである。本発表では、求道の過程で幾度も所属教会を変えていった正教徒夫妻のライフヒストリーを事例として取り上げ、その求道がまさに「真のロシア史」への探求だったことを示す。

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This article takes a brief look at the Russian Orthodox Missionary Activities in Hokkaido in Meiji period described in the diaries of Nikolai and Sergei who worked as missionaries in Hokkaido in 1898. Hakodate, open port city, was the hub of Christian missions in Hokkaido. Christianity was introduced from Hakodate to Sapporo, and then to inland area including Asahikawa. The Russian Orthodox Church in Japan began in 1858 when the first Russian Consul arrived in Hakodate, and the church was built in the following year. In summer 1898, Nikolai and Sergei left Tokyo and went to Nemuro. They traveled to Nemuro by sea from Hakodate. After visiting the Eastern Hokkaido region including Kunashiri and Etorohu, Nikolai and Sergei returned to Hakodate from Nemuro. Nikolai went back to Tokyo from Hakodate. Sergei separated from Nikolai and visited the Russian Orthodox members in Central, Northern and Southern Hokkaido. He worked very actively and kept a diary. The whereabouts of the Russian Orthodox Christians in Hokkaido in Meiji Period are well described in his diary. This article focuses on this aspect and examines how the Russian Orthodox Church was expanded in Hokkaido.

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The author examines the Orthodox mission’s activities with regard to non-Russian ethnic groups, in particular the Baptized Tatars (Kriashens), in the Middle Volga region. After the collapse of the USSR, the Russian Orthodox Church regained its authority and began to reassert its influence on the people. Orthodox missionaries are engaged in the translations of sacred texts and the training of clergy from non-Russian people, which was promoted by Nilokai Il’minskii in the late nineteenth century. The Kriashen ethnic activists considered the translation of sacred texts as one way of conserving their “mother tongue.” However, these intellectuals put emphasis on their inherent traditions and culture, which often contained “pagan” elements. One typical example is the ritual of sacrifices in villages, which seems to be derived from the ancient beliefs, but has been merged with Christianity. In the Soviet era, these rituals were allowed as a part of “local culture”; at the same time, they allowed people to retain their Christian identity. Kriashen activists regard these rituals as a part of their “ethnic culture,” and hope to retain them. Some villagers who continue to practice such rituals believe them to be “their Christian practice.” However, Orthodox priests consider them “pagan custom” and attempt to forbid them. The appearance of the church and persuasion by the priests have changed the people’s consciousness. In this way, the contemporary Orthodox resurrection demonstrates the complex situation with regard to the relationship between the religion and culture in a region, and what “true Christianity” is.

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This paper delves into the concept of theopolitics, which was originally coined to depict ecclesiastical geopolitics within the Eastern Orthodox Church. Through an exploration of its historical roots and theoretical foundations, the study reevaluates the Russo-Ukraine conflict from a diachronic perspective, focusing on the inter national balance of power within the Orthodox Church. This paper scrutinizes the antecedents of the conflict in the following manner. First, the local church system of the Eastern Orthodox Church and Canon Law are summarized. Second, the dialogic efforts among the local churches to convene a Pan-Orthodox Council during the 20th century are examined.

In the context of evolving global relations, the dynamics of power politics among autocephalous churches, defined as theopolitics, are undergoing a serious reassessment. The 2018 excommunication by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, acknowledged as the highest authority (primus inter pares) in the Eastern Or thodox world, and the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate, boasting the largest Orthodox population, underscored the theological tensions surrounding the autocephaly of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine. This paper attempts to examine the maintenance of diversity and pursuit of a unified faith in the Orthodox Church during times of crises.

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