Vladimir Petrunin 1
International Justice in Social Doctrines of the Orthodox Church
2023,
vol. 22,
No. 4,
pp. 128–138
[issue contents]
The article considers international justice as a political issue in social doctrines of the Orthodox Church. The author focuses on the social doctrines of the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Russian Orthodox Church and on the social-political provisions of the documents adopted by the Council of Crete (2016). Social doctrines of the Orthodox Church mention some issues that can be attributed to the discursive field of political theology. Thus, international justice is a part of the Orthodox Church concept of contemporary international relations and global human challenges. Such social doctrines state the impossibility of achieving international justice due to the sinful depravity of human nature. This human sinfulness determines all types of global discrimination not only against individuals or social groups (religious, racial, national, gender, etc.), but also against peoples and states. In social doctrines, war is defined as an unacceptable way to solve world problems. Orthodox churches call for fair international relations based on Christian values, thereby criticizing the existing world order based on the ideology of liberal globalism and secularism. Documents of the Council of Crete directly state that true peace (international justice) is possible only after the universal triumph of Christian principles. In conclusion, the author summarizes the features of the Orthodox Church approach to international justice and political theology.
Keywords:
Orthodox Church;
social doctrine;
political theology;
Council of Crete;
Patriarchate of Constantinople;
Russian Orthodox Church;
international justice
Citation:
Petrunin V. (2023) International Justice in Social Doctrines of the Orthodox Church [International Justice in Social Doctrines of the Orthodox Church]. The Russian Sociological Review, vol. 22, no 4, pp. 128-138