Description
Book SynopsisReligion and Politics in Interwar Yugoslavia explores the interaction between religion, nationalism, and political modernity in the first half of the 20th century, taking the case of the Serbian Orthodox Church as an example. This book historicizes the widely held assumption that the bond between religion and nationalism in the Balkans is a natural one or that this bond has been historically inevitable. It tells a complex story of how East Orthodox Christianity came to be at the core of one version of Serbian nationalism by bringing together the themes of religion, nationalism, politics, state-building, secularization, and modernity.Maria Falina reconstructs how the ideological fusion between Serbian nationalism and East Orthodox Christianity was forged. The analysis emphasizes ideas and ideologies through a close reading of public discourses and historical narratives while paying attention to individual actors and their personal histories. The book argues that the particular po
Trade ReviewMaria Falina makes an important contribution to our thinking on religion and nationalism in the Balkans. ... [
Religion and Politics in Interwar Yugoslavia] gives a voice to religious thinkers and shows how their responses to challenges posed by modernity and secular nationalism were integral to the dynamic phenomenon of modern nationalism. Religious thought is not secondary or subjugated to nationalism. * CEU Review of Books *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction 1. Religion and Serbian State- and Nation-building before 1918 2. New Church for the New State: ‘Liberation and Unification’ of Lands, People and Institutions 3. The Serbian Orthodox Church Faces the Challenge of Modernity 4. Climax: The Serbian Orthodox Church Enters Politics 5. Epilogue: The War Bibliography Index
