Reeducating Class Enemies for God: Forging Religious Resistance to Communism in Romanian Prisons (1948-1964)

• In Event: Counterintuitive Communism: Unexpected Outcomes of State Socialist Policies

Abstract

The paper examines the unintended consequences of Soviet-inspired reeducation efforts aimed at transforming political adversaries into embodiments of the communist ideal. In certain instances, these efforts backfired, prompting a process of introspection among political prisoners that led them to embrace religion as a means of coping with their incarceration. Contrary to the intentions of Romanian communist authorities and the secret police, the spiritual experiences encountered by these political detainees resulted in a notable shift in their beliefs. Upon their release after 1964, they emerged as more religious and openly anti-communist than they had been before their imprisonment.

The resurgence of faith in God, facilitated by interactions with clergy, rabbis, and dedicated members of clandestine religious communities within the prison environment, significantly influenced the inmates’ recollections of their time served. This process effectively recontextualized their life narratives within religious frameworks. Consequently, the secret police, known as the Securitate, were compelled to reevaluate their operational methodologies and adapt their strategies in response to the new challenge posed by religiously inclined, unreformed political prisoners.

Author

• Ionut Florin Biliuta, U of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology (Romania)