ABSTRACT
Some religious thinkers have been taking up the general challenge of the problem of religion and war. The churches and religions have moved from an essentially extrasystemic or even countersystemic position to occupy a systemic or suprasystemic position; religion is the overarching systemic cultural and symbolic aggregate. The primary function of religion in the transition from communism has been to compel politics to limit and desacralise itself. The role of religion in the Yugoslav crisis should shed light on the relationship between war and these two alternative types of postcommunist politics. Despite occasional criticism and partial dissent, the politicisation of religion has been proceeding steadily in official political circles. The developments in former Yugoslavia may be interpreted as constituting an extreme case of tensions which exist elsewhere. The involvement of the major religious confessions in the war has developed on the basis of the confessional legitimacy previously given to the dominant political strategies.
