Why Russia’s church leader is blessing Putin’s war

+ mapping the Ukraine war US Edition - Today's top story: Why is Russia's church backing Putin's war? Church-state history gives a clue [View in browser]( US Edition | 21 March 2022 [The Conversation]( Addressing a thousands-strong rally in Moscow last week marking the eighth anniversary of the annexation of Crimea, Vladimir Putin praised the current war in Ukraine as a show of Russia’s “Christian values.” In so doing, he echoed messages Russian Orthodox Christians have heard from the church’s leader, Patriarch Kirill, who has signaled support for the invasion and portrayed it as part of Russia’s fight against a liberal West. But Russia’s church and state have not always been so aligned, especially during the country’s tumultuous 20th century, explains church historian Scott Kenworthy. Under Soviet rule, the Russian Orthodox Church was the target of severe persecution. Yet in recent years, as the country struggles to forge a new identity, Putin has [latched onto faith as a useful tool for unity](. “The church’s current support for the Kremlin is not inevitable or predestined, but a deliberate decision that needs to be understood,” Kenworthy writes. And one last note: We hope you will take a few minutes to [tell us how we’re doing in our reader survey](. The anonymous data helps us understand our audience and plan for the future. Thank you. Also today: - [Harnessing the power of geothermal energy]( - [Feminist fighters on Ukraine’s front lines]( - [Wherefore art thou, Shakespearean women actors?]( Molly Jackson Religion and Ethics Editor Vladimir Putin speaks to Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill (center) in Samolva, Russia, on Sept. 11, 2021. Alexei Druzhinin/Pool Photo via AP [Why is Russia’s church backing Putin’s war? Church-state history gives a clue]( Scott Kenworthy, Miami University The war in Ukraine is just the latest chapter in a long, tangled relationship between the Kremlin and the Russian Orthodox Church. Environment + Energy - [How a few geothermal plants could solve America’s lithium supply crunch and boost the EV battery industry]( Bryant Jones, Boise State University; Michael McKibben, University of California, Riverside Lithium is essential for batteries that power electric vehicles and store energy from solar and wind farms. A new US source could provide 10 times more lithium than the country uses today. - [Fewer Americans are hunting, and that raises hard questions about funding conservation through gun sales]( John Casellas Connors, Texas A&M University; Christopher Rea, The Ohio State University Every gun and bullet sold in the US generates excise taxes to support conservation. But Americans are buying guns now for different reasons than in the past – and increasingly, not for hunting. - [6 wildfire terms to understand, from red flag warning to 100% containment]( David Godwin, University of Florida Dry, windy conditions have fueled devastating fires in Texas. Understanding these terms can help people in at-risk areas prepare. Politics + Society - [Maps show – and hide – key information about Ukraine war]( Timothy Barney, University of Richmond Geographers often talk about the ‘silences’ of maps – what’s missing and unseen. Those silences can be as meaningful as what’s shown. - [Ukraine’s women fighters reflect a cultural tradition of feminist independence]( Mia Bloom, Georgia State University; Sophia Moskalenko, Georgia State University In Ukrainian history and culture, women enjoyed independence and agency. The presence of women fighters in the war now is no surprise. Economy + Business - [Ukraine’s economy went from Soviet chaos to oligarch domination to vital global trader of wheat and neon – and now Russian devastation]( Yuriy Gorodnichenko, University of California, Berkeley Ukraine was becoming increasingly linked with the global economy. Russia’s invasion puts its progress at risk. Arts + Culture - [Why weren’t women allowed to act in Shakespeare’s plays?]( Elizabeth Steinway, Colorado State University It may have had something to do with protecting female purity. No official statute clearly required men to do all the acting back then. Trending on site - [A large solar storm could knock out the power grid and the internet – an electrical engineer explains how]( - [Kyiv has faced adversity before – and a stronger Ukrainian identity grew in response]( - [How weapons get to Ukraine and what’s needed to protect vulnerable supply chains]( Reader Comments 💬 “The USA government was not imposed by extraterrestrials. We voted in the rascals. Sure, many of us didn’t vote, but silence betokens consent. More to the point, we have become disengaged from civic life, and governments do not respond to disengaged citizens...” – Reader Gregory McColm on the story [Support for democracy is waning across the Americas]( - More from The Conversation US - Like this newsletter? You might be interested in our weekly emails: [Politics Weekly]( • [Science Editors' Picks]( • [This Week in Religion]( • [Weekly Highlights]( - - About The Conversation: We're a nonprofit news organization dedicated to [helping academic experts share ideas with the public](. We can give away our articles thanks to the help of foundations, universities and readers like you. [Donate now to support research-based journalism]( [The Conversation]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation]( 303 Wyman Street, Suite 300 Waltham, MA 02451 [Forward to a friend]( • [Unsubscribe](