‘STRATEGIC POTENTIAL’ OF MODERN RELIGIOSITY IN SERBIA IN THE CONTEXT OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

NIKOLIĆ Dr Marko (Research Fellow, Institute of International Politics and Economics, Belgrade), markon@diplomacy.bg.ac.rs
PETROVIĆ-RAĐENOVIĆ Dragana (М.А, International and Inter-academic Cooperation Department, Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (SASA), Belgrade)

This paper presents an interdisciplinary (primarily in the context of sociology and political sciences, from a theological perspective) attempt to define the current status and phases of modern religiosity in Serbia in the context of the need to examine its ‘strategic’ potential in the process of European integration. The authors believe that the ‘strategic’ potential of religious subjects is primarily reflected in the promotion of ethical (moral) principles and factors, but also in the efforts made towards bridging the gap between the seemingly irreconcilable notions – religiosity and secularism, that is religiosity, nationality and integration. Therefore, religious contents and representatives should, indeed, be included in the processes of strategic and political decision-making in advisory and critical-corrective terms.

Keywords: ‘strategic’potential, ‘religious transition’, ‘transition of religiosity’, inter-religious dialogue, EU integration, secularism