When global becomes local: the process of (non)granting state recognition to the ancient Baltic religion organisation Romuva in 2017-2019
ENGlobalisation has brought challenges for many cultures, calling into question both identities and institutions. Religion, while being one of the drivers of globalisation, is also one of the social institutions affected by it. This chapter discusses the public discourse around the state recognition procedure for the Ancient Baltic religion organisation Romuva in 2018–2019. Although state recognition was not granted to this community, observing the public discourse allows locating it within the broader theoretical and empirical discussions about the relationship between global and local, and nationalism and religion. Although the academic literature emphasises the rise of Paganism as one of the social reactions to globalisation, the history of the Romuva (est. 1967) instead leads to considerations about the ethnic and religious policies of the former Soviet Union, as well as the relationship between religion and state both then and now. The attempt to become a state-recognised religion led the Romuva community to discussions about its origins and relations with politicians and political parties. The main opponents of Romuva during the process were the Roman Catholic Church and politicians related to it. Thus, paradoxically in this process of state recognition that turned into a religious war, the global Roman Catholic Church – considered to be “local” religion – fought against a local manifestation of Paganism that is also a part of a global Paganism movement.
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