The Current Condition of the Religious Sphere in Kazakhstan

An Assessment of Trends, Risks, and Challenges

  • Azilkhanov Marat Almasovich PhD Candidate, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
  • Askhatuly Zhalgas PhD Candidate, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52541/isiri.v61i2.2360
Keywords: Kazakhstan, religion, security, religious situation, secularism.

Abstract

This article analyzes the current conditions and trends in the religious space of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It outlines the main challenges and threats in the religious sphere and evaluates the main tendencies. The article draws upon the state policy in the religious sphere as well as upon data gathered from sociological studies conducted in the territory of Kazakhstan. It also analyzes the normative and legal acts regulating the religious sphere of Kazakhstan. It studies the formation of state policy of secular Kazakhstan in the religious sphere, which has been shaped by three factors: the search for and determination of the national development strategy of the country; the challenges and threats of the modern globalizing world; and the rise of the processes of secularism in other states. The article attempts to analyze the results of sociological studies of recent years regarding the risks associated with the erosion of the secular foundations of the state, as well as the issues related to the self-identification of Kazakhstani citizens. In particular, the article provides comprehensive information on the confessional structure of Kazakhstan, as well as separate samples based on the results of sociological studies on religious issues carried out by government agencies.

References

“Assessment of the State Policy in the Religious Sphere by the Population of Kazakhstan.” (4th quarter of 2021). https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/qogam /documents/details/291858?lang=ru.

“Decree on the Separation of the Church from the State.” https://drevo-info.ru /articles/15402.html.

“Presidential Decree of the Republic of Kazakhstan of June 20, 2017 No. 500 about approval of the Concept of the State Policy in the Religious Sphere of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2017–2020.” https://cis-legislation.com/document.fwx?rgn=98273.

“The State of the Religious Sphere in the Republic of Kazakhstan: Problems and Prospects.” Sociological Resource Center, Nur-Sultan.

Almuhanbet, Assem. “Experts Discussed the Bill in the Religious Sphere in Almaty.” Qamshy.kz, September 11, 2017. https://ru.qamshy.kz/article/29060-eksperty-obsudili-zakonoproekt-v-religioznoy-sfere-v-almaty.

Berger, Peter. The Desecularization of the World: Resurgent Religion and World Politics. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1999.

Farr, Thomas F. World of Faith and the International Freedom: International Religious Liberty. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.

Gadaev, Vakha Yunusovich. “Religious Safety in the Context of Spiritual Safety.” Theory and Practice of Social Development 10 (2014): 13-16, http://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/religioznaya-bezopasnost-v-kontekste-duhovnoy-bezopasnosti.

http://vteme.kz/news/sojuz_pravoslavnykh_grazhdan_kazakhstana_zastupilsja_za_iereja_vladimira_voroncova/2017-08-17-196.

https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/P2000000953.

Lopatkin, Remir A. “Religious Situation.” A report presented at the International Conference on the Religious Situation in the North-West of Russia and the Baltic States, St. Petersburg, December 9-10, 2002. http://www.religare.ru/2_5803.html.

Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan, “Information and Legal System of Normative Legal Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan.” Adilet, http://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/Z1200000527.

Paleri, Prabhakaran. National Security Imperatives and Challenges. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill, 2008.

Podoprigora, Roman. “Legal Regulation in the Field of Religion in Post-Soviet Kazakhstan: Approaches and Consequences.” https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/pravovoe-regulirovanie-v-sfere-religii-v-postsovetskom-kazahstane-podhody-i-posledstviya/viewer.

Romm, Joseph. Defining National Security: The Nonmilitary Aspects. New York: Council on Foreign Relations, 1993.

The Catholic Church in Kazakhstan. https://catholic-kazakhstan.org/.

The Metropolitan District. https://mitropolia.kz/.

The Ministry of Information and Social Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan. https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/qogam/activities/141?lang=ru.

Trofimov, Y. F. “State-church Relations in Modern Kazakhstan.” Adilet Press (Almaty), 1997.

Yihua, X. U. “Studies on Religion and China’s National Security in the Globalization Era.” Journal of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies 7, no. 3 (2013): 1-21.

Zhangazy, Ruslan. “State-Confessional Relations: Reformatting God.” https://yvision.kz /post/195702.

Published
2022-06-30
How to Cite
Almasovich, A. M., & Zhalgas, A. (2022). The Current Condition of the Religious Sphere in Kazakhstan: An Assessment of Trends, Risks, and Challenges. Islamic Studies, 61(2), 215-231. https://doi.org/10.52541/isiri.v61i2.2360
Issue
Vol. 61 No. 2 (2022): Islamic Studies
Section
Articles

Publication of material in the journal means that the author assigns copyright to Islamic Studies including the rights to electronic publishing. This is, inter alia, to ensure the efficient handling of requests from third parties to reproduce articles as well as to enable wide dissemination of the published material. Authors may, however, use their material in other publications acknowledging Islamic Studies as the original place of publication. Requests by third parties for permission to reprint should be addressed to the Editor, Islamic Studies.