The role of religion in forming the Serbian political pattern

Abstract

Serbian political pattern is made under the influence of several different factors. However, this paper focuses on just one of them - religious one and accordingly, it states the following research question: what was the role of religion in forming the Serbian political pattern, and how it is today? Within the paper, the author emphasis the role of Christianity, or to be more exact, the Orthodoxy, as one of the most important factors of Serbian political sphere. Throw the centuries, Orthodoxy followed the Serbian state development, and influenced it by using the Serbian Orthodox Church in this purpose. Therefore, throw ages, Serbian politics was under influence of religion. By following this, within this paper the author will try to explain how religion influenced the formation of Serbian political pattern. Introduction is used to state the fact that the political science researches lack of topic on political pattern. However, many Serbian writers, such are I. Andric, S. Jovanovic, J. Ducic, J. Cvijic, D. Vasic and many other, have left something behind themselves which can be used as a good starting point for research on Serbian political pattern. Yet, Milan Matic is the main source for this kind of research in Serbia, and his book About Serbian political pattern (Matic, 2000). On the other hand, given literature lack of two defiance's - both in scientific and methodological sense. All these sources, along with Matic's book, represent one general view on the problem which is not even defined as it should be. Therefore, in Serbian political pattern many different things were pushed in, but very few of them were properly explained. Based on this assumption, main research question of this paper is - what was the role of religion in forming the Serbian political pattern, and how it is today? In order to give a proper answer to this question, the following text is devoted to the question - what political pattern is and what sort of connection can be found between political pattern and religion? The author states that political pattern is a sort of a modern PC's hard discs, where the cultural and political heritage of one people is placed, and where they can found answers on many future questions. Also, the question of relationship between political pattern and political culture is briefly shown, where author follows the argumentation that political culture is a general picture, from which political pattern evolves. As tradition and socialization are two most important factors in political culture transmission, it can be assumed that religion is important part of both tradition and socialization. In order to show how tradition and religion are closely connected the author point out the example of Jews and Jewish people after they were expelled from their country in 132. Next part of this paper is used to point out the brief history of church - state relation is Serbia. Main goal of this part of the text was to indicate the fact that church and state was strongly connected throw history and that this fact must have left some influence on Serbian political pattern. After this, the author tried to point out the role of religion in forming the Serbian political pattern. By using some of Matic's determinants of Serbian political pattern, the author tries to connect them with religion. Determinants such are 'be your own and on your own', defensive and offensive role of Orthodoxy, leader sacrifice in the name of people, keeping its own identity, sense of justice etc. are all closely connected with religion and its socio - political teachings and consequences. In conclusion, the author assumes that he managed to show the role of religion (Orthodoxy) in forming the Serbian political pattern and he asks - it this kind of political pattern a barrier to a process of democratization in Serbia? Or in others words, is Orthodoxy compatible with democracy and democratic political culture, or not? As a conclusion, the author states that even though orthodoxy is, in general, found as a conservative force in one society, on the other hand, Serbia's political history and heritage is full of democratic examples way before many Westerners thinks. In that case, Orthodoxy can be used as a force for democratization, not against it.

Na formiranje srpskog političkog obrasca uticalo je mnogo različitih faktora. U ovom radu autor će se fokusirati samo na jedan od njih - religiozni i postavlјa istraživačko pitanje - kakva je bila uloga religije u formiranju srpskog političkog obrasca i kakva je njena uloga danas? Kao jednu od najznačajnijih istorijskih činjenica koje su uticale na politički život Srbije autor vidi pripadnost hrišćanstvu, ili preciznije, pravoslavlјu i pravoslavnoj tradiciji. Kroz vekove pravoslavlјe je, kroz delovanje Srpske pravoslavne crkve, pratilo razvoj državnosti Srbije, održavalo ideju državnosti onda kada nije bilo države i pomagalo onda kada je pomoć bila najpotrebnija. Samim tim, srpska politika je kroz vekove bila pod uticajem religije. Prateći taj uticaj autor će pokušati da zaklјuči kako je ta veza uticala na formiranje srpskog političkog obrasca i naročito, kakva je njena uloga danas.