Religion and Nation in Modern Ukraine, CIUS Press

Serhii Plokhy and Frank E. Sysyn's study of the Ukrainian Catholic Church has been reissued and is available from the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies Press, based at the University of Toronto and the University of Alberta. See this link.

The promotional material from CIUS reads:

"Since Ukrainian independence, the religious situation and religious relations in Ukraine have been the focus of international attention. The rebirth of Churches and religious institutions has been accompanied by vigorous competition for the loyalty of Ukraine's believers. The visit of Pope John Paul II to Ukraine and current visit of the newly elected Patriarch of Moscow, Kirill, testify to the centrality of Ukraine both in the Catholic and Orthodox worlds. Ecclesiastical affairs, above all the allegiance of Orthodox believers, have greatly influenced the processes of state-building and nation-building in Ukraine.

"CIUS Press has published a number of monographs and collections of essays on problems of religious history by authors and editors such as Ihor Sevcenko, Yaroslav Isaievych, Geoffrey Hosking, Andrij Krawczuk, Paul R. Magocsi, Bohdan Bociurkiw, and David Goa. To those interested in the current religious situation in Ukraine, the volume of essays by Serhii Plokhy and Frank E. Sysyn, entitled Religion and Nation in Modern Ukraine, has been especially welcome. The over 15 reviews of the volume have praised this edition as a greatly needed authoritative work on modern religious affairs in Ukraine.

"The internationally renowned specialist on religious affairs Michael Bourdeaux evaluated the volume in the Slavic Review, in the following manner: "Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine has been called the 'sleeping giant' of Europe-one of the continent's most populous nations, but one that has so far had minimal impact on international affairs. Far too little is being published, whether in the realm of scholarly studies or in the press, about this vast new independent country. Religion and Nation in Modern Ukraine is, therefore, not only a welcome addition to the literature, but an excellent book in its own right. As scholars conversant with Ukraine will know, the names of Serhii Plokhy and Frank E. Sysyn guarantee the quality of the work. Each has a profound insight into the complex issues facing the country today." Here is the full text of Michael Bourdeaux's review.

"The specialist on religious groups in contemporary Ukraine, above all the Protestants, Catherine Wanner, characterized the topic and volume thusly: "It was not until the late 1980s that many scholars from a plethora of disciplines were forced to concede that they had underestimated the importance of nationality issues, and especially of religion, as forces shaping Soviet history. Few scholars engaged the dynamic interaction of nationality and religion as they played out historically in politics and the daily life of Soviet citizens. The two authors of this book went against this trend and have over the years amassed a distinguished record of scholarship in the fields of Ukrainian history and of religious life over the centuries in this strategically important borderland." Here is the full text of Catherine Wanner's review in the Canadian Slavonic Papers. Other reviews can be read here, where details for ordering a copy at a special rate can also be found.

"CIUS press has decided to respond to the ongoing demand for this book by scholars and a wider public interested in religious affairs in Ukraine and the Eastern Christian world by reissuing the volume."

At the same time, CIUS is offering at a reduced rate, Bohdan Bociukriw's study of the dissolution of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Ukraine by the Soviet authorities, The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the Soviet State (1939-1950). Here are reviews and information on obtaining the book.

CIUS Press is the largest publisher of English-language material about Ukraine. It is the publishing arm of the Canadian Institute of Ukrainian Studies at the University of Alberta and the University of Toronto. The emergence of Ukraine as an independent state has focused general and scholarly interest on Ukrainian studies, and CIUS Press informs us it is meeting that interest and need with a sizeable offering of new, forthcoming, and already published books.

Some further links:

1. CIUS Press
   
2. CIUS Catalogue
   
3. CIUS Research Reports
   
4. Encyclopedia of Ukraine
   
5. CIUS' Journal of Ukrainian Studies
   
6. CIUS Home at the University of Alberta