#Webinar

For over two decades, I have been involved with the Conference of European Churches (CEC), an ecumenical organization that unites Orthodox, Protestant, and Anglican churches. This organization provides a platform for dialogue on various issues facing churches and societies in Europe, helping to formulate and address these problems.

“The world has entered a period of instability, where everything is collapsing and falling apart. We will endure only through unity—and the sooner we recognize this and embrace our shared foundation in the joy of the Resurrection, the more people we will save from destruction.”

America is changing profoundly. It is a kind of kaleidoscopic change, such that you do not recognize the America that existed even two weeks ago. I have personal experience.

As a parish priest, like many other clergy, it is very important to identify and investigate how myths influence parishioners, and what factors play a key role in shaping the religious mindset of Orthodox Ukrainians.

Since 2004–2007, Orthodox theology has undergone a radical turn toward a new type of theological thinking. Leading contemporary theologians—especially David Bentley Hart, John Manoussakis, Cyril Hovorun, Aristotle Papanikolaou, Pantelis Kalaitzidis—have elevated Orthodox theology to a qualitatively new stage of development.

I suggest looking at religion through the lens of conflict studies, while also considering its practical aspects. To begin, it is worth recalling the words of sociologist Clifford Geertz, who pointed out that religion is interesting not only because it helps define social order, as was once commonly believed, but also because it is shaped by its surrounding environment.

I chose this topic deliberately, to attempt a deeper understanding of myth as a methodological and philosophical problem. I would like to shed more light on the situation that accompanies us all. We constantly witness conflicts, arguments, debates, “battles,” and heated discussions among Orthodox believers on social media, conflicts around churches, and how these are presented in the mass media.

This presentation was delivered on April 9, 2025, during the webinar “Myths and Prejudices as Obstacles to the Unity of Ukrainian Orthodoxy,” held within the joint project of the *Sofia Brotherhood* and the *Renovabis* Foundation: “Contemporary Ukrainian Orthodoxy: Debunking Myths for the Sake of Reconciliation among Orthodox in Ukraine and Consolidation of Ukrainian Society.”

The Russian–Ukrainian war, especially since the full-scale invasion in 2022, has forced us to confront difficult questions: What kind of state have we been building, and what kind of state do we want to see after the war?