Religion as Soft Power in the South Caucasus

Abstract

What role does religion play in the international stage? How can religion be utilised by large countries to influence bilateral relations? Eastern Orthodoxy is the third largest denomination of Christianity, organised in fourteen autocephalous Patriarchates, with the Ecumenical, or universal, Patriarch located in Istanbul, Türkiye. With a distinct structure to that of the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church still plays a certain influence in the Slavic world, particularly in Russia, with the Patriarchate of Moscow a central figure in Russian foreign policy. This thesis explores the world of Eastern Orthodoxy in Georgia, Russia and Türkiye and the intersection of the Patriarchates in multilateral relations, and discusses how Türkiye itself can take advantage of the current status of Orthodox Christianity to the benefit of its own foreign policy in the South Caucasus. Keywords: Eastern Orthodox Church, Georgia, Russia, religious soft power, Turkish foreign policy