The social history of irreligion in Lithuania (from the 19th century to the present) : between marginalization, monopoly and disregard?

Collection:
Mokslo publikacijos / Scientific publications
Document Type:
Knygos dalis / Part of the book
Language:
Anglų kalba / English
Title:
The social history of irreligion in Lithuania (from the 19th century to the present): between marginalization, monopoly and disregard?
Summary / Abstract:

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Ateizmas; Laisvamanybė; Religija; Socialinė istorija; Atheism; Freethinking; Lithuania; Religion; Social history.

ENThis chapter starts with a theoretical discussion of the study of irreligion in the post-Communist context, followed by three parts, divided according to the historical periods of the country’s life. The first part discusses the role of freethinking and atheism in the period of the First Republic of Lithuania from 1918 to 1939. The second part discusses the role of freethinking and atheism during the period of the Soviet occupation. It discloses the politics of the implementation of scientific atheism as the main ideology of the state. The third part focuses on the role of freethinking and atheism in contemporary Lithuania since 1990, when independence was restored. In this chapter, the common term "irreligion" will be used to define the existence and public emergence of organized forms of nonbelief in contemporary society. While acknowledging the fact that irreligion has different expressions in various social contexts, other emic terms will be applied as well. Particularly when referring to the Lithuanian context, the terms "freethinking" and "atheism" will be used together. In certain periods of Lithuanian history, the term "freethinking" was more frequently used than atheism and vice versa during other periods. This highlights the differences between the meanings of "freethinking" and "atheism" and the difficulties in their compatibility. These meanings were created, however, within certain social contexts, and this should be discussed further in each part of this chapter accordingly. Generally speaking, this chapter will focus on the part of the Lithuanian population that does not believe; does not declare their religious affiliation or states openly that they are freethinkers, atheists or agnostics. [Extract, p. 156]

ISBN:
9780367226312
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Updated:
2021-02-02 19:06:46
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