Nationalisation of the Sacred: Orthodox Historiography, Memory, and Politics in Montenegro (South-east European History, 5)

The Eastern Orthodox Churches in post-communist Eastern Europe are embroiled in long-running conflicts over ownership of territory, saints, sites, nations, and history. These often violent conflicts reflect political and national rivalries, most explicitly in former Yugoslavia and Ukraine. They are often understood as simplified ethnic-national tensions with religious overtones, but, as this book demonstrations, such an assessment overlooks the deeper theological and historiographical framework. Nationalisation of the Sacred offers a detailed analysis of the theological backdrop behind these conflicts. It analyses how various strands of Eastern Orthodoxy have adapted to the contemporary political context, a process where history, memory, and politics are transformed to fit the needs of rival nations and churches. The book provides an in-depth analysis of this process and the transformations in church-related conflicts in post-communist Montenegro, where the Serbian Orthodox Church has been pitted against a rival Montenegrin church and Montenegrin government. Additionally the book provides an up-to-date and unique analysis of Eastern Orthodox historiography, modern Serbian theology, religion in Montenegro more broadly, and the roots of the violent clash between Orthodox believers and the Montenegrin government in 2019-2021. Cover Contents Preface Acknowledgement Notes on terminology Abbreviations 1 Introduction The creation of a new religious and political landscape of Montenegro The desecularisation of Yugoslav politics The “root” of the rising Serbian nationalism The study of the ideology and practice of history writing Nationalism and religion: The same order? Studies of saints and sites Key concepts and sources 2 Eastern Orthodoxy in Montenegro and former Yugoslavia Slavic migration and medieval churches The rise of the Vladikas The Orthodox Church in independent Montenegro and Yugoslavia before 1989 The Serbian Church in Montenegro from 1989 The creation of the Montenegrin Church Rising conflict between state and church Head to head in 2019–2020 Challenging the state framework 3 The Eastern Orthodox ideology of history writing Towards Eastern Orthodox historiographical orders The development of state-centred historiography: The Eusebian history of salvation The dismantling of a state-centred historiography Athanasian historiography today 4 The making of Serbian Orthodoxy in history Njegoš’s notion of history and the Divine Velimirović and the return to St Sava Popović: Orthodoxy beyond the confinement of the state Amfilohije and the embodiment of salvation 5 Saints and place-making in Montenegro The cults of Jovan Vladimir The cult of Duklja The sainthood of Petar I Canonising Petar II: Njegoš Saints, neo-martyrs and the forgotten tombs The creation of cults 6 Outlook on the politics of history writing in Eastern Europe North Macedonia: The history of the Archbishopric of Ohrid revisited Bulgaria: The homecoming of national neo-martyrs A final outlook to Ukraine: From brotherhood to division History and memory 7 Towards a theory of nationalisation of the sacred Towards a definition of Orthodox historiographical practice in Montenegro Religious ideology The history of the saints or the nations? Bibliography Index Series Index