This book is a comprehensive exposition of the interaction of a national (the Serbian people) and a religiou (the Orthodox Christian faith) content, in the formation of a distinctive national identity and a mode of being. Its interdisciplinary approach, drawing on sociology, social anthropology, theology, political theory, Balkan historiography, and Serbian folklore, is deployed to provide a powerful and original analysis of how Serbian Orthodoxy has resulted in the sacralisation of the Serbian nation by framing the parameters of its existence. Addresses the following questions: what 'makes' a Serb? Are meaningful assumptions possible by introducing Serbian Orthodoxy as the primal point of reference? Why does religion appear to have an especially strong appeal?

About the Author
Christos Mylonas Ph.D., is a political scientist/analyst, whose work and academic interests have revolved around the issues of nationalism, ethnicity and conflict resolution, with a focus on the area of the former Yugoslavia. A graduate of the University of London, he has taught at SSEES/UCL, participated in OSCE electoral missions in the Balkans, commented for the BBC World Service and collaborated with the United Nations (DPA/Americas and Europe Division), in New York.

Reviews
"Its most important contribution is to elaborate how Serbian Orthodoxy forms a sense of holiness in creating autonomous ethnic religious structures, a lineage of ethnic saints drawn from the ruling dynasty, vernacular scriptures and ceremonies, that then construct a sacred history, focusing on the Kosovo myth."--John Hutchinson, London School of Economics



Book Information
ISBN 9789639241619
Author Christos Mylonas
Format Hardback
Page Count 316
Imprint Central European University Press
Publisher Central European University Press
Weight(grams) 608g