Some Explanations for the Persistence of Christian Religion in Soviet Society

Abstract

Despite an extremely hostile environment, Christian religion has persisted in the Soviet Union. Three types of explanation are most frequently encountered in the Soviet sociological and philosophical literature: the first explanation is in terms of limited and temporary social inequalities, the second points to psychological factors, the third ascribes the survival of religion to its adaptability to changing social circumstances. Each of these explanations is critically examined in the light of empirical sociological work. The author suggests that religion serves as a vehicle of ideological protest; more specifically, it is hypothesized that religion, especially in its sectarian form, has become an alternative world view for a small, but significant number of people who, during a period of great social upheaval and rapid social change, have found Communist ideology unacceptable or insufficient as an integrating value system.