Doctrinal Approaches to the Concept and Content of State-Religious Relations in the Russian and Foreign Legal Literature

The purpose of the research. The article examines doctrinal approaches to the concept and content of state-religious relations in Russian and foreign legal literature. Results. The author identifies three main models of conceptualization of state-religious relations: secularist, theocratic and consensual. The secularist model is based on the principle of institutional and functional separation of the spheres of state and religion. Its supporters insist on the non-interference of the state in the affairs of the church and the non-interference of the church in the affairs of the state. At the same time, the state guarantees the freedom of conscience and religion of citizens, while support for one or another denomination is not provided. The theocratic model assumes that the state should be based on religious principles and values, and religion, in turn, should actively participate in the formation of state policy. Religious and secular legislation are closely intertwined within the framework of this model. The consensual model proceeds from the possibility of coexistence of the state and several faiths on a parity basis, their mutual cooperation with the preservation of autonomy. At the same time, the state guarantees equal rights to all religions, without giving preference to any one of them. The author notes that in modern science there is no single, generally accepted definition of state-religious relations. It has to do with versatility and complexity of the interrelationships between state institutions and religious associations, as well as the difference in ideological and methodological approaches of researchers.