Excellent. I think you are right about the Russian framing of the war and how that plays with many conservatives here. It really is poison. But I'm agnostic about whether the crusading/takfirist mentality explains Putin et al's actual motivation. However, I am close enough to affected conservatives here to see how motivating a convenient frame can be to accept that it is possible (this is countered not only by the availability of other motivations, but also a recognition that, as a theologian and politologist, I am prone to overestimating the effect of both sets of factors).
I think we should be cautious about thinking that complex events have singular causes. Based on public comments from Patriarch Kirill just after the invasion, he certainly framed things as a crusade against sin ("a metaphysical war"). As you gently suggest, there are certainly other motivations for Russia's actions. But for many conservative Americans see the invasion as a war against sin and even if they deplore the invasion, they do seem to see it as a necessary evil. Or at least an understandable evil on Russia's part.
Excellent. I think you are right about the Russian framing of the war and how that plays with many conservatives here. It really is poison. But I'm agnostic about whether the crusading/takfirist mentality explains Putin et al's actual motivation. However, I am close enough to affected conservatives here to see how motivating a convenient frame can be to accept that it is possible (this is countered not only by the availability of other motivations, but also a recognition that, as a theologian and politologist, I am prone to overestimating the effect of both sets of factors).
Thank you, Father, for your comment!
I think we should be cautious about thinking that complex events have singular causes. Based on public comments from Patriarch Kirill just after the invasion, he certainly framed things as a crusade against sin ("a metaphysical war"). As you gently suggest, there are certainly other motivations for Russia's actions. But for many conservative Americans see the invasion as a war against sin and even if they deplore the invasion, they do seem to see it as a necessary evil. Or at least an understandable evil on Russia's part.