Reinterpreting Martyrdom: The Russian Orthodox Church, Memory, and the Justification of Violence

• In Event: Orthodox Christianity and War: Religious Narratives of Violence, Memory, and (Self)Justification in Russia

Abstract

This paper explores how the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) has reinterpreted martyrdom, shifting from a focus on passive suffering and resistance to Soviet persecution to endorsing state violence, especially in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The ROC’s traditional narrative of martyrdom, centered on victimhood and redemptive sacrifice, has been reshaped to support nationalist and militaristic ideologies. By sacralizing military action and casting fallen soldiers almost as martyrs, the Church’s rhetoric has transformed martyrdom from a nonviolent witness to a doctrine of holy war and national sacrifice.

Author

• Sergei Chapnin, Fordham U