Faith, Freedom, and Friction: The Intersection of Intimate Citizenship and Religion in Central and Eastern Europe

Authors

Evelina Juchnevičiūtė Ms., Vytautas Magnus University, LithuaniaFollow

Author ORCID Identifier

Evelina Juchnevičiūtė https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2310-7605

Abstract

Intimate citizenship, a dimension of citizenship that emerged from the second wave of feminism, refers to rights related to intimate life, including women’s reproductive rights, same-sex relationships, and other related rights. In Central and Eastern Europe, these rights have been shown to come into conflict with the region’s deeply embedded religious values that have historically shaped societal norms around reproduction, gender, and sexuality. The present study employed a mixed-method systematic literature review, combining bibliometric and thematic analyses, to examine academic literature on the intersection of intimate citizenship and religion in Central and Eastern Europe. The review covered the period 1990-2024 and included 55 peer-reviewed articles obtained from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The bibliometric analysis revealed Poland as both a central case study and a key contributor to existing academic literature, as well as an increase in research output since 2016. The thematic analysis identified the following themes: the abortion and in vitro fertilization debates in Poland and the role of the Polish Catholic Church in both cases; the role of religion in the renegotiation of intimate public-private boundaries in the post-communist period; and anti-gender mobilizations across the region. The analysis also revealed a shift in the role of religion from religious nationalism to pious-instrumental nationalism, reflecting the broader context of the right-wing populist wave in the region. The study emphasizes the regional particularities and establishes a foundation for future research on the intersection of gender, religion, and politics in Central and Eastern Europe.

Recommended Citation

Juchnevičiūtė, Evelina Ms. (2025) "Faith, Freedom, and Friction: The Intersection of Intimate Citizenship and Religion in Central and Eastern Europe," Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe: Vol. 45 : Iss. 5 , Article 3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55221/2693-2229.2630
Available at: https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/ree/vol45/iss5/3