Obstacles to Covenantal Pluralism in Contemporary Russia
Journal: The Review of Faith & International Affairs
Year: 2025

What are the prospects for covenantal pluralism in Russia? Despite constitutional guarantees of religious freedom and the state’s recognition of its multi-confessional and multi-ethnic character, this article argues that Russian religious communities face a hierarchical system that divides religious groups between “traditional” and “non-traditional” faiths. This religious hierarchy creates an uneven playing field where non-traditional faiths tend to experience greater legal restrictions and soci