ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with questions of religiosity and secularization in Estonia. It begins with a brief introduction to the historical and ethnic backgrounds of Estonia. The national narrative of Estonians began in the nineteenth century and its guiding principle was statehood. After the Soviet annexation of Estonia, religious life came under attack. Religion and religious institutions became marginalized in Estonian society. The presence of religion in public institutions is often considered a problematic issue in Estonia. Christians are the largest religious group in Estonia, making up approximately 98 per cent of all believers. Buddhism arrived in Estonia at the beginning of the twentieth century with the Buddhist monk Brother Vahindra. The Jewish community in Estonia developed in the nineteenth century. The history of Islam in Estonia is connected with the local Tatar minority, which arrived there in the 19th century. There are many people in Estonia whose faith is a syncretic mixture of Christianity and other religions and beliefs.
