AHC: Christian Communist Soviet Union

With a flag that has the hammer, sickle and the Orthodox cross, possible. Other than that, you would have to somehow have a charismatic socialist who's willing to accomodate the Orthodox clergy. Otherwise, impossible.
The real problem is getting the Orthodox clergy to accomodate them. The Orthodox Church in the Russian Empire was a political arm of the Tsar as much as Okhrana or the Imperial Army was. Soviet state atheism is much more rooted in the vast popular anti-clericalism among the politically conscious workers and "peasants" than in Marxian materialism.
 
The real problem is getting the Orthodox clergy to accomodate them. The Orthodox Church in the Russian Empire was a political arm of the Tsar as much as Okhrana or the Imperial Army was. Soviet state atheism is much more rooted in the vast popular anti-clericalism among the politically conscious workers and "peasants" than in Marxian materialism.

I dunno, the quick return of Russian Orthodoxy post-USSR show me it was also a popular demand, there is new trainees for priesthood by example..

There is maybe a tradition of anti-clericalism, this is also a deeply spiritual people it seems.
 
The real problem is getting the Orthodox clergy to accomodate them. The Orthodox Church in the Russian Empire was a political arm of the Tsar as much as Okhrana or the Imperial Army was. Soviet state atheism is much more rooted in the vast popular anti-clericalism among the politically conscious workers and "peasants" than in Marxian materialism.
Perhaps it doesn't need to be the old orthodox Clergy, maybe a spirtual revolution that was Utopian in the sense of the early Christian Socialists. Then maybe the two could accomodate
 
With a flag that has the hammer, sickle and the Orthodox cross, possible. Other than that, you would have to somehow have a charismatic socialist who's willing to accomodate the Orthodox clergy. Otherwise, impossible.

Couldn't there be a disillusioned, charismatic socialist Orthodox priest with some standing in the church leading a socialist revolution, claiming the Communist Manifesto reflects the Gospels? Eventually the revolutionary priest will claim the Patriarchy for himself, and uses Russia's leading role in the Orthodox Church to "export" the revolution to Orthodox countries. Thus an Orthodox Soviet Bloc emerges fairly soon.

Bonus, the Orthodox Communist Revolution occurs simultaneously with a similar Muslim revolution in the Ottoman Empire, resulting in a "Proletarian Caliphate" which dominates the Middle East and North Africa.

Commies being commies, the two communist blocs denounce each other as capitalist heretics much more than they denounce the godless capitalist west.

Even more bonus, after a failed Spartakus-like revolt in Italy or Spain, the Catholic Church turns socialist to keep its moral power.
 
Wasn't Stalin at one point attended an Orthodox Christian academy? Although I don't know if he could be a perfect candidate for a Christian Soviet leader, despite his mother saying and I quote, "You could have been a priest."
 
I dunno, the quick return of Russian Orthodoxy post-USSR show me it was also a popular demand, there is new trainees for priesthood by example..

There is maybe a tradition of anti-clericalism, this is also a deeply spiritual people it seems.
The Orthodox Church of 1991 was worlds different than the Orthodox Church of 1917.

Once the Russian Civil War was over, and it was clear that the Bolsheviks were the new game in town, the Orthodox Church basically ended up more or less accomodating to the new regime. Soviet state atheism was essentially nothing more than the revolutionary period's anti-clericalism made state policy.

The Soviets made no effort to stamp out religion itself, and private spiritual belief, even in Orthodoxy, remained tolerated. Really, the only reason why state atheism continued was because the state moved into a totalitarian mode, and was thus jealous of all other competing sources of authority. But the biggest liberalization of religious policy, it must never be forgotten, occurred under Stalin, and persisted until destalinization.
 
The Orthodox Church of 1991 was worlds different than the Orthodox Church of 1917.

Once the Russian Civil War was over, and it was clear that the Bolsheviks were the new game in town, the Orthodox Church basically ended up more or less accomodating to the new regime. Soviet state atheism was essentially nothing more than the revolutionary period's anti-clericalism made state policy.

The Soviets made no effort to stamp out religion itself, and private spiritual belief, even in Orthodoxy, remained tolerated. Really, the only reason why state atheism continued was because the state moved into a totalitarian mode, and was thus jealous of all other competing sources of authority. But the biggest liberalization of religious policy, it must never be forgotten, occurred under Stalin, and persisted until destalinization.

When Stalin needed the Russian Orthodox Church to drum up Russian nationalist support in the German invasion, which paralleled the Teutonic invasion of Russia. After all, the legend of Nevsky was like Barbarossa in reverse if it was thrown into the fray.
 
And then, the rise of an Objectivist style right in USA, and such.. :eek:

There'd be a huge anti-Catholic Red Scare in the USA and Britain, but can an Objectivist regime (with clearly sectarian undertones) exist in the USA without the resistance of Catholics? The new Red Gospel will impress a number of Protestants as well.
 
There'd be a huge anti-Catholic Red Scare in the USA and Britain, but can an Objectivist regime (with clearly sectarian undertones) exist in the USA without the resistance of Catholics? The new Red Gospel will impress a number of Protestants as well.

Not necessarly a = thing, but an hostility to Christianism and other religions as an 'abusing tike on the freeminded being' or such...

I can see peoples maybe more leery of Protestantism, as it tend to be less hierarchical, and maybe with a distant POD, more seen as 'radical' of the people's base, and all, more 'prone to revolting' and such.

It's hastyly thought and typed, but....
 
Not necessarly a = thing, but an hostility to Christianism and other religions as an 'abusing tike on the freeminded being' or such...

I can see peoples maybe more leery of Protestantism, as it tend to be less hierarchical, and maybe with a distant POD, more seen as 'radical' of the people's base, and all, more 'prone to revolting' and such.

It's hastyly thought and typed, but....

This was the early 20th century. Catholics weren't "real Americans". It would be too easy to claim Catholics are a fifth column taking orders from Rome "to destroy our God-given freedoms" or such. With the OP's conditions, there are perfect conditions to whip up anti-Catholicism. But can their Red-baiting convince the lower class Protestant churches?

Back on topic, how does the Red Gospel affect 20th century Europe?
 
This was the early 20th century. Catholics weren't "real Americans". It would be too easy to claim Catholics are a fifth column taking orders from Rome "to destroy our God-given freedoms" or such. With the OP's conditions, there are perfect conditions to whip up anti-Catholicism. But can their Red-baiting convince the lower class Protestant churches?

Back on topic, how does the Red Gospel affect 20th century Europe?

Yeah, but we speak of the Third Wheel of Christianism, Orthodoxy.. it is not tied to Catholicism OR Protestantism...

And in fact, the Roman Catholic Church, in contact with orthodox peoples in some regions, may turn RIGHTWARD. It may be nasty in Ukraine, by example, with Uniates.
 
Yeah, but we speak of the Third Wheel of Christianism, Orthodoxy.. it is not tied to Catholicism OR Protestantism...

And in fact, the Roman Catholic Church, in contact with orthodox peoples in some regions, may turn RIGHTWARD. It may be nasty in Ukraine, by example, with Uniates.

Yep, I was speculating. But if after a devastating WW1-analogue there's widespread worker unrest after the religious communist revolutions in Russia and the Ottoman Empire, I think Rome will more likely try to appease the unrest while preserving its power. They might even call a council to "update" social teachings (of course they will strenuously oppose outright communism).

I can definitely see war erupting over a Soviet claim to the Orthodox Balkans, which the west interprets as Soviet expansion into the Mediterranean.
 
It would be Stalin if his school life was a bit better. (Not witnessing the terror that went through his school in which it became his pseudo-blueprint for the NKVD's terror tactics)
 
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