Future 500 | Podcastfolge 2: Global DialoguePerspectives Jo Frank in conversation with Cyril Hovorun

In the second episode, Jo Frank speaks with Cyril Hovorun, a Ukrainian Orthodox theologian and academic, about the religious dimension of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Hovorun analyses how the Russian Orthodox Church under Patriarch Kyrill has actively helped shape the so-called ‘Russian World’ ideology – a quasi-theological doctrine that legitimises Russian expansion as a sacred mission and provides the ideological basis for the invasion of Ukraine.

Drawing on decades of experience at the intersection of church, politics and international dialogue – including as a research fellow at Yale and Columbia and as a professor of ecclesiology and international relations at Ignatius College in Stockholm – Hovorun examines the roots of religious nationalism, the role of ecumenical institutions as silent enablers of violence, and the limits of interfaith dialogue. His thesis: without the deconstruction of warmongering ideas and without justice – analogous to the Nuremberg Tribunal after the Second World War – this war will not truly end, regardless of any ceasefire.

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Global DialoguePerspectives, the Future 500 podcast series, brings together emerging thinkers and changemakers from around the world to explore the ideas shaping our societies and to engage with questions of trust, cooperation, and meaningful dialogue across divides. The conversations explore current philosophical and technological developments and examine their impact on dialogue, on rebuilding relationships, and on practical cross-community initiatives amid rising tensions across Europe and around the world. Through expert insights, personal reflections, and shared conversations, we explore: How do we build sustainable movements for change?

We invite you to listen to Global DialoguePerspectives and get involved.

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Speakers: Jo Frank, Cyril Hovorun | Intro: İrem Çörekçi | Editorial team: Nihal Çalışır | Audio-Edit: Gal Mayersohn | Illustration: Andrea Schmidt | Music: Alex Stolze & Yael Gat – White Noise | Programme Lead: Kira Wisniewski | Project Lead: Jo Frank, Johanna Korneli | © 2026 DialoguePerspectives e.V. | https://future500network.com