светское государство

Introduction. The existence and development of any society is impossible without its spiritual component, which is closely connected with religion, religious values and ideals in Russia. Despite the fact that in the secular Russian state, the official government remains ideologically neutral to all religions, religious denominations and religious organizations, the state and the Church are converging in the socio-cultural space. Theoretical analysis.

The article deals with the analysis of interaction between religious communities and the state in foreign countries. The author has considered countries with different types of state-confessional relations, examined the current religious changes in the world, paid special attention to the Middle East, and has come to the conclusion of the necessity to develop the international dialogue for the purpose of avoiding religious tensions.