Recapturing Russian Heritage: Religious Education in Public Schools
Brett Lonadier Monday, 18 October 2010
In spring 2010, Russia's Ministry of Education introduced a new education initiative,[1] which will offer instruction in "the basics of religious cultures and secular ethics." It will begin as an experimental program in 19 regions of the Russian Federation for fourth and fifth grade students.[2] The students and parents will have the option to choose one of six different course offerings.[3] There will be a basic culture course in each of Russia's four main religions (Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Judaism) and courses in world religions and secular ethics.[4] This three-year pilot program is expected to eventually expand to all of Russia.[5]
Public opinion on this program is complex. Although statistics show that most Russians do not oppose the program, many prefer secular ethics to a religion class. The Levada Center (a Moscow-based, non-governmental organization specializing in public opinion and market research) recently conducted a survey in 46 regions, revealing that only 19 percent of respondents opposed the three-year program; 70 percent were in favor of the introduction of the Foundations of Orthodox Culture course.[6] Still, according some recent surveys, many are choosing the secular ethics class rather than a course in religion.[7] In March 2010, Gazeta.ru published the official government statistics on how many children will be taking each course in the Federal District; the numbers indicate most will be studying secular ethics.[8]
Religion in public schools is a sensitive issue and the story of this particular program is part of a larger narrative of church-state relations in Russia. The initiative could be a defining moment in the formation of the Federation's identity and policy on religious liberty. It requires a careful analysis of the historical context and the debate surrounding church-state relations and religious education.
Historical Context of Education and the Orthodox Church
After Vladimir converted in 988 C.E., Orthodox Christianity became the official religion of the Russian people and the basis for much of its early culture and heritage; it played a crucial role in the development of its early educational institutions.[9] As in other countries, religion and education were closely connected. However, as time went on these ties with the government began to change. Leaders such as Peter the Great introduced Western technology and culture to Russia and began to secularize educational institutions.[10] In 1917, the Russian Revolution brought about an even greater change.[11] The Soviet regime initiated a total secularization of the state. The religious education of children was outlawed, all religious primary and secondary schools were closed, and atheism was taught in all public schools.[12]
Since the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, the Russian Orthodox Church has been in favor of reintroducing religious education in the primary and secondary schools.[13] The Church hierarchy believes moral education is vital to the creation of a stable society[14] and wants to recapture some of its lost heritage and the culture that helped define pre-Soviet Russia. Russia has changed, however, and today, according to its constitution, church and state should be separated. There is also increased religious diversity among the Russian population. According to the US Department of the State, there are between 10 and 20 million Muslims, 2 million Protestants, 600,000 Catholics, and 250,000 Jews in Russia.[15] If the Orthodox Church receives special recognition from the state, it could have a negative impact on the freedom of conscience for other faiths.
Debate within Russia Surrounding Religious Education
In the 1980s and 1990s, after the Soviet repression of religion came largely to an end, many faith groups experienced new legal guarantees of religious liberty.[16] This enabled foreign missionaries—mostly Protestant—to come and share their faith. However, in 1997 Russia passed the "Law on Freedom of Conscience and on Religious Associations."[17] This law distinguished between traditional and non-traditional religions and gave more legal advantages to the traditional faith groups that existed in Russia prior to the Soviet Union (Orthodox Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and Buddhism).[18] The law was largely a response against Western groups proselytizing in Russia.[19] The missionaries' zeal was not well received by the Russian Orthodox Church; it was seen as undermining Russian culture and heritage. These tensions are reflected today in the debate surrounding the new education initiative, which does not have a curriculum for non-Orthodox forms of Christianity.
In 1997, the Church tried to introduce a course titled "The History of Russia's Orthodox Culture" in state elementary and middle schools.[20] However, opponents believed this violated the separation of church and state and the program was struck down.[21] The debate took on more heat in 2002 and 2003, when A.V. Borodina introduced the textbook The Bases of Orthodox Culture in conjunction with the Federal Minister of Education and Science, Vladimir Filippov.[22] Opponents accused Filippov of wrongly using his political power to align with Orthodoxy to encourage the teaching of religious education; supporters fired back, claiming the scrutiny was simply rehearsing the anti-religious zeal of the Soviet era.[23] The debate surrounding the textbook prompted the federal government to acknowledge that some action needed to be taken.[24] The Orthodox Church and Metropolitan Kirill eventually relinquished their strict support of the Borodina textbook and asked for a book that would include other religions.[25] The eventual support from Muslim and Jewish communities enabled the initiative to move forward.[26]
Still, not all in Russia favor the new program. In 2007, the members of the Russian Academy of Sciences wrote a letter to President Vladimir Putin expressing their concern for religion in state schools. They believed the actions of the Orthodox Church were an example of the "clericalization" of Russia[27] and they believed this violated the constitution. They feared this program could promote doubt in scientific knowledge as well.
More recently, some excluded religious groups also expressed opposition. Some Protestant groups, for example, claim the program's Orthodox Christianity option is discriminatory and that is an attempt to "uphold Orthodoxy's dominant position at the expense of minority Christian groups."[28]
Conversely, Catholics and Jews support the new program. Andrey Glotser, an aide to Russia's Chief Rabbi Berel Lazar, stated, "This is an amazing victory for democracy."[29] Rabbi Lazar himself said, "Russia has made a 180 degree turn away from its anti-religious doctrine."[30] The archbishop of the Catholic Church in Moscow, Paolo Pezzi, also expressed support for this initiative, even though Catholics are not directly involved. He stated that this signified that strong anti-religious views no longer control Russian society.[31]
Implications for Religious Freedom and Church-State Relations in Russia
The current education program has several potential implications for church-state relations and religious freedom in Russia. First, this initiative could signify the changing relationship between the state and the Orthodox Church. Russia's religious heritage no longer seems irrelevant, and the government seems willing to cooperate with the Orthodox Church and seek input on religious matters. Although Orthodoxy should be recognized as part of Russian heritage, it should not be preferred at the expense of other religious traditions. This program makes positive strides in this direction. In this initiative, religious education is voluntary and gives students the opportunity to learn about different faiths. Although many minority faiths are still excluded, this program could help promote a pluralistic understanding of religion at the state level.
A related implication is that this program expresses the preexisting division between Christian traditions. Neither Protestants nor Catholics are included in this program, and (especially since the 1997 law) neither is recognized as a "traditional" religion within the state. In order to inhibit new religions from forming or establishing a presence, the Russian state only recognizes the traditional faith groups. This poses a challenging context for minority believers and can lead to religious persecution. Hopefully this program will facilitate greater appreciation for religion within the Federation and allow Catholics and Protestants more recognition in the future.
This program could signify that the government understands how education can be holistic. Looking beyond the temporal and material can offer people a profound sense of meaning, morality, and ethics that affect all human interaction and the flourishing of society.
Finally, it will be no small feat to consistently and fairly implement this program across the Federation. Proper training of instructors will be crucial in how this program will be viewed. Also, universal funding and respect for the students' desire to choose the class of their choice will be important at the local level.
Conclusion
There is not currently universal religious liberty in Russia. Church-state relations are defined by a limited pluralism, in which only the state's recognized religions are granted freedom. This undermines freedom of conscience for all and could allow the government to exploit religion for its own gains. Given this context, the Russian government should still be praised for this pilot program in religious education. Granting children in public schools the opportunity to choose between one of six classes in religion or secular ethics is a step forward from the strict repression of religion under the Soviet regime. Russia recognizes the positive impacts religion can have. Freedom of religious expression creates a more conducive environment for citizens to work for the betterment of society; within this context, people experience greater freedom and less conflict and violence.[32] As many contemporary issues are suffused with religious concerns, Russia's education initiative promises to equip students with a broader understanding of the world around them.
[1] President Dmitry Medvedev had publicly endorsed the initiative in July 2009. See "Russian President supports religion education in schools," RIA NOVOSTI, 21 July 2009, http://en.rian.ru/society/20090721/155576886.html (accessed 29 June 2010).
[2] "The structure of the complex education course ‘The basics of religious cultures and secular ethics' was approved," Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation Press Service, 9 December 2009, http://eng.mon.gov.ru/press/release/4208,print/ (accessed 30 June 2010).
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] "Russian President supports religion education in schools," RIA NOVOSTI, 21 July 2009, http://en.rian.ru/society/20090721/155576886.html (accessed 29 June 2010).
[6] "More than 70 percent of Russians in favor of teaching Orthodox culture in schools," Herald Malaysia Online, 8 September 2009, http://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/More-than-70-per-cent-of-Russians-in-favour-of-teaching-Orthodox-culture-in-schools-2418-1-1.html (accessed 30 June 2010).
[7] Paul Goble, "Russian Pupils Will Study Ethics and History rather than Religion, Statistics Show," Georgian Daily, 19 March 2010, http://georgiandaily.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17807&Itemid=70 (accessed 30 June 2010).
[8] Ibid.
[9] Perry L. Glanzer and Konstantin Petrenko, "Religion and Education in Post-Communist Russia: Russia's Evolving Church-State Relations," Journal of Church and State 49, no. 1 (Winter 2007): 55; "Russia," World History: Ancient and Medieval Eras, ABC-CLIO, 31 July 2010.
[10] Ibid.
[11] "Russia," World History: The Modern Era, ABC-CLIO, 31 July 2010.
[12] Glanzer and Petrenko, "Religion and Education," 55-56.
[13] John D. Basil, "Orthodoxy and Public Education in the Russian Federation: The First Fifteen Years," Journal of Church and State 49, no. 1 (Winter 2007): 28.
[14] Ibid.
[15] U.S. Department of State, "Russia," International Religious Freedom Report, 26 October 2009, http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2009/127333.htm (accessed 30 June 2010).
[16] Daniel L. Wallace and Christopher Marsh, "Russia's 1997 Law on Freedom of Conscience in Context and Retrospect," Journal of Church and State 49, no. 1 (Winter 2007): 5.
[17] Ibid.
[18] Ibid., 7.
[19] For more information on this subject, see Lawrence A. Uzzell, "Politics, Propriety, and Proselytism in Russia," The Review of Faith & International Affairs 3, no. 2 (Fall 2005): 11-18.
[20] Basil, "Orthodoxy and Public Education," 30.
[21] Ibid., 32.
[22] Ibid., 34.
[23] Ibid., 34-35.
[24] Ibid., 36.
[25] Ibid.
[26] Viktor Malukhin, "Russia looks to its religious culture," MercatorNet.com, 30 September 2009, http://www.mercatornet.com/articles/view/russia_looks_to_its_religious_culture/ (accessed 30 June 2010).
[27] "Open letter to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir V. Putin from the Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences," Kentavr no. 3, 23 July 2007, http://scepsis.ru/eng/articles/id_8.php (accessed 30 June 2010).
[28] "More than 70 percent of Russians."
[29] S. Fridman, "Russia's Public Schools to Embrace Religious Education," lubavitch.com, 16 February 2010, http://lubavitch.com/news/article/2028380/Russias-Public-Schools-to-Embrace-Religious-Education.html (accessed 29 June 2010).
[30] Ibid.
[31] Cindy Wooden, "Archbishop hails Russian school move, though it excludes Catholicism," Catholic News Service, 23 July 2009, http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0903346.htm (accessed 29 June 2010).
[32] See Brian J. Grim, "Religious Freedom: Good For What Ails Us?" The Review of Faith & International Affairs 6, no. 2 (Summer 2008): 3-7.