Sarah Riccardi-Swartz’s research while affiliated with University of Massachusetts Boston and other places

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Publications (4)


Orthodox Christianity in the United States: A challenge for the study of American religion
  • Article

May 2023

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39 Reads

Religion Compass

Sarah Riccardi‐Swartz

Arguably one of the oldest forms of Christianity, with a global population of more than 260 million adherents, Orthodox Christianity is a major religious system, with networks of believers on almost every continent. However, within the study of American religion, as well as most of the social sciences and humanities (not including theology), Orthodoxy has received minimal research and interest. The broad omission of Orthodoxy from the history of American religions pushes a question to the fore: Why are some forms of Christianity at the very edge of our academic topography? This article explores existing literature on Orthodox Christianity in the United States, looking at issues between emic and etic studies, notions of Eastern Christian alterity, and the rise in new research at the intersection of contemporary social issues, Orthodox theology, and religious practice. In doing so, this article draws out how Orthodoxy provides rich American religious histories tied to global politics, immigration, and nationalism, while also prompting us to reconfigure how we study religion in the United States.


The Religious Right and Russia: Christian Nationalism and Americans’ Views on Russia and Vladimir Putin Before and After the Ukrainian Invasion

May 2023

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64 Reads

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5 Citations

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

Since 2016, Americans’ attitudes toward Russia and Vladimir Putin have shifted, with Republicans becoming far more supportive of both. And though condemnation of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 remains bipartisan, many Christian‐right leaders still support Putin and Russia. What undergirds this support? Drawing on three national data sets, we theorize Americans’ warmth toward Putin and Russia is reinforced by an ideology that seeks to institutionalize America's mythical Anglo Protestant ethno‐culture—Christian nationalism. Though we propose Christian nationalism's relationship with Russia is more contingent on Russia's geopolitical activity vis‐à‐vis the United States, we theorize that Christian nationalism consistently predicts Putin support due to his authoritarian ethno‐nationalism. April 2018 data show those who affirm America's Christian heritage in the past and/or present are more likely to view Putin and Russia favorably and Russia as our ally. March 2021 data also reveal a linear positive association between Christian nationalism and favorability toward Putin. And March 2022 data reveal a linear positive association between Christian nationalism and admiring Putin's leadership. They also show a U‐shaped curvilinear relationship with viewing Russia as a threat. Paradoxically, Christian nationalism may warm Americans toward foreign authoritarians like Putin even when it compels Americans to perceive their nations as threats.


The Religious Right and Russia: Christian Nationalism and Americans' Views on Russia and Vladimir Putin Before and After the Ukranian Invasion

February 2023

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38 Reads

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1 Citation

Since 2016, Americans’ attitudes toward Russia and Vladimir Putin have shifted, with Republicans becoming far more supportive of both. And though condemnation of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 remains bipartisan, many Christian-right leaders still support Putin and Russia. What undergirds this support? Drawing on three national data sets, we theorize Americans’ warmth toward Putin and Russia is reinforced by an ideology that seeks to institutionalize America’s mythical Anglo Protestant ethno-culture—Christian nationalism. Though we propose Christian nationalism’s relationship with Russia is more contingent on Russia’s geopolitical activity vis-à-vis the US, we theorize Christian nationalism consistently predicts Putin support due to his authoritarian ethno-nationalism. April 2018 data show those who affirm America’s Christian heritage in the past and/or present are more likely to view Putin and Russia favorably and Russia as our ally. March 2021 data also reveal a linear positive association between Christian nationalism and favorability toward Putin. And March 2022 data reveal a linear positive association between Christian nationalism and admiring Putin’s leadership. They also show a U-shaped curvilinear relationship with viewing Russia as a threat. Paradoxically, Christian nationalism may warm Americans toward foreign authoritarians like Putin even when it compels Americans to perceive their nations as threats.


American Conservatives and the Allure of Post-Soviet Russian Orthodoxy
  • Article
  • Full-text available

November 2021

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101 Reads

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7 Citations

Religions

This article explores the growing affinity for the post-Soviet Russian Orthodox Church by far-right Orthodox converts in the United States, highlighting how the spiritual draw to the faith is caught up in the globalizing politics of traditionalism and a transnational, ideological reimaging of the American culture wars. Employing ethnographic fieldwork from the rural United States and digital qualitative research, this study situates the post-Soviet Russian Orthodox Church in the international flows of conservativism focused on reclaiming social morals and traditional religiosity. In doing so, this article sheds light on how the post-Soviet Orthodox Church is viewed politically by a growing contingent of American religious and political actors who are turning to Russian Orthodoxy and Putin’s government during this New Cold War moment of tension between the United States and Russia. I argue that the allure of the post-Soviet Russian Orthodox Church for conservatives in the West offers us a window into how the institution is situated imaginatively within transnational politics, thereby providing us insights into the rapidly transforming culture wars fomenting globally.

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Citations (3)


... The tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Europe, along with threats to impose additional tariffs on auto exports, strained economic relations to the breaking point (Ghilescu, 2023). In response, the E.U. implemented countermeasures on $2 billion worth of U.S. products, including Harley-Davidson motorcycles (Perry et al., 2023). European leaders like Juncker and Merkel emphasized the importance of multilateralism and criticized the Trump administration's neo-mercantilist policies. ...

Reference:

America's Role in a Changing World: European Concerns over Trump's Re-Election
The Religious Right and Russia: Christian Nationalism and Americans’ Views on Russia and Vladimir Putin Before and After the Ukrainian Invasion
  • Citing Article
  • May 2023

Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion

... Putin's focus on stability and security has also come at the expense of economic and social development, as resources have been diverted away from healthcare, education, and infrastructure. Perry et al., (2023) argued that Putin's foreign policy actions, such as the annexation of Crimea and the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, have contributed to increased tensions and instability in the region. Overall, while Putin's approach to leadership has allowed him to maintain control over Russia, it has come at a significant cost to the broader population and the global community. ...

The Religious Right and Russia: Christian Nationalism and Americans' Views on Russia and Vladimir Putin Before and After the Ukranian Invasion
  • Citing Preprint
  • February 2023

... These operational digital actions may include cyber-based sabotage of infrastructure, or propagating fear of attack through threat (Nusantara & 2020(Nusantara & , 2020. Furthermore, operational digital actions also take in activity that exploit open and restricted source data holdings in order to obtain intelligence assets, support operational financing, operation planning and coordinating activities (Riccardi-Swartz, 2021;Sablina, 2021). ...

American Conservatives and the Allure of Post-Soviet Russian Orthodoxy

Religions