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Weaponization of Religion in War Is a Particularly Alarming Trend, Study Finds
Restrictions on religious practice are often a precursor to broader authoritarian repression. The weaponization of religion in war is a particularly alarming trend.
This was stated by Johann Mattis, political representative of the Evangelical Alliance in Germany, at the presentation of the reports “Religious Freedom 2026” and “Persecution and Discrimination Against Christians 2026” in Berlin, according to Christian Daily.
The reports indicate that the state of religious freedom worldwide in 2026 has ranged from “deteriorating” to “persistently severe” compared with previous years.
Experts identified several contributing factors, including the growing populist manipulation of religious identity, the use of faith as an ideological weapon, and Russia’s attempts to justify its war against Ukraine on religious grounds.
Johann Mattis drew particular attention to the plight of believers in Ukraine.
“The leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church portrays this war of aggression as a ‘metaphysical struggle’ and equates death on the battlefield with Christ’s sacrifice. At the same time, Russia presents itself to Western audiences as a defender of Christianity,” the expert stressed.
Mattis called for such narratives to be exposed and for things to be called by their proper names. He referred to a document published by the Evangelical Alliance in Germany in September, which emphasizes that the Christian faith does not seek political domination and rejects all attempts to exploit religion for political purposes.
“This applies first and foremost to ourselves, but it certainly applies to Moscow as well. When the Russian Orthodox Church is misused to advance state objectives, whether domestically or abroad, it ceases to be a church of believers and becomes an instrument of those in power,” Mattis said.
An international analytical study by the Libertas Fidei International Center for the Study of Religious Freedom, titled, was previously presented in Vilnius.
We previously reported that the ideology preached by Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church closely resembles classical fascism. This assessment was made by Archimandrite Cyril Hovorun, a theologian, commentator, and cleric of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
According to Dr. Regina Elsner, a theologian and researcher specializing in Eastern Christianity and ecumenism at the University of Münster, the Russian Orthodox Church has become one of the key institutions driving mobilization and propaganda.
We also previously reported that Pope Leo XIV and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I condemned attempts to use religion to justify violence.
