Latest news with #EasternOrthodoxy
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Putin Offers Rare Glimpse Inside His Kremlin Apartment, a Lavish Gold and White Space with a Private Gym
Russian President Vladimir Putin gives a rare look into his private quarters in a new documentary. Twenty-five years after rising to power, Putin gave a series of interviews to journalist Pavel Zarubin for Russian television outlet Rossiya 1. The result is a film titled Moscow. Kremlin. Putin. 25 Years, which offers viewers another side to the stern-faced politician. In the film, Putin, 72, welcomed Zarubin into his personal apartment inside the Kremlin, an impressive space decorated in shades of white and gold. He told the interviewer that he's been living primarily out of the apartment for the last three years, which coincides with the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Related: Trump Says He Was a 'Bit Sarcastic' When He Promised to End Ukraine War Within 24 Hours of Taking Office Putin explained that it's a personal space, noting that he's shared tea in the apartment with President Bill Clinton — an indicator of their close relationship. When Zarubin asked after the Russian president's grandchildren, Putin conceded that, while his family are welcome to visit him there, 'they understand that I have a non-stop schedule.' While he admitted that he 'rarely' plays the impressive white piano, Putin said that he does spend significant time each day in the apartment's 'most important' area: the private gym. Amid the tour, Putin and Zarubin sat down at his dining room table to drink kefir and discuss more about the Russian leader's time in power. Putin admitted that he thinks about who will succeed him 'all the time.' In 2024, the Russian leader won his fifth presidential election with 88% of the vote, extending his rule until 2030. In terms of a successor, Putin said he hopes that multiple candidates will emerge so that 'the people have a choice.' However, he warned that the Russian population's trust would have to be won in order for the new leader to accomplish 'anything serious.' Related: Trump Secretly Shared COVID-19 Tests with Putin and Stayed in Touch After Presidency, Bob Woodward Claims While his election results seem to indicate that the Russian leader is almost universally beloved, Zarubin noted that he often comes off as 'cold-blooded and reserved." The interviewer then asked if he ever feels the urge to haul off and hit someone. 'Always,' Putin replied. 'I'm living with it, but I'm struggling with it.' Somewhat ironically, Putin's apartment tour had one notable portrait on display: Tsar Alexander III, whose nickname was 'The Peacemaker.' While Russia was in peacetime throughout his rule, Alexander III also increased censorship in the country and implemented Russification policies, like only teaching the Russian language in schools and dismantling religious institutions other than Eastern Orthodoxy. As for his own efforts at peace, Putin referenced the war in Ukraine, which he spun as a 'special military operation.' Russia invaded the neighboring country in February 2022 and the violent conflict has so far caused the deaths of tens of thousands of Ukrainian civilians, in addition to significant troop losses. Contributor/Getty Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks on the annexation of four Ukrainian regions on September 30, 2022 Putin ominously said that 'so far' there has been no need for Russia to use its arsenal of nuclear weapons during the conflict. 'I hope they will not be required,' he added. 'We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 to a logical conclusion with the outcome Russia requires.' Related: Jude Law Confirms He's Playing Vladimir Putin in a New Movie: 'How Am I Going to Do This?' Despite his threats of military domination, in other parts of the documentary, Putin is depicted as universally beloved by his people, with millions of Russians cheering him on at massive rallies. The president also attempts a humble image, with clips of him warmly embracing supporters, joking with children in the hospital and playfully straightening a soldier's tie. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. It's a study in contrast for a former KGB officer who became one of the most powerful men in the world — even as he claims not to embrace it. 'I have a feeling that I don't feel like a politician, a person who sits and dictates the fate of his country,' Putin told Zarubin. 'I continue to breathe the same air with millions of citizens of Russia.' Read the original article on People
BBC News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Russia's Church in Texas
Not that long ago many church-going Americans saw Russia as a godless place, an 'evil empire' in the words of Ronald Reagan. But in President Trump's second term, US-Russia relations have been turned on their head. The White House sided with the Kremlin at the United Nations, voting against a resolution to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This seismic shift is also being felt in parishes across America. Increasing numbers of US Catholics and Protestants are embracing Eastern Orthodoxy. Many converts disillusioned by the showbiz elements in many megachurches, say they are drawn to a faith with enduring traditions. Some, uneasy with social and demographic change, believe the churches they were raised in have lost their authority by going 'woke' – shorthand for supporting equal marriage, female clergy, pro-choice, Black Lives Matter and other liberal issues. Some converts have hundreds of thousands of followers online, and push Kremlin narratives that Russia is the world's last bastion of true Christianity - a few of the most radical have even emigrated there. Lucy Ash has been to Texas – one of the most religious states in the US – to meet some new converts. Presenter: Lucy Ash Producer: Linda Pressly Sound mix: James Beard Production Co-ordinator: Gemma Ashman Editor: Penny Murphy
BBC News
06-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
The Documentary Podcast Assignment: Russia's Church in Texas
Not that long ago many church-going Americans saw Russia as a godless place, an 'evil empire' in the words of Ronald Reagan. But in President Trump's second term, US-Russia relations have been turned on their head. The White House sided with the Kremlin at the United Nations, voting against a resolution to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This seismic shift is also being felt in parishes across America. Increasing numbers of US Catholics and Protestants are embracing Eastern Orthodoxy. Many converts disillusioned by the showbiz elements in many megachurches, say they are drawn to a faith with enduring traditions. Some, uneasy with social and demographic change, believe the churches they were raised in have lost their authority by going 'woke' – shorthand for supporting equal marriage, female clergy, pro-choice, Black Lives Matter and other liberal issues. Some converts have hundreds of thousands of followers online, and push Kremlin narratives that Russia is the world's last bastion of true Christianity - a few of the most radical have even emigrated there. Lucy Ash has been to Texas – one of the most religious states in the US – to meet some new converts.
News18
22-04-2025
- General
- News18
Do All Christians Follow The Pope? Orthodox Church, And Its Relations With Putin Explained
Last Updated: Eastern Orthodox Church, includes Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches. Unlike Catholics, Eastern Orthodox allows priests to marry. The Russian Orthodox Church was born out of a rejection of union with the West With the passing of Pope Francis, 88, on Monday, the Vatican has announced a nine-day mourning period known as Novendiale, as per the ancient Roman tradition. Nearly 1.4 billion members of the Roman Catholic Church are waiting for their next pope. So, is Pope the leader of the Christian world? The differences between Catholics and other Christians are very significant. Let us find out the about the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestants. And where does the Russian Orthodox Church stand amidst all this. Who Are Catholics? All Catholics are Christians, but not all Christians are Catholics. A Christian refers to a follower of Jesus Christ who may be a Catholic, Protestant, Gnostic, Mormon, Evangelical, Anglican or Orthodox, or follower of another branch of the religion. A Catholic is a Christian who follows the Catholic religion as transmitted through the succession of Popes. The Pope is the leader of the Catholic church. The Catholic church is the largest of the Christian churches — about 60% of Christians are Catholic. Catholics also follow the teachings of Jesus Christ through the church. They believe in the special authority of the Pope which other Christians may not believe in. The Catholic Church teaches the doctrines of Jesus Christ as transmitted in the New Testament of the Bible, as well as the teachings, Psalms, and histories of the Jewish prophets in the Old Testament. The Catholic Religion preserves a tradition of Priesthood, Monks, and Nuns that date back to the early middle ages and before. The Roman Catholic Church has around 1.3 to 1.4 billion members worldwide, making it the largest Christian church, according to the figure provided by baptized Catholics. The Eastern Orthodox Church, also known as the Orthodox Catholic Church, is one of the three main divisions of Christianity, with around 260 million followers worldwide. Primarily rooted in the eastern part of the Christian world, it encompasses numerous autonomous churches, including the Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches. The Great Schism of 1054 kept apart the Eastern Orthodox from the Roman Catholic Churches, due to cultural, political, and theological differences. While Eastern Orthodoxy shares core beliefs with Roman Catholicism and Protestantism—such as the Trinity and the resurrection of Jesus—there are notable distinctions in their theological perspectives and practices. In contrast to the Western Christian traditions, followers of Eastern Orthodoxy do not see sin and salvation in legalistic terms. Whereas Roman Catholics and Protestants believe that humanity deserves punishment for original sin. Eastern churches include the Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Bulgarian Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox, and Romanian Orthodox churches; the churches of Alexandria and Jerusalem; and the Orthodox Church of America. Eastern Orthodoxy has nothing to do with the Pope, as each church is governed by its own head bishop. Additionally, Eastern Orthodoxy permits priests to be married when ordained. The Russian Orthodox Church Initially under Constantinople, the Russian Orthodox Church unilaterally declared its independence from the Ecumenical Patriarchate in 1448. Constantinople, surrounded by the Ottomans, had recognised the universal and supreme jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome, then Pope Eugene IV, over the whole Church at the Council of Florence in exchange for military aid. The Russian hierarchy unreservedly rejected the act of union with Rome and became de facto autocephalous, as per Theos. As the military aid provided by the West proved insufficient, Constantinople fell, as did its alliance with the See of Rome, but the Russian bishops remained autonomous. Thus, the Russian Orthodox Church as its own entity was born out of a categorical rejection of union with the West. The Russian Orthodox Church And Kremlin The Russian Orthodox Church has received an unusual amount of attention in the last few years following Russia's invasion of Ukraine Patriarch Kirill's close support for Vladimir Putin's military ambitions. Most of the attention towards the Russian Orthodox has been as a result of the symbiotic relationship between the Russian Church and Putin's government. Ben Ryan, in his essay for Theos, a UK-based think tank, noted that 'Putin has allowed the Church to return to prominence and supported it in a way unheard of since the Revolution. The Church has, in turn, provided some of the intellectual and cultural backing for Putin's Statist vision for Russia and the wider Russian sphere of influence." It is not unbelievable that the Russian Orthodox Church has benefitted materially from its association with Putin's Kremlin – especially in the early 2000s, when it was still recovering from 70 years of Soviet oppression. Putin's administration helped the Church secure funding, recover previously nationalised property, and obtain legal protection and status. Polls clearly show Russians are losing faith in the state, yet the Russian Church, acting as a cultural symbol and providing a point of reference for collective identification and expression beyond the political, does not seem affected by this loss of trust. Many have found the Russian Church guilty of supporting Russia's military aggression in Ukraine. Its spiritual head, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', has not only failed 'to condemn Russia's military aggression," in the words of Metropolitan Kliment, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church's Synodal Department for Information and Education, 'but he also failed to find words for the suffering of the Ukrainian people". Putin's Faith And Church After the news of Pope Francis' death came out, Putin sent his condolences. 'Please accept my most sincere condolences on the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis," Putin said in a message to Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, Camerlengo of the Holy Roman Church. 'Throughout the years of his pontificate, he actively promoted the development of dialogue between the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, as well as constructive cooperation between Russia and the Holy See," he said. Putin has been a ardent supporter of the Russian Orthodox Church, which has led to its return to prominence since the Revolution. In turn, the church has also provided some of the intellectual and cultural backing for Putin's vision for Russia and the wider Russian sphere of influence. Reports suggest that Putin has seemed to use the Church in an instrumental way to support his actions at home and abroad. No other Russian leader since the Tsars has felt the need to do so. Reports suggest that the increased assertion of faith by Putin is part of a broader trend of seeking a nationalist agenda when the economy has declined. But even relatively early in his presidency, Putin had spoken about his faith and had formed a close bond with certain members of the clergy in the early 2000s, when his popularity was at its peak. In early meetings with then US President George Bush, Putin made much of his personal faith apparent by showing off the small aluminium cross that he wore round his neck and making much of his Christian commitment. Who Are The Protestants? The Protestant Reformation began in the early 16th century, dividing the church into Catholic and Protestant denominations. Catholic monk Martin Luther (1483-1546) in the German city of Wittenberg, set out to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but instead ended up becoming the founder of a second Christian confession. In his 95 Theses, he aired his complaints about many aspects of the church, including the selling of indulgences, which believers could buy to redeem their sins. The profits of such sales were funding the construction of the new St. Peter's cathedral in Rome. Instead, he argued, salvation could only be reached by faith, as per Deutsche Welle. Protestant Christians, as made clear by Luther, believe the Bible is the 'Sola Skriptura," God's only book, in which He provided His revelations to the people and which allows them to enter in communion with Him. The Protestant Churches are called 'Evangelical," which means 'according to the Gospel," do not make up one united Church. There are rather several tens of thousands of different denominations around the world. Officially, all of these many churches are considered equal. Protestants do not subscribe to papal primacy. According to the Evangelical view, this dogma contradicts statements in the Bible. Unlike Catholics, Protestants do not consecrate specific persons into office, but rather accept the principle that priesthood can be transferred to every believer — even to women. In the Protestant Church, every baptized person is invited to share and is allowed to lead the Lord's Supper. This approach is not accepted by Catholics. Additionally, Eucharist has a different meaning for Catholics and Protestants. The bread, known as the Host, embodies Jesus and can therefore be prayed to. For Protestants, the ritual only serves to commemorate Jesus' death and resurrection. Most Protestant churches only practice two sacraments: baptism and the Eucharist (called Lord's Supper). They are perceived as symbolic rituals through which God delivers the Gospel. They are accepted through faith. top videos View all Though all religions in the world adhere to the concept of celibacy – abstaining from marriage and having sexual relations — but the Protestant Church rejects this obligation for priests. Martin Luther demanded its abolition as early as 1520. He made a decisive personal contribution to this end in 1525: The former monk married the former nun Katharina von Bora. Initially unsure of whether he should marry, Luther finally determined that 'his marriage would please his father, rile the pope, cause the angels to laugh, and the devils to weep." tags : News18 Explains pope francis President Vladimir Putin Roman Catholic Church Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: April 22, 2025, 10:59 IST News explainers Do All Christians Follow The Pope? Orthodox Church, And Its Relations With Putin Explained
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
A resurgence of faith among men is changing the religious gender gap
'It was the most transcendental experience I had ever had in worship,' says Nathanael Ginn, a 31-year-old from Indianapolis, recalling the first Eastern Orthodox service he attended at his local Antiochian Orthodox Church in 2017. This moment came during Ginn's spiritual quest. Growing up, Ginn's family bounced between Baptist, evangelical and nondenominational churches. At 16, after losing his uncle to suicide, Ginn experienced a spiritual crisis. He distanced himself from organized religion and focused on his career and hobbies, but eventually, he could no longer deny the growing emptiness and questions about life's purpose and meaning. During his 'wandering years,' he explored neo-paganism and the occult, but none of these paths felt satisfying. 'I wanted to know what life is beyond endless consumerism,' said Ginn, an account manager at a tech company. 'In the modern age, stuff is constantly being delivered to our door, but life should be more than just what I'm paying money to consume. So I think that's the big thing — people are looking for something authentic.' For Ginn, Eastern Orthodoxy provided an action-oriented approach to faith, one that emphasized discipline, fasting and spiritual growth. 'There is this element of the call to action of going and living a holy life and participating in the energies of God that really draws men in,' he told me. Ginn's story is part of a larger trend. While women have historically been more religious than men, there is evidence this pattern is eroding. In the past several years, more men have been turning to faith, while more women have been disaffiliating from religion. Although women still report higher levels of religious affiliation, belief and practice than men, the gender gap in religiousness has been narrowing, according to the 2023-2024 Religious Landscape Study, conducted by the Pew Research Center, which surveyed about 37,000 Americans. For instance, in 2007, the percentage of women who reported praying daily was 17 points higher than men, but Pew found that this gap has narrowed to 13 points. The shrinking gap is especially evident among younger generations. Among the oldest respondents (74 and older), women pray daily at a rate 20 points higher than men, whereas among the youngest adults (18-24), the difference is much smaller — 30% of women and 26% of men pray daily. And while the gender gap in religiosity is shrinking, young Christian men and women are increasingly divided on social and political issues, according to the report. Despite these shifts, the study notes that 'there are still no birth cohorts in which men are significantly more religious than women. ' In every age group, women are at least as religious as men, and in many birth cohorts, women are significantly more religious than men,' the report says. Ginn, as well as many others, noted that a crisis of what it means to be a man in the modern era may be why men are increasingly joining communities of faith. 'With rising housing costs, you can't just get the American dream that used to be sold,' he told me. 'The economic uncertainty and the broken promises of the social contract that Americans believed in is causing men, in particular young men, to look for something different.' Scholars have observed for decades that women are generally more religious than men, with research dating back to the 1930s, according to Pew. However, it wasn't until the 1980s that academics began investigating why this gender gap exists. A cluster of theories have emerged, explaining the divide in terms of nature vs. nurture. For instance, nature-based theories suggest that biological factors such as hormones, genetics and physical predispositions contribute to women's greater religiosity. Nurture-based theories emphasize social and environmental factors, according to Pew. Ryan Cragun, professor of sociology at the University of Tampa, explained that particularly during the Cold War, adopting a nonreligious or atheist identity carried social risks. During the Cold War, when religion and especially Christianity was strongly associated with patriotism and national identity, identifying as atheist or nonreligious meant risking social status and being perceived as un-American. Because well-educated white men faced fewer social and economic consequences, they were more willing to openly identify as atheists, he said. Atheist women often chose to identify as 'spiritual but not religious' to avoid potential social stigma, even if they were not spiritual, according to a 2017 paper by Penny Edgell, a professor at the University of Minnesota, and her colleagues. This dynamic shaped the historical trend of nonreligious identification being more common among men, Cragun said. Women who favored traditional roles in the family — clashing with the norms of the broader society — found affirmation of their values in more traditional churches, Cragun explained, which may partly explain higher religiosity among women. But this, too, has been changing. 'Women are getting educated in higher numbers, they're not finding validation for the values that they hold in religion, so they're leaving in higher numbers than men are,' Cragun said. For similar reasons, men have turned to traditional churches recently, in part because these institutions affirm more conventional roles and a traditional vision of masculinity. 'A lot of men today feel marginalized, they feel emasculated, they feel like they have lost power and privilege in society,' said Cragun. This aligns with broader cultural shifts, such as discussions around 'toxic masculinity' and 'the masculinity crisis.' But despite similar religious practices, young Christian men and women are increasingly divided on social and political issues. This divide is not due to differences in faith but rather broader cultural and social influences, according to Daniel Cox, director of the Survey Center on American Life, who wrote about the gender gap between Christian men and women. Over the past decade, young Christian women have become more supportive of abortion rights, while young men have grown less supportive of LGBTQ issues, widening the ideological divide. Young Christian women are more progressive, with 61% supporting abortion rights (compared to 48% of men) and 75% believing homosexuality should be accepted (versus 49% of men), according to Pew. Women are also more likely to favor a larger government providing public services. What seems likely, Cox wrote, 'is that young Christians are being exposed to the same cultural divides afflicting secular young people.' Even when attending the same church, the social context for young men and women differs significantly: Young Christian women are more likely to have close friends who identify as LGBTQ, which influences their views on policies related to these issues, he wrote. Declining marriage rates also reduce opportunities for cross-gender understanding. While shared religious experiences may help bridge the gap, they are unlikely to completely erase it, Cox wrote. 'It's not the only way to counteract the social and technological forces pushing men and women apart, but it's a good place to start.' A survey of Orthodox churches around the country found that in 2022, parishes around the country saw a 78% increase in converts compared to pre-pandemic numbers. In some faith traditions in the U.S., men make up a larger proportion of the membership. For example, in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, men make up 52% and women 47%, which is a subtle reversal from the last Religious Landscape Study study in 2014, in which men and women breakdown fell at 46% and 54% respectively. Among Orthodox Christians too, men comprise a larger group at 61%. The Rev. Jonathan Ivanoff, archpriest at St. John the Theologian Orthodox Church on Long Island also observed an uptick in membership in his parish — between 20 and 30 converts in the past two to three years, which is a significant increase for a small congregation like his. 'Many of us theorized that Covid caused a lot of people to confront their own mortality and their relationship to God and fragileness of life and caused a lot of people to question those things and find meaning in life because of that,' Ivanoff told me. Some young men in his parish have come from the Catholic Church, often after a stint of disaffiliation, he said. Others have atheist backgrounds. 'Coming to Orthodoxy, for many young men, is a rejection of nihilistic attitudes they had been facing,' Ivanoff said. 'It's coming to something that has depth, a foundation on which they could stand on, tradition and unapologetic commitment to truth.' On a Monday evening in January, four men sat around a long table in a room with a crucifix on the wall, discussing a medieval devotional classic, 'The Imitation of Christ.' They were part of St. Joseph's men's group which meets at St. Paul's Parish, a Catholic church located near Harvard University. The men meet every week, discussing theological readings.(I learned the about the group, because my son attends the parish school and sings in the church choir.) Going chapter by chapter, the men talked about freedom, selflessness and fasting, chiming in with references to writings by theologian David Bentley Hart and J.R.R. Tolkien. The group started with the goal of helping men become better role models and Christian disciples, and to better understand how to navigate 'spiritual battles' in the world, Sung min Cho, a 24-year-old animator who leads the group, told me. He typically attends a Korean American Catholic church close to his home, but attends St. Paul's for special services. 'It's not just a glorified book club but also a way for us, old and new, to increase in fellowship, because, as it's written, it's not good for men to be alone,' said Cho, who described himself a 'cradle Catholic' who went through a period of disaffiliation. 'We're meant to be in a community, not just by ourselves.' St. Paul's Church has also seen an influx of converts in the past three years, the parish priest told me; many among them are men. Among Cho's peers, there is lack of confidence in what truth and courage mean today, he told me. 'Modernity is always changing,' Cho said. 'You're like a mercenary — you don't know what you want the next day and the day after that.' Ginn echoes this sentiment. Much of modern American Christianity, Ginn argues, has lost this depth, whereas consumerist symbols of faith — like curated social media aesthetics — are prioritized over worship of God. In Eastern Orthodoxy, Ginn said he found a more 'masculine' approach to faith. He contrasted the Orthodox chants with some Protestant worship songs, which to him seem overly emotional or romanticized, making it hard for him to relate to the spiritual experience. 'It makes me a little uncomfortable,' Ginn said. A proliferation of podcasts on religion and theological questions has opened up more avenues for seeking answers to a wide range of theological questions. For Orthodoxy, there is an abundance of podcasts online, according to Ivanoff, whose own podcast 'The Transfigured Life' soared to 8,000 subscribers recently. 'There is a rebuttal to the rebuttal — there is a kind of ping-pong theology going back and forth and people have the opportunity to hear us in a crowded podcasting world,' said Ivanoff. 'That has been huge in helping people who are searching for something to search for us as an option, which may not have existed 10 years ago.' With the rise of artificial intelligence and amid online interactions, what's real is getting harder to discern, Cho told me. 'Christianity, and religion as a whole offers the truth that there is more than just what we see,' he said. 'There is more to your soul than what's cost affective.' Ginn is open about his Eastern Orthodox faith at work, but without being pushy. He follows fasting guidelines, prays before meals and has even displayed religious icons at his desk. Ginn and other young male converts he knows are reclaiming their religious identity, rather than downplaying their Christian faith. 'In my case, I feel that I shouldn't have to hide my faith,' Ginn said. 'For a lot of us converts, we want to live the faith out as much as possible.'
