The article presents a preliminary sketch of various approaches to religious diversity in contemporary societies. It argues that religious diversity is shaped by three important factors: the specific historical trajectory of a country's religious field, recent changes in the societies of the Global North through migration and the influx of "foreign" religions at an unprecedented scale, and the increasing relevance of the circulation of religious discourses and images in public life, especially through the media, for the perception of diversity. The article suggests paying special attention to the role of power relations in the wider society and to the impact of the state political framework in the analysis of the experience of and public debates about religious diversity.
The article presents a preliminary sketch of various approaches to religious diversity in contemporary societies. It argues that religious diversity is shaped by three important factors: the specific historical trajectory of a country's religious field, recent changes in the societies of the Global North through migration and the influx of "foreign" religions at an unprecedented scale, and the increasing relevance of the circulation of religious discourses and images in public life, especially through the media, for the perception of diversity. The article suggests paying special attention to the role of power relations in the wider society and to the impact of the state political framework in the analysis of the experience of and public debates about religious diversity.
The article presents a preliminary sketch of various approaches to religious diversity in contemporary societies. It argues that religious diversity is shaped by three important factors: the specific historical trajectory of a country's religious field, recent changes in the societies of the Global North through migration and the influx of "foreign" religions at an unprecedented scale, and the increasing relevance of the circulation of religious discourses and images in public life, especially through the media, for the perception of diversity. The article suggests paying special attention to the role of power relations in the wider society and to the impact of the state political framework in the analysis of the experience of and public debates about religious diversity.
Although communication is a method, which is most widely used by business organizations, public, political and even religious organizations apply it as well. Lithuania still feels the lack of public relations knowledge, especially in service companies or organizations not connected with profit-making. The Catholic Church of Lithuania encounters quite a lot of problems, which might be solved applying the knowledge of communication and public relations. Although Roman Catholic Church has already formed basics of communication policy by announcing several decrees concerning this field, it is still estimated too insufficiently in Lithuania. Therefore, the Catholic Church of Lithuania is starting to realize necessity of communication in today's secular society. I have carried out the analysis of the public relations activities of the Catholic Church of Lithuania. The results of the analysis showed that there are two main levels of public communication in Lithuania – the national one and the congregational one, but none of them is carried proper. The Catholic Church of Lithuania has to form individual pastoral plan of communication and reorganize existing implements – make them more innovative and effective in order to reach audience and do an impact on it.
Although communication is a method, which is most widely used by business organizations, public, political and even religious organizations apply it as well. Lithuania still feels the lack of public relations knowledge, especially in service companies or organizations not connected with profit-making. The Catholic Church of Lithuania encounters quite a lot of problems, which might be solved applying the knowledge of communication and public relations. Although Roman Catholic Church has already formed basics of communication policy by announcing several decrees concerning this field, it is still estimated too insufficiently in Lithuania. Therefore, the Catholic Church of Lithuania is starting to realize necessity of communication in today's secular society. I have carried out the analysis of the public relations activities of the Catholic Church of Lithuania. The results of the analysis showed that there are two main levels of public communication in Lithuania – the national one and the congregational one, but none of them is carried proper. The Catholic Church of Lithuania has to form individual pastoral plan of communication and reorganize existing implements – make them more innovative and effective in order to reach audience and do an impact on it.
Although communication is a method, which is most widely used by business organizations, public, political and even religious organizations apply it as well. Lithuania still feels the lack of public relations knowledge, especially in service companies or organizations not connected with profit-making. The Catholic Church of Lithuania encounters quite a lot of problems, which might be solved applying the knowledge of communication and public relations. Although Roman Catholic Church has already formed basics of communication policy by announcing several decrees concerning this field, it is still estimated too insufficiently in Lithuania. Therefore, the Catholic Church of Lithuania is starting to realize necessity of communication in today's secular society. I have carried out the analysis of the public relations activities of the Catholic Church of Lithuania. The results of the analysis showed that there are two main levels of public communication in Lithuania – the national one and the congregational one, but none of them is carried proper. The Catholic Church of Lithuania has to form individual pastoral plan of communication and reorganize existing implements – make them more innovative and effective in order to reach audience and do an impact on it.
In this work, there are presented aims and main research trends of the Universitas Vytauti Magni cluster "Relations between state and society in Lithuania" as well as its future research perspectives are discussed. At the meantime, there 15 members in the cluster, 5 from them are PhD students. According to science fields, there are in the cluster theologians, historians, political scientists, ethnologists, art and literature critics. The cluster researches history of Lithuanian Catholic Church, and its relations with state and society in the past and in the present. It intensively collaborates with the center for Church history in the Faculty of Catholic Theology and with the center for Kaunas history in the Faculty of Humanities. Next to scientific activities, members of the cluster are lecturing for the students of Universitas Vytauti Magni and other high schools, are publishing works of science popularization, are participating in TV and radio broadcasts and in the public discussions.
In this work, there are presented aims and main research trends of the Universitas Vytauti Magni cluster "Relations between state and society in Lithuania" as well as its future research perspectives are discussed. At the meantime, there 15 members in the cluster, 5 from them are PhD students. According to science fields, there are in the cluster theologians, historians, political scientists, ethnologists, art and literature critics. The cluster researches history of Lithuanian Catholic Church, and its relations with state and society in the past and in the present. It intensively collaborates with the center for Church history in the Faculty of Catholic Theology and with the center for Kaunas history in the Faculty of Humanities. Next to scientific activities, members of the cluster are lecturing for the students of Universitas Vytauti Magni and other high schools, are publishing works of science popularization, are participating in TV and radio broadcasts and in the public discussions.
In this work, there are presented aims and main research trends of the Universitas Vytauti Magni cluster "Relations between state and society in Lithuania" as well as its future research perspectives are discussed. At the meantime, there 15 members in the cluster, 5 from them are PhD students. According to science fields, there are in the cluster theologians, historians, political scientists, ethnologists, art and literature critics. The cluster researches history of Lithuanian Catholic Church, and its relations with state and society in the past and in the present. It intensively collaborates with the center for Church history in the Faculty of Catholic Theology and with the center for Kaunas history in the Faculty of Humanities. Next to scientific activities, members of the cluster are lecturing for the students of Universitas Vytauti Magni and other high schools, are publishing works of science popularization, are participating in TV and radio broadcasts and in the public discussions.
This article aims to reveal the role of political power in the construction of collective identity through the collective memory. Three aspects is seeking to "hook" in the theoretical level: the determined trends of globalised current time, the national state as a homogeneous "imagined" community and cultural heritage as a historical reality and factor of joining together communities. The analysis uncovers that globalization is a dualistic phenomena. The tendencies could be marked under living conditions today: the ontological anxiety of society, a collective identity crisis, the legal and actual threats to the sovereignty, which may retain the nation state. Nationalism, as the ideological force homogenizing state and society, is strongly actualizing and becomes a "headache" not only for communities but also for the political authorities, who can't stay away from declaring liberal laissez-faire principle, but must choose one from David Brown's proposed nationalism strategies of society's consolidation: ethno-cultural, civic or multicultural. Cultural heritage expressing a symbolic link to the legacy of previous generations must now become not only culturally, but also political and economic resource to the communities and politicians to create the basis for the stability of society and the state. The role of cultural heritage in the international political economy, development of public image models and developing positive relationships with neighbors in the historical context is very relevant today. Reinterpretation of cultural heritage dissonances in academic and public discourses should help to reconstruct the historical oblivion and construct the new formulas of collective identity in the second millennium of Lithuania.
This article aims to reveal the role of political power in the construction of collective identity through the collective memory. Three aspects is seeking to "hook" in the theoretical level: the determined trends of globalised current time, the national state as a homogeneous "imagined" community and cultural heritage as a historical reality and factor of joining together communities. The analysis uncovers that globalization is a dualistic phenomena. The tendencies could be marked under living conditions today: the ontological anxiety of society, a collective identity crisis, the legal and actual threats to the sovereignty, which may retain the nation state. Nationalism, as the ideological force homogenizing state and society, is strongly actualizing and becomes a "headache" not only for communities but also for the political authorities, who can't stay away from declaring liberal laissez-faire principle, but must choose one from David Brown's proposed nationalism strategies of society's consolidation: ethno-cultural, civic or multicultural. Cultural heritage expressing a symbolic link to the legacy of previous generations must now become not only culturally, but also political and economic resource to the communities and politicians to create the basis for the stability of society and the state. The role of cultural heritage in the international political economy, development of public image models and developing positive relationships with neighbors in the historical context is very relevant today. Reinterpretation of cultural heritage dissonances in academic and public discourses should help to reconstruct the historical oblivion and construct the new formulas of collective identity in the second millennium of Lithuania.
This article aims to reveal the role of political power in the construction of collective identity through the collective memory. Three aspects is seeking to "hook" in the theoretical level: the determined trends of globalised current time, the national state as a homogeneous "imagined" community and cultural heritage as a historical reality and factor of joining together communities. The analysis uncovers that globalization is a dualistic phenomena. The tendencies could be marked under living conditions today: the ontological anxiety of society, a collective identity crisis, the legal and actual threats to the sovereignty, which may retain the nation state. Nationalism, as the ideological force homogenizing state and society, is strongly actualizing and becomes a "headache" not only for communities but also for the political authorities, who can't stay away from declaring liberal laissez-faire principle, but must choose one from David Brown's proposed nationalism strategies of society's consolidation: ethno-cultural, civic or multicultural. Cultural heritage expressing a symbolic link to the legacy of previous generations must now become not only culturally, but also political and economic resource to the communities and politicians to create the basis for the stability of society and the state. The role of cultural heritage in the international political economy, development of public image models and developing positive relationships with neighbors in the historical context is very relevant today. Reinterpretation of cultural heritage dissonances in academic and public discourses should help to reconstruct the historical oblivion and construct the new formulas of collective identity in the second millennium of Lithuania.
This article aims to reveal the role of political power in the construction of collective identity through the collective memory. Three aspects is seeking to "hook" in the theoretical level: the determined trends of globalised current time, the national state as a homogeneous "imagined" community and cultural heritage as a historical reality and factor of joining together communities. The analysis uncovers that globalization is a dualistic phenomena. The tendencies could be marked under living conditions today: the ontological anxiety of society, a collective identity crisis, the legal and actual threats to the sovereignty, which may retain the nation state. Nationalism, as the ideological force homogenizing state and society, is strongly actualizing and becomes a "headache" not only for communities but also for the political authorities, who can't stay away from declaring liberal laissez-faire principle, but must choose one from David Brown's proposed nationalism strategies of society's consolidation: ethno-cultural, civic or multicultural. Cultural heritage expressing a symbolic link to the legacy of previous generations must now become not only culturally, but also political and economic resource to the communities and politicians to create the basis for the stability of society and the state. The role of cultural heritage in the international political economy, development of public image models and developing positive relationships with neighbors in the historical context is very relevant today. Reinterpretation of cultural heritage dissonances in academic and public discourses should help to reconstruct the historical oblivion and construct the new formulas of collective identity in the second millennium of Lithuania.
This paper analyzes the issue of the representation of religious diversity in Lithuanian online media. The first part of the article represents the media's influence on the formation of public opinion. Also, it describes the most important issues of religious diversity representation in the media. The second part reveals the aspects of media representations of the Lithuanian Catholic Church, other traditional and non-traditional religious communities, and new religious movements. According to the empirical data, it can be stated that very popular online media in Lithuania frequently presents information that is negative, stereotypical and lacks objectivity about various issues related to religious diversity. The empirical data also showed that the analyzed online news portals are in favor of mainstream religious community representational politics that spread dominant religious values, attitudes and contribute to the existence of religious hegemony. However, representations of various new religious movements and other non-traditional religious communities are mostly negative, stereotypical and full of subjective judgments and argumentation.
This paper analyzes the issue of the representation of religious diversity in Lithuanian online media. The first part of the article represents the media's influence on the formation of public opinion. Also, it describes the most important issues of religious diversity representation in the media. The second part reveals the aspects of media representations of the Lithuanian Catholic Church, other traditional and non-traditional religious communities, and new religious movements. According to the empirical data, it can be stated that very popular online media in Lithuania frequently presents information that is negative, stereotypical and lacks objectivity about various issues related to religious diversity. The empirical data also showed that the analyzed online news portals are in favor of mainstream religious community representational politics that spread dominant religious values, attitudes and contribute to the existence of religious hegemony. However, representations of various new religious movements and other non-traditional religious communities are mostly negative, stereotypical and full of subjective judgments and argumentation.