The Church’s Unholy War

“Nicholas Denysenko, a world-class expert on Ukraine and its churches, demonstrates in his new book how these churches evolved and became involved in Russia’s war against Ukraine. It is a 101 reading for everyone who wants to better understand Ukraine and the nature of its centuries-long conflicts with Russia. It offers an outlook through the prism of the church’s history that sheds light on many spots which otherwise remain blind.”


—Cyril Hovorun, professor of ecclesiology, international relations, and ecumenism, Sankt Ignatios College





“This book is a tour de force analysis of the struggle to establish an independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine over time written by one of the foremost experts on Orthodoxy. With sophistication and vision, Nicholas Denysenko systematically lays out the historical roots and future prospects for intra-Orthodox conflict, not just between Ukraine and Russia, but also in global Orthodoxy more broadly. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in Eastern Christianity.”


—Catherine Wanner, professor of history, anthropology, and religious studies, Rock Ethics Institute, Penn State University





“Readers in search of a guide to the role of religion in the Russian-Ukrainian war and the impact of that conflict on the Ukrainian churches will find it here. Nicholas Denysenko draws on deep expertise and years of close observation of Ukrainian religious affairs to explain the origins of conflict about and within Ukrainian Orthodox Christianity—and to chart a path for global Orthodoxy to work towards peace and reconciliation. Warmly recommended.”


—Heather J. Coleman, director, Program on Religion and Culture, Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies





“In The Church’s Unholy War, Nicholas Denysenko offers a compelling account of the ways in which a growing movement among Ukrainian Orthodox Christians for their own self-governing church, a movement symbolically if not practically achieved in the creation of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, contributed to the current conflict. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the shifting religious dimensions of national politics in Eastern Europe.”


—George E. Demacopoulos, co-founding director, Orthodox Christian Studies Center, Fordham University





“The definitive account to understand the religious dimensions of the war on Ukraine and the divisions within global Orthodoxy. Balanced, clear, authoritative.”


—Jose Casanova, professor emeritus of sociology, theology, and religious studies, Georgetown University