Religion Under the Soviets

"Religion Under the Soviets" provides a detailed and contemporary examination of the complex relationship between the revolutionary Soviet state and religious institutions during the first decade of Bolshevik rule. Written by Julius F. Hecker, the work explores the ideological conflict between Marxist-Leninist atheism and the deeply rooted traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church, as well as various sectarian groups and minority faiths.

The book analyzes the legislation enacted by the Soviet government to disestablish the church, the nationalization of ecclesiastical property, and the impact of state-sponsored anti-religious propaganda. It also documents the internal divisions within the Russian church and the rise of the "Living Church" movement. Through a sociological lens, Hecker evaluates how the Russian people adapted their spiritual lives to the new socialist order and the fundamental shifts in the social function of religion in a modernizing, revolutionary society. This volume remains an essential historical resource for understanding the early 20th-century struggle between secular political philosophy and organized religious belief in the USSR.

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