Project description
Orthodox Christianity geopolitics in Ukraine, Moldova and Estonia
How did the Orthodox churches in Ukraine, Moldova, and Estonia respond to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and how are they shaped by competing ideas of nationhood, sovereignty and geopolitics? Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the TRANSORTH aims to answer these questions. By studying competing church networks and their connections to political contexts within and outside the country, with particular attention to religious discourses on issues of security and identity, the research will apply an interdisciplinary approach which includes religious studies, international relations, post-colonial theory and security studies. Its activities will include discourse and policy analysis of relevant documents from the Church and the State.
Objective
In the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Orthodox Christianity has reemerged as a crucial site where struggles over sovereignty, national identity, and geopolitical alignment play out. Transnational Orthodoxy in Wartime (TRANSORTH) examines how rival Orthodox churches in Ukraine, Moldova, and Estonia, as part of broader transnational Orthodox networks, respond to the war, articulate competing visions of nationhood, and both shape and are shaped by domestic and international politics. Despite recent scholarly focus on Ukrainian Orthodoxy, post-2022 dynamics in Moldova and Estonia remain largely unexplored, and existing studies often lack sustained theoretical engagement. Integrating interdisciplinary perspectives from religious studies, international relations, postcolonial theory, and security studies, TRANSORTH develops a novel analytical framework combining discourse analysis and critical policy analysis. The project will build open-access databases of church and state documents, analyse key texts and policies, and produce peer-reviewed publications and policy outputs. Hosted at the University of Copenhagen under the mentorship of leading experts, it includes short research visits to Estonia, Moldova, and Germany to strengthen regional insights and networks. TRANSORTH will generate new insights into transnational religion in conflict, inform EU policy on resilience and security, and enhance the researcher’s academic independence through advanced training in digital methods, grant writing, and public engagement. The project directly supports the EU’s strategic agenda to strengthen democratic resilience and counter hybrid threats, both within the Union and in its Eastern Neighbourhood.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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1165 KOBENHAVN
Denmark
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