Interview by Margo Kissell, university communications and marketing

There is growing concern that Russia will invade Ukraine and the potential impact that could have on the region and world. United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the BBC he’s concerned Russia is planning ‘the biggest war in Europe since 1945.”

Scott Kenworthy, an associate professor in Miami University’s Department of Comparative Religion, can speak about the historic relationship between Russia and Ukraine.

His new book, Understanding World Christianity: Russia, co-authored with Alexander Agadjanian (Fortress Press, 2021), is a general introduction to the history, beliefs and practices and current role of Christianity in Russia.

Kenworthy's Miami University colleagues were featured in this earlier 'Ask the Experts: Russia and Ukraine.'

Why does Kenworthy think the Russian-Ukrainian Orthodox Church split continues to anger President Vladimir Putin?

“The Russian-Ukrainian Orthodox Church split continues to anger Putin because he perceives it as a significant way in which Ukraine separates itself culturally from Russia and potentially becomes more open to coming under Western influence.

After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the Russian Orthodox Church continued to have jurisdiction over the Orthodox Church in the newly independent Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine. A full one-third of its parishes were in Ukraine, which it stands to lose if the Ukrainian Church becomes independent.

There is also a larger question of who has more influence in the Orthodox world — the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who is traditionally the spiritual head of the worldwide Orthodox communion but whose actual flock is rather small, versus Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, who is head of 100 million believers. The Patriarch of Moscow believes that the Patriarch of Constantinople does not have the right to intervene in Ukraine to give its church independence.”

Ask the Expert: Russia and Ukraine's religious history

Scott Kenworthy, associate professor in Miami University's Department of Comparative Religion, has co-authored a new book that is a general introduction to the history, beliefs and practices and current role of Christianity in Russia. Read more here.