Religion and Nation: the Case of the Republic of Macedonia
Religion and Nation: the Case of the Republic of Macedonia

Summary/Abstract: Historically to ensure unity in a country where religion played a significant role, it was required that the country have only one religion i.e., "the sovereign of the country determines its religion." This politicization of religion led to religious wars within and among the nations of Europe; hence the principle was replaced by one of secularity, i.e. separation of religion from the state. Modern liberal democratic societies are secular. However, since the end of the Cold War there has seen a re-politicizing of religion. The Republic of Macedonia is no exception to this trend. Under the constitution, the state is a secular one and religion is segregated. In practice, however, this separation is not fully achieved. The paper investigates the interlocking relationships that have come to exist between politics and religious communities in the Republic of Macedonia in light of nation-building process. The paper concludes that the success of the modern nation-building process is determined by the respect for the existing cultural matrix, which in itself articulates the values of two confessions - Muslim and Orthodox Christian. Religious groups, in essence, are calling for peace, tolerance and respect for the "other", which can contribute to building a multicultural society. On the other hand, disrespect and manipulation of religious feelings may affect adversely the building of the sense of a single nation. In a society such as Macedonian, inter-religious cooperation is very important. Only this concept carries any promise for the future of the contemporary Macedonian nation.

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