ABSTRACT
The purpose of this chapter is to identify the roles played by women during Russia’s war against Ukraine, as viewed through the perspectives of Christian clergy. The main research question guiding this inquiry is, ‘What is the image of women in the war narratives of the Christian clergy (Orthodox, Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic, and Protestant) from Ukraine?’ The war has had a profound impact on women’s lives – bringing hardship and suffering yet also triggering deep social and religious transformations. Although the interview protocols did not contain questions directly referring to women, the respondents themselves revealed both the dramatic experiences and the growing scale of women’s involvement in community, family, and spiritual life, as well as the depth of suffering and societal change imposed upon them by the war. An analysis of the respondents’ narratives indicates that the war is redefining women’s social roles. In public discourse, they are no longer perceived solely as victims of war; instead, they are increasingly depicted as leaders of local communities, organisers of humanitarian aid, volunteers, and bearers of hope and continuity of family life in wartime conditions. The study forming the basis of this chapter was qualitative in nature and employed the method of in-depth individual (IDI) interviews with Christian clergy, conducted during the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. The data were processed primarily through thematic analysis, enabling the identification of key categories related to clergy perceptions of women in wartime. The findings portray women as pillars of social and spiritual resilience. The chapter also highlights the potential for further interdisciplinary research on the role of women in post-conflict and religious contexts.
