Kobetiak A. The Imperatives of Toleration of Inter-Religious Relations in Contemporary Ukraine

This dissertation is an integral philosophical andReligious Studies research of the imperatives of toleration of inter-religious connections in the optimal model of Ukrainian state-church relations. In this research, tolerance is seen as an important factor of human coexistence that provides peaceful societal life, its ethno-cultural diversity, communication between religious groups, helping organize inter-religious dialogue. Theimperativesoftolerance (coexistence, non-interference, love, mutual compliance, constructive dialogue, plurality, peace, respect)weredefined in the form of an integral system, based on which the optimization of interreligious relations is possible in the Ukrainian society. The following causes forthe emergence of conflicts on religious grounds were determined and analyzed: absence of clear legislation for regulation of religious relations on the state level, politicizing of religion, split in Ukrainian Orthodoxy, location of the majority of religious centres beyond the borders of Ukraine. A difficult road towards institutional formation of the religious network of Ukraineis studied in this dissertation. The main trends of the religious map's transformation following Ukraine's independence are clarified and defined (intensive development of the religious network at the beginning of the 1990s; institutional formation of the biggest Ukrainian Churches; jurisdictional demarcation of Orthodoxy; politicizing of religion). It is important for the strengthening of theprinciple of tolerationthat the state and theChurch are declared in Ukraineasequal subjects of relations with their own respective spheres of influence. The author proves the need for implementation of the partnership model in interreligious and state-Church relations in Ukraine.The principles of freedom of thought, general equality of religions, increase of religious activity of citizens, and de-politicizing of religion are crucial for harmonization of interreligious relations on the grounds of tolerance. It was discovered that a potential for thestrengthening of civil religion as an important factor for consolidation of society could be one of the main mechanisms in setting up state-Church relations in Ukraine.