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Religious belonging and religious demography

Homogeneousness and evolution

Greece is a relatively homogeneous country in terms of religion and ethnic groups. Official statistics show that approximately 95% of Greeks are Orthodox Christian (out of a population of (...)

Greece is a relatively homogeneous country in terms of religion and ethnic groups. Official statistics show that approximately 95% of Greeks are Orthodox Christian (out of a population of approximately 11 million). However, it is estimated that up to 10% of Greeks may have non-Orthodox beliefs. The religious and national homogeneousness is changing as a growing number of immigrants from different religious and ethnic backgrounds are settling in Greece. There are also a few religious minorities including Muslims, Catholics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Protestants and Jews.

An analysis of religious belief and national belonging in Central and Eastern Europe (May 2017) is available on the Pew Research Center website (full report available as a pdf document).

D 19 September 2012    ALina Molokotos

A diffuse and popular religion

Greece’s religious landscape is highly marked by a popular and community religious culture and diffuse religion. Greek Orthodoxy, particularly marked by church attendance on special occasions, (...)

Greece’s religious landscape is highly marked by a popular and community religious culture and diffuse religion. Greek Orthodoxy, particularly marked by church attendance on special occasions, mainly operates as a point of reference and cultural reservoir, regardless of the degree of religious belief.
Religiosity in Greece is rooted in society in the liturgical sense and in several popular forms. In the Orthodox Church the clergy functions only as a mediator between God and the people. Thus, the priest’s role in Greece is first and foremost liturgical and charismatic. Furthermore, the lower clergy has always identified itself with the Greek people and the followers of the Church without forming a separate social class. Thus, there is a very relaxed relationship between individuals and the Church, which explains the popular character of Greek orthodoxy.

D 19 September 2012    ALina Molokotos

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