Urgency of the research. Development of society and high intensity of relations between people and social groups causes growing the number of conflicts of interest, which often are turned into social, economic and national conflicts. Therefore, social conflict solving and free and tolerant coexistence among different social groups establishing is essential question in any society.
Target setting. Contemporary Ukrainian society has many tension points in different levels of society. Among them there are aggression to the language, religious conflicts, attitude to Russian aggression, and social issues, that are not solved even in developed countries, such as social justice and social inequality, tolerance issues, secularization and moving religion out of public sphere. It is impossible to solve these problems without dialogue between sides of conflict and willing to find a common ground.
Actual scientific researches and issues analysis. Niebuhr’s ideas have been rethinked by John Diggins, David Little, Michael Smith, Stanley Grenz, Roger Olson, Robin W. Lovin, and others. Also, methodological studies of neo-orthodoxy often consider the sociological and philosophical approaches of Christian realism.
The research objective. The purpose of the article is to analyze the social relations and major conflicts that may arise between different social groups, as well as to find ways to avoid social conflicts at different social levels.
The statement of basic materials. The article shows the nature of conflicts between social groups in society according to the position of Reinhold Niebuhr’s Christian realism. The nature of conflicts between religious groups, ethnic groups and economic classes is described. Religious-authoritarian, religious-tolerant and secular approaches to religious conflicts are considered.
Conclusions. It is established that religious conflicts arise because of religion’s excessive influence on politics, as well as because of religion’s ability to answer the worldview questions. Economic conflicts arise through social inequality, but democratic processes set the restraints for economic conflicts within the state. Ethnic pride and irrational fear of others as the causes of ethnic conflicts are considered. Dangers of radical idealism as conflict factor are considered. It is noted that the most valuable asset for coexistence in society is a religiously realistic assessment of human weaknesses, which results in respect for others.
Keywords: tolerance, democracy, social inequality, ethnic conflicts, religious conflicts, Reinhold Niebuhr, Christian realism, idealism, humility.
References:
- The Holy See 2020. ‘Dignitatis humanae’. Avaiable at: <http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651207_dignitatis-humanae_en.html> [Accessed 22 March 2020].
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- Maeshiro, K., 2017. ‘The political theology of Reinhold Niebuhr’. Avaiable at : <https://www.academia.edu/30931773/The_Political_Theology_of_Reinhold_Niebuhr_Politics_and_Theology_88_pp._> [Accessed 22 March 2020].
- Niebuhr, R., ‘The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness: a vindication of democracy and a critique of its traditional defense’, Chicago : The University of Chicago Press.
- ‘Declaration on the Relation of the Church no Non-Christian Religions Nostra Aetate’, 1965. Proclaimed by His Holiness Pope Paul VI on October 28, 1965. Avaiable at : <http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651028_nostra-aetate_en.html> [Accessed 22 March 2020].
- Paps`ka Rada “Spravedlivi`st` i` mir”, 2008. ‘Kompendi`um soczi`al`noyi doktrini Czerkvi (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church)’, Kiyiv : Kajros, 546 s.