Problems of Transformation of Ukrainian Religious Consciousness in the Context of Postcolonial Studies

Abstract

The article deals with the transformation processes in the national religion, that were intensified from the 70-90's. of the lastcentury, in the context of national postcolonial studies. It is indicated that these processes are caused by general social and economicchanges, that are being experienced by the Ukrainian society and persistent penetration and extension in our country the neoreligiousEastern and Western spiritual practices and teachings. It was found that among the factors that currently hinder the socialtransformations, a special place occupies the phenomenon of post-colonialism that was not vanished because of our culture, whichmanifests in various spheres of public life, including the sphere of religion. As far as exactly the postcolonial syndrome remains amajor obstacle on the way of the Ukrainian additions to the Western lifestyles, so the study of various aspects of its manifestation inthe space of social and personal life of the Ukrainians in the sphere of spirituality and religiosity is an actual scientific problem.The conceptual provisions of heritage of the founders of the postcolonial problematics in our culture by M. Riabchuk, T.Hundorova O. Zabuzhko were analyzed. The attention is focused on the research scientists’ research, in their analytics features ofthe current state of national postcolonial studies of Nikolaev T. Grabowski S., J. Grabowski, Kagamlyk St., Kobchenko K. and othersare outlined. The consideration of topics of national postcolonial studies shows that within their limits there is insufficient attention tothe features of decolonization processes in the sphere of national religion.It is noted that the transformation of the Orthodox Church is on the very dissatisfactory way and keeps the main trend of thecombination of Orthodox and political institutions. In terms of the hybrid war, set up by Russia in our eastern states, the politics of theUkrainian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate prevents the formation of Ukrainian identity. The activity of the Ukrainian OrthodoxChurch of Moscow Patriarchate, which is never reduced to purely religious, helped to build «russian world» in our country andbecome an internal factor that contributed to the conflict in the east of the country, and military aggression by Russia. The state shouldfinally regulate the activity of the pointed structures.Also the influence of the Western features of new religious movements and New Age religions in the process of culturaldecolonization of the Ukrainian community was considered. It was revealed that the new religious practices and movements are oneof the factors in the formation of civil society in our country. In particular it appears in volunteer activities, carried out by non-traditionalreligious organizations, helping the needy and the suffering.It was pointed out on the controversial role of transformations in the religious sphere, which, on the one hand, bring out theexistence of the colonial mentality of the typical stereotypes of secondary importance and insignificance, and on the other, showfeatures of the national religion, with its anthropomorphism and democracy, a mixture of Eastern God inspiration and Westernrationalism, humanization of Divinity and demonstrate the formation of responsible attitude to the personal and social existence.The conclusions indicate that the transformation processes in the national religiosity suggest a close cooperation betweenreligious and national factors. It is emphasized that religious glaring inequalities that are stored in the religious life of our country,should be urgently solved. The process of liberation in the religious sphere of the Ukrainian society from the manifestations ofpostcolonialism will encourage the liberation of public awareness from the impact of the imperial political practices.

Keywords: postcolonial studies, postcolonial criticism, postcolonial syndrome, decolonization, church politics, new religiousdoctrines, new age movement.