Is the Existing State – ROC Relations in Russia an Example of Symphonia? Historical Continuities and Contemporary Transformations
Is the Existing State – ROC Relations in Russia an Example of Symphonia? Historical Continuities and Contemporary Transformations

Summary/Abstract: The relationship between the Russian Federation and the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) has become one of the defining features of contemporary Russian political theology. While both state officials and church leaders frequently invoke the Byzantine concept of symphonia to describe their cooperation, the extent to which this relationship reflects the historical Orthodox understanding of church–state relations remains contested. This study examines the historical development of the concept of symphonia from the Byzantine Empire through Imperial Russia and the Soviet period to the contemporary Russian Federation. Employing a historical-theological and comparative approach, the article argues that the present relationship between the Russian state and the ROC represents neither a continuation of Byzantine political theology nor a simple revival of imperial traditions. Instead, it constitutes a distinct post-Soviet model characterized by institutional cooperation, ideological convergence, and political pragmatism. The analysis demonstrates that contemporary Russian church–state relations function primarily through mutual legitimization rather than through the balanced dual authority envisioned in Byzantine political thought. Consequently, the article concludes that the current Russian model should be understood as a post-imperial reinterpretation of symphonia, one shaped by nationalism, historical memory, and geopolitical ambitions rather than by classical Orthodox ecclesiology.

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