The Russian Orthodox Church and the Global World
Résumé
The analysis of Russia's "imaginaire", which is based on spiritual and moral values anchored in a multiply defined civilization and an expanded historical tradition, makes it possible to identify the specific logics of the Russian Orthodox Church's engagement in the global world. Russia's plastic "imaginaire" has evolved in line with both Russia's foreign policy and the Church's own agenda. The Russian Orthodox Church, which has increasingly competed with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, has responded in a very specific way to the challenges of globalization. On the one hand, it conveys a religion that is largely culturalized and identity-oriented; the Russian Church positions itself in an Orthodox and Christian oriental space that is becoming more and more extensive. On the other hand, through the moralization of its message, it has increasingly global claims and contributes today to the diffusion of a global message that spreads beyond traditions. It becomes global not by adjusting its message to local cultures, but by engaging in dialogue and allying itself with other so-called "civilisations". Finally, it is extending the perimeter of its traditional space through its attitude towards compatriots and through processes of autochthonization.