BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN NAME:PhD defence F. Raichynets METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20260626T094500 DTEND:20260626T111500 DTSTAMP:20260626T094500 UID:2026/phd-defence-f-raichynets@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573 CREATED:20260701T113714 LOCATION:(1st floor) Auditorium, Main building De Boelelaan 1105 1081 HV Amsterdam SUMMARY:PhD defence F. Raichynets X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Revolution and Ukrainia n Evangelical Churches

Ukrainian churches shifted fro m obedience to resistance during the Revolution of Dignity
Theologian Fedir Raichynets’ research shows how Ukrainian eva ngelical churches fundamentally revised their interpretation of one o f the most influential Bible passages on authority and government dur ing the Revolution of Dignity in 2013 and 2014. Whereas the text from Romans 13 is traditionally seen as a call for obedience to the gover nment, the idea grew during the political crisis that resistance agai nst unjust authority can, in fact, be a moral duty.
Raichynets investigated how evangelical churches in Ukraine dealt with the growi ng tensions between citizens and the state. In the early phase of the protests, the central question was whether Christians were even perm itted to resist the government. As the conflict escalated and state v iolence against protesters increased, the interpretation of Romans 13 also changed. Increasingly, resistance to injustice was viewed not o nly as permissible but also as ethically necessary.
According t o Raichynets, this shows that religious interpretations are not stati c but evolve under the influence of social and political circumstance s. Within the Ukrainian evangelical community, the crisis led to a sh ift in emphasis from obedience to political authorities to the defens e of human dignity and the fight against injustice.
The researc h addresses a pressing question facing religious communities worldwid e: how should they act when governments clash with fundamental values such as justice, human dignity, and the common good? Raichynets’ f indings show that religious beliefs can play a significant role in ci vic engagement and moral decision-making during times of political te nsion, war, or authoritarian developments.
In addition, Raichyn ets’ research offers practical insights for theological education a nd church leaders. A better understanding of the relationship between faith, state power, and civic responsibility can help religious comm unities prepare for complex ethical dilemmas. In doing so, he also co ntributes to the broader debate on a possible “theology of resistan ce”: the question of under what circumstances resistance to politic al authorities can be justified both theologically and morally.
More information about the dissertation
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Ukrainian churches shifted from obedience to resistance during the Revolution of Dignity

Theologian Fedir Raichynets’ research shows how Ukrainian evangelical churches fundamentally revised their interpretation of one of the most influe ntial Bible passages on authority and government during the Revolutio n of Dignity in 2013 and 2014. Whereas the text from Romans 13 is tra ditionally seen as a call for obedience to the government, the idea g rew during the political crisis that resistance against unjust author ity can, in fact, be a moral duty. Raichynets investigated how evange lical churches in Ukraine dealt with the growing tensions between cit izens and the state. In the early phase of the protests, the central question was whether Christians were even permitted to resist the gov ernment. As the conflict escalated and state violence against protest ers increased, the interpretation of Romans 13 also changed. Increasi ngly, resistance to injustice was viewed not only as permissible but also as ethically necessary. According to Raichynets, this shows that religious interpretations are not static but evolve under the influe nce of social and political circumstances. Within the Ukrainian evang elical community, the crisis led to a shift in emphasis from obedienc e to political authorities to the defense of human dignity and the fi ght against injustice. The research addresses a pressing question fac ing religious communities worldwide: how should they act when governm ents clash with fundamental values such as justice, human dignity, an d the common good? Raichynets’ findings show that religious beliefs can play a significant role in civic engagement and moral decision-m aking during times of political tension, war, or authoritarian develo pments. In addition, Raichynets’ research offers practical insights for theological education and church leaders. A better understanding of the relationship between faith, state power, and civic responsibi lity can help religious communities prepare for complex ethical dilem mas. In doing so, he also contributes to the broader debate on a poss ible “theology of resistance”: the question of under what circums tances resistance to political authorities can be justified both theo logically and morally. More information about the dissertation Revolution and Ukrainian Evangelical Churches END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR