Ecumenical Alliance: U.S. Evangelicals and Russian Orthodox Christians

American Evangelicals and Russian Orthodox Christians may seem like strange bedfellows. But their alleged fast-emerging ecumenical friendship holds interesting implications for international geopolitics.

On November 1, 2017, Fordham University’s Orthodox Christian Studies Center hosted a panel discussion entitled “Trump, Putin, and Traditional Values.” The hour-and-a-half long conversation between the four panelists explored the nature and potential future of the alliance between American Evangelicals and Russian Orthodox Christians.

The panel was made up of four unique perspectives: Shaun Casey from Georgetown University, the former head of Religion and Global Affairs Office of US State Department; Nikolas Gvosdev, Professor of National Security Affairs from the United States Naval Academy; Kristina Stoeckl, Assistant Professor of Sociology from the University of Innsbruck; and Peter Wehner, Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a former White House staffer under Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and George W. Bush.

Casey and Wehner spoke from the American evangelical perspective, with Casey bringing his international expertise and Wehner bringing his knowledge of American politics. Gvosdev spoke from an Orthodox perspective. Professor Stoeckl brought a sociological and international perspective to the conversation.

The panelists spoke about a number of different topics, but they all focused on a three key issues:

1. There is an inchoate alliance forming between Evangelicals and the Russian Orthodox Church.
2. This alliance is built on the shared ground of concern due to “assertive progressivism” in the West and around the world as well as the persecution of Christians in the Middle East.
3. Russian President Vladimir Putin is using both groups for political ends at home and abroad.

The general consensus seemed to be that Evangelicals were ultimately getting the short end of the stick, as Putin does not actually care to address their needs. The role Evangelicals played in electing President Trump will come back to haunt them, said Wehner, since history demonstrates the pitfalls of the Church becoming too comfortable with the state.

Professor Stoeckl spoke of the origin of the terminology “traditional values,” and the importance of Russia’s current political context in understanding it. Russians understand this new phrase as broadly meaning normative behavior that should be encouraged. This undercuts the previous language of “moral values,” which added the nuanced realities of human agency and freedom.

Panelists expressed skepticism about the future of the alliance. Theological and cultural differences, as well as mutual ignorance, will likely prevent the two sides from creating a sustained partnership. Professor Gvosdev noted that the Achilles heel of the alliance is that the rank and file fails to view each other as brothers and sisters in faith. The theological differences remain vast. Casey contended that ecclesiological issues were also problematic, as Evangelicals are low church and thus have little institutional authority. The Orthodox Christians are high church, and thus have greater hierarchy and institutional cohesion.

Disagreements surfaced later on in the discussion, as panelists answered a question about the role that the persecution of Christians in the Middle East plays in the alliance. Casey and Professor Gvosdev disagreed on how much the image that Russia cultivates as protecting Christians in the Middle East matters. Casey described the damage Russia has caused in Syria as catastrophic, and that the on-the-ground realities rarely lend themselves to easy solutions. Gvosdev responded that the optics of the situation were of consequence as well, with Putin looking strong and decisive as Russia swept into Syria and Obama looked weak as the United States did nothing.

Wehner agreed with Gvosdev that the image and narrative are important. But he said that the broader “post-truth moment” currently emerging means that the realities noted by Casey make little impact on the way Evangelicals and American conservatives view Putin.

Ultimately, though, the panelists agreed on a great deal, and brought much knowledge and wisdom to the discussion. The video of the event is definitely worth watching to gain a better understanding of the Evangelical and Orthodox alliance beginning to form. It is also worth returning to in the future to see which of the different panelists’ predictions proves closest to what actually occurs. One can also glean a great deal from it, since panelists also explained the basics of the American dynamic with Russia well.