Russia: A Guide for the Perplexed, with Dr Andreas Berg

<p>Jonathan is joined by Russian-Australian scholar Andreas Berg for a deep dive on contemporary Russia. They cover the anarchic chaos of the 1990s transition from communism, the rise of Vladimir Putin, the nature and operation of Putin&#39;s regime, the complex and fraught relationship between Russia and Ukraine, the current war in Ukraine, the would-be rebellion of Evgeny Prigozhin&#39;s Wagner PMC and the fate of Russia post-Putin.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Dr Andreas Berg is an intellectual historian with a PhD from Griffith University on the interplay between the Enlightenment and mystical discourses in eighteen century Russia. For over a decade, he taught the humanities at Griffith and Bond Universities and he is currently pursuing post-graduate study in international relations at the Australian National University.</p> <p><br></p> <p>The Political Animals is hosted by Dr <a href="https://www.jonathancole.com.au/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Jonathan Cole</a>, a scholar, writer and translator specialising in political theology: the intersection of religion and politics. Jonathan was a senior terrorism analyst at Australian intelligence agency the Office of National Assessments where he worked on Islamist terrorism and the global jihadist movement. He is the author of <a href="https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/reign-of-god-9780567707468/"><em>The Reign of God: A Critical Engagement with Oliver O&#39;Donovan&#39;s Theology of Political Authority</em></a> and <a href="https://wipfandstock.com/9781532679346/christian-political-theology-in-an-age-of-discontent/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"><em>Christian Political Theology in an Age of Discontent: Mediating Scripture, Doctrine, and Political Reality</em></a>.</p> <p><br></p> <p>You can follow Jonathan and the show on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ThePoliticalAnimalsPodcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/polanimalspod" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">Twitter</a> and <a