Introduction

The editors provide a general overview of the religious dimensions of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. The introduction explores the ways that religion plays a role as an identity and marker for the conflict’s parties and discusses how religion has also served as both an accelerant and decelerant in the clash. It identifies significant threats to religious freedom from the conflict, particularly in the Donbas and sketch out the religious impact of the conflict in major church-state reconfigurations, particularly in the creation of the new Orthodox Church of Ukraine. Finally, the introduction provides a brief description of the chapters and interviews in the book, outlining the book’s content and organizational structure.