Tomašević, Milan and Kuburić, Zorica (2026) The Politics of Conversion: Institutional Strategies of the Serbian Orthodox Church Toward Religious Alternatives in the 20th Century. In: Conversions in Central and Eastern Europe The Politics of Religion and Nonreligion across the 20th Century. Routledge, London, 14 pages. ISBN 9781003714132
Full text not available from this repository.Abstract
The chapter presents a comparative analysis of two distinct movements, the God Worshippers Movement from the first half of the 20th century and the contemporary anti-cult movement in Serbia at the end of the same century. Our aim is to illustrate two divergent “strategies” employed by the Serbian Orthodox Church in its engagement with alternative forms of religious organization. While the God Worshippers Movement was eventually integrated into the Church’s institutional framework with the support of Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović, the anti-cult movement adopted a strategy of exclusion and delegitimization, portraying new religious movements as psychological and societal threats. By examining these strategies within the broader context of political transformation and the shifting relationship between religion and state power, this chapter highlights how alternative religious movements functioned as a mirror revealing internal tensions within the Church and its struggle for authority in a changing society. The analysis also raises important questions about the limits of religious freedom and the construction of the “other” in post-socialist Serbia.
| Item Type: | Book Section |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | God Worshippers Movement, Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović, anti-cult movement, exclusion, delegitimization, new religious movements, religion and state |
| Subjects: | B Mission theology/theory > Conversion F Interreligious Dialogue and Witness > New Religious Movements G Christian traditions/Denominations > Eastern Orthodox |
| Divisions: | Balkan countries > Serbia |
| Depositing User: | Katharina Penner |
| Date Deposited: | 31 May 2026 06:50 |
| Last Modified: | 31 May 2026 06:50 |
| URI: | https://ceamol.osims.org/id/eprint/3302 |
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