Summary of Conference

RESISTING EMPIRE, PROMOTING PEACE:

CHURCHES CONFRONT THE RUSSIAN WORLD IDEOLOGY

(with the participation of Volos Academy)

Between December 1st and 3rd, 2025, the international conference “Resisting empire, promoting peace: Churches confront the Russian world ideology” was held in Hotel Arthur, Helsinki, Finland. The event was organised by the Conference of European Churches (CEC) in cooperation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Orthodox Church of Finland and it was attended by about 90 Church leaders and representatives of Churches, national councils of Churches, ecumenical partners, and scholars.

The Conference was part of the CEC initiative “Pathways to Peace” and it sought to examine the ideological roots of the ‘Russian World’ narrative and its use in justifying imperial aggression, strengthening the theological capacity of European churches to respond to the political and religious rhetoric fueling war, particularly in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It aimed to foster open and inclusive dialogue grounded in the Gospel’s vision of justice and peace, building on the outcomes of the 2024 European Consultation on Just Peace.

The statement “Churches Confront the ‘Russian World’ Ideology”, released as a result of the Conference, outlines clear actions churches can take toward peace and reconciliation and affirms a strong theological critique of the ideology and its misuse of Christian teaching. The statement underscores that Russia’s war against Ukraine—fuelled by the ‘Russian World’ ideology—is a military, political, and humanitarian assault that threatens both the lives of millions and the democratic foundations of Europe. “The ‘Russian World’ ideology denies the national identity of Ukrainians and neighbouring nations, as well as their right to self-determination,” reads the statement. “The Russian Orthodox Church continues to provide quasi-theological and institutional support for the invasion, thereby silencing dissent within its own clergy and other members and promoting so-called ‘traditional values’ to justify Russia’s actions.”

The "Russian World" ideology constitutes a distortion of the Gospel at its very foundation, the statement notes. “Every human being bears the image of God—an imprint that cannot be erased, absorbed, or redefined by another,” the text reads. “This is the bedrock of the Christian understanding of the human person: the person stands before God in irreducible dignity, before nation, culture, or civilisation”. The statement also condemns as heretical any claim that war can be "holy" or that a soldier’s death in battle cleanses sins, rejecting such teachings as incompatible with the Gospel and the example of Christ. It highlights the need for churches to draw on Christ’s threefold ministry—royal, prophetic, and priestly—as a framework for resisting imperial narratives and promoting peace. The statement further notes that no ideology may subordinate this reality to its own ends. “War is incompatible with the teaching and example of our Lord Jesus Christ,” reads the statement. “The responsibility of the churches is to put Christ into the centre.”

Volos Academy for Theological Studies was represented in the Conference by its Director, Dr. Pantelis Kalaitzidis, who spoke on The Declaration on the Russian World Teaching. As he underlined in his speech, “the publication of the ‘Declaration of Orthodox Theologians’ should be considered as a very important step toward the liberation of Orthodox theology from politico-theological ideologies such as the ‘imperial Orthodoxy,’ as well as the clear willing of Orthodox theologians to put an end to political and nationalist instrumentalisation of Orthodoxy. The Orthodox, today, do not need a new Orthodox empire or a new emperor. We urgently need ecumenical openness, honest self-criticism, and fidelity to the spirit of the Gospel, and the relevant teaching of Church Fathers.” His Eminence Grigorios (Papathomas), Metropolitan of Peristeri and Professor of the Faculty of Theology, Athens University, head of the delegation of the Orthodox Church of Greece, also participated by chairing a relevant session. The delegation also included Archimandrite Alexios Aronis from the Holy Metropolis of Messinia and Dr. Nikos Kouremenos, Research Associate of the Volos Academy for Theological Studies, who also participated in the drafting of the final "Statement" of the conference.

Τhe Conference programme booklet is available at https://tinyurl.com/helsiprog and the complete announcement of the Conference of European Churches at https://tinyurl.com/cecstate2025 (with additional photos).