Browsing by Subject "Georgia"

Main aim of this study is to understand the role of the church in Georgian politics, from start of the fall of the Soviet Union till the present days. How church gained power, how they behaved through different ruling parties, how they become from the poorest institution in Georgia to one of the most powerful and rich ones. How they communicate with state, do they interfere in states business, what is the relationship between state and church? All of these questions will be asked in thesis and answered feasibly. Main source materials of the thesis are, interviews with politicians and clerics as well as detailed analysis of newspaper articles, ombudsman annual reports, TV programs and financial data analysis from past 27 years. My thesis is unique in a way that not so much is written in academic circles in Georgia about church and state relationship, it was very hard to find credible book or research in this field, of course there are some works which I analyzed in detail, but as I mentioned this research is unique so it was very hard to gather and structure all the materials about church that was available. Even though it was very hard to find one clear answer, I think that reader will understand the role of the church in Georgian politics, after sixty pages I gradually came to an answer, church needs state and state needs church, even though sometimes both state and church denies, the involvement in one another business, through analysis of the facts and different cases, conclusion is the same every time, state and church are not fully separated in Georgia.