By Paul Coyer
Religion, and the interplay between religious and national identities, has played and continues to play a major role in shaping Central and Eastern Europe. The dominance of an atheistic political system and atheistic regimes for nearly half a century under communism was culturally alien to the region, and the role of faith has reasserted itself quite strongly since the implosion of the Soviet Union. In the past thirty years, weâve seen a reversion to the historical norm that illustrates the staying power of deeply embedded cultural traits, including and especially religious identity. Its role in public life and national identity is felt more strongly in some countries than it is in othersâit holds more influence in Poland, for example, than in the Czech Republicâbut in most cases, religion plays a very significant role in each countryâs sense of identity.
Western observers and policymakers would do well to pay attention to this reality. Given the central role played by faith communities in sustaining political and social cohesion, national identity, and strengthening the region in myriad ways, the United States now more than ever needs to embrace religious freedom in the region, as it needs to elsewhere.
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