Examination of the Activities of Religious Educators of the Soviet Period in the Context of the Development of European Religious Thought

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to analyse the activities of religious educators during the Soviet period in Kazakhstan in the context of the development of religious thought against the background of secularisation and state atheistic policy. The article examines the processes of reviewing religious thought, adapting religion to social and political conditions, and the role of religious leaders in preserving spiritual traditions. The study investigates the activities of key religious figures in Kazakhstan, such as Akhmet Baitursynov, Alikhan Bukeikhanov, Ybray Altynsarin, and Duissenbek Kabylanbayuly, well as the influence of international religious models on local education. Historical materials on religious education in Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan are analysed, and the relationship between secularisation, religious revival, and government policy in the Soviet Union is considered. Secularisation processes and atheism policies in the Soviet Union put serious pressure on religious institutions, reducing official religious activities through repression and closure of churches. However, religious leaders adapted, using family connections to pass on spiritual knowledge and creating underground communities for secret rituals. Sufi orders such as Naqshbandiya and Yasawi played an important role in preserving religious and cultural traditions and maintaining spiritual unity and identity. In the post-Soviet period, religious education was revived, which led to the creation of new madrassas and educational programmes that contributed to the strengthening of religious life and social harmony and the restoration of spiritual traditions lost during the Soviet era. These programmes not only supported Islamic teachings but also contributed to the development of interreligious dialogue and tolerance in modern society, which strengthened cultural identity and cohesion.