Abstract
In the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans, the Orthodox Church rooted in Greek tradition constitutes perhaps the most basic feature of people’s cultural identity. That is to say, religion is the connecting link uniting populations to this very day, binding them into a single milieu (the Byzantine commonwealth). Moreover, religious allegiance is a reference point for tradition and art, with significant outcomes in the political sphere. The concept of cultural identity in this geographical area is incomprehensible without referring to the influence of the Greek Orthodox Church.
The significance of this Church in the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly for Greece, can be understood through the prism of societal structures inherited from ancient Greek and Judeo-Christian patterns. While shaping a geopolitical consciousness and observing global developments, the Greek Orthodox Church currently plays a significant role in the area of cultural geography, among others, in both the Middle East and the Balkans, as well as in those parts of the world where the Greek-Orthodox diaspora exists and develops, and in the areas where missionary work goes on. In particular, the Greek Church (Ecumenical Patriarchate and Church of Greece) is engaged in reinforcing human relationships and connecting Greeks everywhere with their homeland.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alivizatos, N. (1999). A new role for the Greek church? Journal of Modern Greek Studies, 17(1), 23-40.
Anastassiadis, A. (1996). Religion et Identité Nationale en Grèce. Nation Orthodoxe ou Orthodoxie nationaliste: A propos du débat au sujet de la mention de l’appartenance confessionnelle sur la carte d’identité grecque. In Memoire de DEA. IEP.
Argyriou, Ast. (1992). Orthodoxie et école. Le modèle grec. Le Supplément, 181/July.
Chrysoloras, N. (2004). Why orthodoxy? Religion and nationalism in Greek political culture. Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism, 4(1), 40–61.
Constantelos, D. (2005). Understanding the Greek Orthodox Church: Its faith, history and life. The Seabury Press.
Evans, J., & Baronavski, C. (2018, December 5). How do European countries differ in religious commitment? Use our interactive map to find out. Pew Research Center.
Frazee, C. A. (1969). The Orthodox Church and independent Greece 1821–1852. Cambridge University Press.
Gara, H., & Tzedopoulos, G. (2015). Christians and Muslims in the Ottoman Empire. Institutional realities and social dynamics (in Greek). Kallipos.
Hasiotis, I., Katsiardi-Hering, H., & Abatzi, E. V. R. (Ed.). (2006). Greeks in diaspora (in Greek). Greek Parliament.
Huntington, S. P. (1997). The clash of civilizations and the remaking of world order. Simon & Schuster.
Kalaitzidis, P. (2012). Orthodoxy and Hellenism in modern Greece. Adventures and journeys of a controversial relationship (in Greek). Indiktos.
Kaldellis, A. (2007). Hellenism in Byzantium. The transformations of Greek identity and the reception of the classical tradition. Cambridge University Press.
Karagiannis, E. (2009). Secularism in context: The relations between the Greek state and the Church of Greece in crisis. Europoen Journal of Sociology, 50, 133–167.
Karathanasis, Ath. (2005). The contribution of the Church and the sacred clergy in the formation of the modern Greek identity (in Greek). Holy Synod of the Church of Greece.
Konidaris, Ger. (1948). The Greek Church as a cultural force in the history of the Aimos (Balkan) Peninsula (in Greek).
Konidaris, Ger. (2011). Ecclesiastical History of Greece (in Greek). Grigoris.
Makrides, V. N. (2009). Hellenic temples and Christian churches: A concise history of the religious cultures of Greece from antiquity to the present. New York University Press.
Manitakis, Ant. (2000). The relations between the Church and the State (in Greek). Nefeli.
Maras, A. (2012). The Greek Orthodox Church from the fall of Constantinople until now (in Greek). Stamoulis.
Matalas, P. (2002). Nation and orthodoxy- The adventures of a relationship (in Greek). University of Crete Press.
Nanakis, A. (1993). Church, Genos, Hellenism (in Greek). Tertios.
Obolensky, D. (1971). The Byzantine Commonwealth: Eastern Europe, 500–1453. Cardinal.
Papandreou, D. (1986). Theological dialogues – An Οrthodox perspective (in Greek). Kyriakidis.
Papastathis, Ch. (2003). Church law (in Greek). Sakkoulas.
Papoutsaki, M. (2005). The atlas of Orthodoxy (in Greek). Kyriakatiki Eleftherotypia, May 15, 27.
Robbers, G. (Ed.) (1996). State and Church in Greece. In State and Church in the European Union. Nomos.
Roudometof, V. (2008). Greek-Orthodoxy, territoriality and globality: Religious responses and institutional disputes. Sociology of Religion, 68, 67–91.
Roudometof, V. (2011). Eastern Orthodox Christianity and the uses of the past in contemporary Greece. Religions, 2(2), 95–113.
Stamatopoulos, D. (2014). The Orthodox Church of Greece. In L. Leustean (Ed.), Orthodox Christianity and nationalism in nineteenth century southeastern Europe (pp. 34–64).
Thual, F. (1999). The heritage of Byzantium. Geopolitics of Orthodoxy (in Greek). Roes.
Troianos, Sp. (1997). Church organization and international relations (in Greek). Sakkoulas.
Ware, K. (1983). The church: A time of transition. In R. Clogg (Ed.), Greece in the 1980s (pp. 208–230). Macmillan.
Ziaka, T. (2002). Against Manichaeans or a small introduction to modern Greek ideology and identity (in Greek). Indiktos, 16, 40–50.
Zizioulas, I. (1998). The Ecumenical Patriarchate and its relations with the other Orthodox Churches. In P. Kitromilides & T. Veremis (Eds.), The Orthodox Church in a changing world (pp. 155–164). Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy and Centre for Asia Minor Studies.
Internet Sources
Andrianopoulos, And. (2019, September 9). The orthodox religion could be treated as a means of social education, advocacy and restoration of the cohesion of the people (in Greek). https://www.in.gr/2019/09/29/apopsi/o-rolos-tis-ekklisias/
Giagazoglou, St. Christianity and Hellenism: An idiotype meeting (in Greek). https://bold.adman.gr/banner?webspace=31590&dfl=yes&js=no"border="0" width="970"height ="250"/></a>
Ioannis of Antioch. (2019, April 21). The Church of Greece is the heart of orthodoxy (in Greek). https://orthodoxostypos.gr
Lakasas, Ap. (2015, April 11). Missionary work in 60 areas (in Greek). https://www.kathimerini.gr/society/811042/ierapostoliko-ergo-se-60-perioches/
Liakos, An. (2008, November 28). Compromise and nationalism. The two successive crises that tested and reconstituted the relations of nation and religion in the 19th century (in Greek). https://www.tovima.gr/2008/11/24/books-ideas/o-symbibasmos-kai-o-ethnikismos/
Metallinos, G.. Greek Orthodox culture is the “endangered and present” (in Greek). https://www.impantokratoros.gr/metallhnos-ellhnorthodoxos-politismos.el.aspx.
Skouteris, K.. Orthodoxy, Europe and Middle East (in Greek). http://www.apostoliki-diakonia.gr/gr_main/catehism/theologia_zoi/themata.asp?cat=hist&main=kat012&file=12.1.htm.
Tsitsigos, Sp. (2010, July 7). Comparative psychology of Judeo-Christian & Roman cultures (in Greek). Presentation on 30/5/2010 at the 2nd international conference on “holy lands and romanity”. https://antifono.gr
Vartzopoulos, F.. The role of the church (in Greek). https://freesunday.gr/apopseis/item/26349-o-rolos-ths-ekklhsias.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Bakas, I.T. (2024). The Greek Orthodox Church: A Unique Cultural and Social Environment. In: Darques, R., Sidiropoulos, G., Kalabokidis, K. (eds) The Geography of Greece. World Regional Geography Book Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29819-6_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29819-6_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-29818-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-29819-6
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)