The Ethics of the Public Discourse of Protestant Pastors during Wartime

Abstract

The full-scale military aggression has brought about a profound transformation in the communicative role of Protestant leaders, compelling them to move beyond the boundaries of traditional social escapism and to engage with critical issues of national resistance, justice, and the overcoming of collective trauma. The public discourse of pastors has been transformed into a performative act of existential witness, functioning as a powerful factor of national resilience and the ethical legitimation of Ukrainian society’s struggle against the invaders. This article offers a comprehensive analysis of the radical transformation of the public discourse of Protestant pastors in Ukraine under the impact of full-scale Russian aggression. It examines the paradigmatic shift from the prewar model of apoliticism, social escapism, and strict pacifism to the concept of «integral mission», in which religious speech becomes an instrument of national resilience and the ethical legitimation of resistance. Drawing on the tools of communicative philosophy and Emmanuel Levinas’s ethics of responsibility, the author traces the evolution of pastoral discourse from a «theology of comfort» to a «living theology» forged in the crucible of suffering. The article highlights the emergence of new thematic centers, including the «theology after Bucha», lament as biblical mourning, just peace, and active volunteerism. Particular attention is given to the processes of Ukrainization of the religious sphere, the definitive break with the ideology of the «Russian world», and the role of digital media in expanding the church’s social influence. The study concludes that contemporary pastoral discourse has been transformed into a powerful factor of meaning-making that helps society overcome existential fear and preserve its humanity under conditions of total war.