What and where is religious pluralism in Lithuania?

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Religija; Religinis pliuralizmas; Pliuralizmas Lietuvoje; Religion; Religious pluralism; Pluralism in Lithuania.

ENThe aim of this paper is to analyze the form of religious pluralism that has arisen in contemporary Lithuania and its impact on society in general and minority religions in particular. This paper also contributes to the broader understanding of the forms of religious pluralism that have emerged in the post-socialist societies of Central and Eastern Europe, and reveals the peculiarities of these pluralisms in relation to the theories of pluralism outlined by sociologist James A. Beckford and by historian William A. Hutchison1 – Beckford’s notion of pluralism as ideology, and Hutchison’s2 analysis of the development of religious pluralism in the United States through three stages: toleration, inclusion/belonging and participation/ cooperation. Though his analysis focuses on the role of the state, the historical stages described by Hutchison may serve as ideal for socio-historical analysis of implementation of religious pluralism in Lithuania. This chapter proceeds by providing a portrait of diversity and pluralism in Lithuania today, before situating this picture in relation to the history of religious pluralism implemented in Lithuania in the early Nineties, its historical roots and social consequences for contemporary society and minority religions. It argues that pluralism in Lithuania today is in a phase of toleration as outlined by Hutchison. [From the publication]