This chapter examines the role of religiosity as a cultural force structuring geopolitical orientation, focusing on the East–West divide. Using nationally representative survey data from Serbia, it demonstrates a strong and robust association between religiosity and foreign policy preferences: individuals that are more religious show a pronounced orientation toward Russia and China, while less religious respondents are significantly more inclined toward Western-aligned actors. Moving beyond materialist and institutional explanations, the chapter conceptualizes religiosity as a cultural catalyst that precedes and structures geopolitical evaluation by shaping perceptions of moral authority, political legitimacy, and civilizational belonging. Empirical analyses based on logistic regression and structural equation modeling indicate that religiosity exerts a substantial and predominantly direct effect on East-oriented geopolitical preferences, only partially mediated by political satisfaction. The findings contribute to the literature on political cleavages and religion in international relations by demonstrating that geopolitical orientation operates not only as a strategic or elite-driven choice, but also as a value-based and identity-rooted disposition in post-socialist societies.

错误:搜索内容不能为空,请输入英文关键词
错误:关键词超出字数限制,请精简
高级检索

Beyond Politics: Religiosity as a Cultural Catalyst of the East-West Cleavage—The Case of Serbia

  • Miloš Bešić

摘要

This chapter examines the role of religiosity as a cultural force structuring geopolitical orientation, focusing on the East–West divide. Using nationally representative survey data from Serbia, it demonstrates a strong and robust association between religiosity and foreign policy preferences: individuals that are more religious show a pronounced orientation toward Russia and China, while less religious respondents are significantly more inclined toward Western-aligned actors. Moving beyond materialist and institutional explanations, the chapter conceptualizes religiosity as a cultural catalyst that precedes and structures geopolitical evaluation by shaping perceptions of moral authority, political legitimacy, and civilizational belonging. Empirical analyses based on logistic regression and structural equation modeling indicate that religiosity exerts a substantial and predominantly direct effect on East-oriented geopolitical preferences, only partially mediated by political satisfaction. The findings contribute to the literature on political cleavages and religion in international relations by demonstrating that geopolitical orientation operates not only as a strategic or elite-driven choice, but also as a value-based and identity-rooted disposition in post-socialist societies.