Eastern Orthodoxy in a Global Age

Despite over 200 million adherents, Eastern Orthodox Christianity attracts little scholarly attention. While more-covered religions emerge as powerful transnational forces, Eastern Orthodoxy appears doggedly local, linked to the ethnicity and land of the now marginalized Eastern Europe. But Eastern Orthodoxy in a Global Age brings together new and nuanced understandings of the Orthodox churches—inside and outside of Eastern Europe—as they negotiate an increasingly networked world. The picture that emerges is less of a people stubbornly refusing modernization, more of a people seeking to maintain a stable Orthodox identity in an unstable world. For anyone interested in the role of Eastern Orthodoxy in the 21st century, this volume provides the place to begin.

Despite over 200 million adherents, Eastern Orthodox Christianity attracts little scholarly attention. While more-covered religions emerge as powerful transnational forces, Eastern Orthodoxy appears doggedly local, linked to the ethnicity and land of the now marginalized Eastern Europe. But Eastern Orthodoxy in a Global Age brings together new and nuanced understandings of the Orthodox churches—inside and outside of Eastern Europe—as they negotiate an increasingly networked world. The picture that emerges is less of a people stubbornly refusing modernization, more of a people seeking to maintain a stable Orthodox identity in an unstable world. For anyone interested in the role of Eastern Orthodoxy in the 21st century, this volume provides the place to begin.

1 Foreword 2 Preface 3 Introduction: Eastern Orthodoxy in a Global Age: Preliminary Considerations
Chapter 4 East European Experiences 5 Globalization and Identity Discourse in Russian Orthodoxy 6 From Hot War to Cold Integration? Serbian Orthodox Voices on Globalization and the European Union 7 Orthodoxy as Public Religion in Post-1989 Greece 8 Church, Identity, Politics: Ecclesiastical Functions and Expectations Toward Churches in Post-1989 Romania 9 Globalization, Nationalism, and Orthodoxy: The Case of Ukranian Nation-Building
Chapter 10 Comparative Perspectives and Transnational Connections 11 Orthodox Christianity, Rationalization, Modernization: A Reassessment 12 A Transnational Religious Community Gathers Around an Icon: The Return of the Tsar 13 Living Eastern Orthodox Religion in the United States 14 The Greek Orthodox Church in the US: Crisis or Transition? 15 Bibliographical Notes 16 Index