Is Russia’s Putin a devout Christian or has he weaponized religion to advance his personal ambitions?

Russian President Vladimir Putin's use of Orthodox Christianity as a strategic tool to restore Russia’s Imperial status has revived the Russian people’s sense of exceptionalism.

Rebekah Koffler is a strategic military intelligence analyst and the author of Putin’s Playbook. She is Managing Editor of an e-mail newsletter for independent thinkers, CutToTheNews.com. Follow her on Twitter @Rebekah0132

To understand Putin’s relationship with faith and the role religion plays in Russia’s foreign policy, let’s take a look at his family’s connection to religion and Russia’s religious history. In his official autobiography, "First Person Conversations with Vladimir Putin (Ot Pervogo Litsa)," Putin told a story about his mother, a Russian Orthodox Christian, secretly baptizing him as a baby. She did it without the knowledge of her husband, Putin’s father, who was a Communist and, therefore, an atheist.