Specifics of relations between state and church in modern Georgia

Abstract

Features of the model of state-religious relations that have developed so far in Georgia are being considered. The position of the Georgian Orthodox Church in Georgian society is due to the historical and social significance of its activities in the most difficult post-Soviet period of the formation of Georgian independence. It is argued that the presence of religion, using the example of the Georgian Orthodox Church in Georgian society, is a special model, different from Russian, and generally uncharacteristic for Orthodoxy. This model allowed the clergy of the Georgian Orthodox Church to actively participate in the ongoing internal political and socio-cultural processes, thereby contributing to the strengthening of the power of the Church in society. As a result, the Georgian Orthodox Church has become a powerful institution in the public sphere, although the principle of separation of church from state is legally binding.