RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE AND THE SECURITY DIMENSION: UKRAINIAN-EUROPEAN INTERACTION

Abstract

B a c k g r o u n d . The article substantiates that religious tolerance is one of the fundamental values of modern democratic society, contributing to the preservation of peace, ensuring stability, and fostering mutual understanding among various national and ethnocultural communities. It is established that in contemporary secularized society, issues of religious tolerance acquire particular significance. It is proven that a significant portion of the population exhibits aggressive attitudes primarily due to insufficient information about believers of other denominations. The author of the article asserts that religious processes in Ukraine are closely linked to the security dimension of both individual states and the international community.

M e t h o d s . A number of methods were applied during the writing of the article: historical analysis was used to study interconfessional and state-church relations in dynamics and historical retrospect; content analysis was employed to examine the current situation in the security space of the religious sphere; the hermeneutic method was used to study the Statutes and main sacred texts of the confessions represented in Ukraine; the comparative method served to compare data indicators from the State Service for Ethnic Policy and religious reports and statistics; the method of expert evaluations and statistical analysis was used to interpret various sociological data related to interconfessional tolerance. The use of a range of philosophical and general scientific methods made it possible to comprehensively study and forecast the confessional structure of Ukrainian society.

R e s u l t s. It is determined that Ukraine, as part of the European space, actively cooperates with international institutions in ensuring interfaith peace and protecting the rights and freedoms of believers. The fight against religious discrimination in Ukraine is declared at the highest level. However, it is demonstrated that in the context of contemporary challenges-primarily open warfare, migration processes, and the rise of radical sentiments-issues of religious tolerance constitute an integral part of the strategy for ensuring national and international security.

C o n c l u s i o n s. Thus, the article proves that the issue of religious tolerance and the security dimension in the context of Ukrainian-European interaction is both relevant and significant from scientific and practical perspectives. Today, it generates considerable public resonance. Prospective research on this issue will enable a deeper understanding of the mechanisms for ensuring religious peace and stability both in Ukraine and in Western European countries, which is an integral part of democratic development and international cooperation.