Religious processes on the territory of Mongolia (based on the results of a sociological study)

Abstract

The article presents the results of a sociological study conducted by the Russian-Mongolian project in 2020 on the territory of Mongolia. In the course of the study, an attempt was made to assess the religious situation on the territory of Mongolia and to identify the degree of involvement of the country's residents in religious life, as well as their perception of state confessional policy.

The sample of the study is 362 people. At the same time, the number of respondents included a significant number of respondents who came to study or work from different parts of the country. 73% of respondents believe that a person needs to be a believer. However, 46% of respondents visit places of worship very rarely, and 22% do not observe any religious rites at all. This fact indicates a rather weak involvement of respondents in religious life, including the Buddhist sangha. Research has shown that Buddhism is the predominant denomination in Mongolia, which is considered as part of the national culture of the Mongolian people. The State is taking measures to support the Buddhist institute as an element of national identity. These measures lead to the popularization of Buddhism among the population of Mongolia.

According to respondents, an important role in building interfaith dialogue should be played by the state, whose task is to control the activities of religious organizations. It is established that stereotypes associated with religious traditions prevail in Mongolian society. Thus, the majority of respondents associate Islam with manifestations of extremism. At the same time, it should be noted that Mongolia is a country with a fairly low level of extremist worldview. The assessment of the development of the interfaith situation in Mongolia requires further observation. A fairly large percentage of respondents noted that the interfaith situation in Mongolia cannot be considered absolutely stable. The strengthening of the Buddhist Sangha in the political and cultural life of the country requires an assessment of its role in building interfaith relations in the region.