Panchuk I. Theіnstitutional processes in the religious-church complex of the Volyn region in the conditions of social and political transformations (1939 - the beginning of the XXI century)

This thesis is the first attempt of a comprehensive philosophical and religious studiesanalysis of theinstitutional transformations in the religious and church complex of Volyn region (which containsthe territories of Rivne, Volyn and the north part of the Ternopil regions),understood as a system setof organizational structured ecclesiastical and religious institutions in a context of social and political changes on an institutional and personal level. It is defined that the Volyn region has its own immanentconfessional and institutional particularity. Beginning from the first Sovietization of the region in the twentieth century, the religious and church complex of investigated historical and culture landscape underwent the nonreversible institutional transformations under the influence of several factors. All those facts have caused an appearance of modern problems in religious institutions functioning. It has been defined that secularization in Volyn region was the main constituent of the Soviet modernization project and was implemented by using forcible and violent methods (institutional, administrative, legal, and psychological) and at faster paces. By using a system of antireligious actions, totalitarian regime tried to limit a field of activities of the religious and church complex. It has been clarified that under such circumstances the main demonstration of the uniqueness of individual and universal features (realized in religious practices) stood apart from the recognized by the state religious institutions and became closer to noninstitutionalisedstatus. Thus, they obtained much more situational forms, transferred into individual space and not only to the priesthood, but also to the laity became the main figures in those processes.The model, which is based on the conceptual assessment of the religious and church complex in all diversity of its functioning, has been offered. It was emphasized that institutional transformations in Orthodox Christianity are influenced by the existence of different group identifications - bearers of opposite tendencies of modernization and traditionalization. Modern Protestant confessions (Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses) show the stable dymanics of their existence in the region. Pentecostal movements show the high dynamics of growth and strengthening of their positions in different fields of social being in Volyn region. Diversity in ideas and variety of communities and associations of Christians of Evangelical Faith declares the whole newoccurrences in Ukrainian evangelistic movement and in religious life of the region, taking into account the fact that Volyn region accumulates a third part of Ukrainian Pentecostals.