2:30-3:45P     TR     BH333

A portion of the above section reserved for majors
Above section meets REEI R300 and HIST T500
Graduate students register for HIST T500

Since the collapse of Communism in Russia and Eastern Europe, religion
has re-emerged as a central tenet of ethnic and national identity.
This course provides a historical and analytical context for
understanding the religious traditions of the Orthodox Church and its
role in the modern national consciousness and cultural identity of the
contemporary states of Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria,
and Serbia - all lands that were originally under the spiritual
jurisdiction of the Patriarch of Constantinople.  Building on a study
of the religious tradition of Orthodoxy and the history of the
national churches, the course concludes with an inquiry into
contemporary issues facing the post-Communist Orthodox societies.

The course is divided into three areas of focus: 1) the unique
elements of the Eastern Orthodox tradition in distinction from Western
Roman practices; 2) the development of national churches in Russia and
Eastern Europe from the 15th through the 19th centuries with a focus
on the leading historical issues shaping this development; and 3) the
20th-century dilemma of Communism and post-Communism: persecution and
survival under Communism and the post-Communist religious revival and
issues of identity.

Classes will incorporate both lectures and discussion of assigned
readings in a colloquium format.  Mid-term, final, and one research
paper required.  (Graduate students will additionally provide a book
review.)  Previous courses in Russian and/or Eastern European history
are helpful, but not required.