Neglected faiths : the isolated Orthodox churches in Croatia

neobjavljeni prilog sa skupa

neobjavljeni prilog sa skupa

Neglected faiths : the isolated Orthodox churches in Croatia

Vrsta prilog sa skupa (neobjavljen)
Tip neobjavljeni prilog sa skupa
Godina 2023
Nadređena publikacija 27th Annual World Convention of the Association for the Study of Nationalities (ASN)
Status neobjavljeno

Sažetak

Through the description of isolated, abandoned and destroyed Orthodox churches, this presentation aims to contribute to the discussion on the status of geographically, socially and culturally neglected minority religious communities in the contemporary Croatia. By presenting the long-lasting efforts of religious communities for legal recognition, visibility and nominal acceptability during the socialist and post-socialist times, we intend to shed light on the position of religious minorities in the Croatian society today. More specifically, the problem we want to address is the understanding of hidden patterns of social isolation as indicators of present and possible future cultural and social change. The anthropological literature offers an understanding of the consequences of social isolation and cultural neglect, however, today, in the (post)pandemic and (post)conflict era, the concept takes on new levels of meaning, and a new potential for dialectical reflection. Thus, the problem of isolation and neglect needs to be redefined in terms of time and space, focusing on personal experiences, values, and identities. Acts of neglecting, desecration, devastation or conversion of sacred places and churches established by minority religious communities were among the (post)conflict consequences in the 20th century. By describing the devastation of the material religious heritage of minority religious communities in Croatia, this work aims to contribute to the discussion about the social and cultural position of religious minorities in Eastern Europe and the Balkans. From an anthropological perspective, our goal is to describe the meaning of cultural and social "isolation" and "disappearance" associated with the devastation of religious spaces and heritage. The authors are focused on the Orthodox churches in the earthquake-ravaged region of Bania/Banovina in Croatia, and on the Russian Orthodox Church in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County on the Adriatic coast in Croatia. In the research, the authors use diverse archival materials from state archives, as well as from private archival collections. In addition, the results of the analysis are based on ethnographic field research, in-depth interviews and visual analysis of archival photographs. The study analyzes the complex political and historical circumstances that drive the erosion of the multi-religious heritage of marginal communities in the Croatian social landscape. The paper will reveal new types of isolation, emptiness, and disappearance by explaining how small communities and individuals perceive global trends of being connected, and how they deal with their own isolation. The authors acknowledge that the project “Isolated People and Communities in Slovenia and Croatia” (IPS-2022-02-3741) is financially supported by the Croatian Science Foundation.

Ključne riječi

Orthodox Church; Croatia; identity; religion