Religious changes in Serbia: The return of Orthodoxy to the public stage?
The question of Orthodox revival in Serbian society is a current topic in the domestic academic community, particularly in the context of the social transformations of the late 20th century. Scholars disagree on the extent and nature of the renewal of religiosity in Serbia. This study focuses on distinguishing between two key concepts: the return of religion to Serbian public life as an institutional and cultural phenomenon, and the individual’s turn to religion and the Church as a personal spiritual practice. This distinction constitutes the central research problem of the study. The authors analyze data from numerous sociological studies and public opinion surveys & polls on religiosity, as well as a historical overview of the degree of public commitment to religion and the Church throughout the 20th century. Based on an analysis of empirical data on people’s relationship to Orthodoxy and the Church from the late 1980s and early 1990s to the present, the authors offer a comprehensive assessment (diagnosis) of the state of religiosity in contemporary Serbian society. Through a synthesis of findings from multiple studies, the authors identify both the achievements and the limitations of the Orthodox revival in Serbia, providing a balanced evaluation of this social phenomenon.
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Blagojević, M. Lj., Ćumura, L. D. (2026), “Religious changes in Serbia: The return of Orthodoxy to the public stage?”, Research Result. Sociology and Management, 12 (3), 116-133. DOI: 10.18413/2408-9338-2026-12-3-0-8.
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This article was written as part of the research program of the Institute of Social Sciences, an institute of national importance, for the year 2026, with the support of the Ministry of Science, Technological Development, and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia.