Trudging Through the Balkan Mordor: The Phenomenon of Ethnoreligiosity in the Former Yugoslavian Context

In this article, I examine the phenomenon of ethnoreligiosity in the post-Yugoslav context, focusing on the Catholic Church in Croatia and the Serbian Orthodox Church. I distinguish between ethnoreligion as a cultural specificity and ethnoreligiosity as a distortion where religion is instrumentalized by ethnonationalist ideologies. By analyzing the role of ethnonational myths in shaping religious discourse, I show how ethnoreligiosity sacralizes political projects of ethnic homogenization and legitimizes violence, leading to the vulgarization of Christian faith. I argue that theology must respond contextually and liberatively by exposing these myths and reclaiming religious discourse for justice, reconciliation, and genuine Christian witness.