Posted by from The National Herald
on 12/14/2008, 12:52 pm
THE ETHNIC CHURCH AND THE HELLENIC IDENTITY
Without a doubt most of the faithful want their Church to foster
Greek culture and Greek identity by all means possible.
By Dan Georgakas
Special to The National Herald
At the 2008 Clergy-Laity Congress, His Eminence Archbishop
Demetrios of America observed that the Greek Orthodox Church in
America is no longer an immigrant Church. To be sure. Since 1980, the
annual influx of Greek immigrants has been limited to 1,000-2,000
and there has been an outflow back to Greece by an equal or greater
number of persons. But these realities should not obscure the fact
that the Greek Orthodox Church in America remains very much an ethnic
Church.
Church membership still overwhelmingly consists of persons of
Greek heritage and their families. Moreover, three quarters of Church
members are immigrants from the second wave of massive immigration
(1960-80), their non-Greek spouses, their children and their
grandchildren. The lay leadership that provides the Church's financial
backbone also is almost exclusively Greek.
The maintenance of Greek identity always has been a concern of
the Church. This was true even during the period of peak immigration
(1900-24). Since then, predictions of the forthcoming death of Greek
America have appeared periodically, but 100 years after the peak of
immigration, over a million persons identified themselves in the
U.S. Census as Greek. That population now faces unprecedented cultural
challenges.
Even among Greeks who wed in the Church (and many do not), the
out-marriage rate to non-Greeks is at least 70 percent nationally and
probably higher. Coupled with the lack of new immigrants, this means
the bulk of every parish will eventually consist of persons of mixed
ethnic heritage. Whether those children, much less their
grandchildren, will opt for any kind of genuine Greek identity can
not be taken for granted. Judging by the history of other ethnic
groups in America, we can assume the strongest impulse of most
children with mixed ethnic heritage is to simply identify
as "Americans."
The annual shortfall of priests contributes to the crisis. That gap is
currently being met by utilizing retired priests; by not having a
regular priest in every parish; and by the use of non-Greek priests
converted from other denominations. This phenomenon is most common
outside the major cities with large Greek populations. In regard to
ethnic identity, many parishes have expressed concerns that priests
converted from other faiths and many newly ordained priests are
not familiar with traditional Greek culture, and have not mastered
modern Greek.
In the United States, the loss of a homeland language always has
signaled the end of an ethnic community. This has been true whether,
like the Germans, the immigration was vast and widespread or, like
the Finns, was relatively small and concentrated. The de facto demise
of a language usually occurs in no more than five generations
following the end of massive immigration and often sooner. Greek
America is currently proceeding along that pathway.
Speaking at the American Hellenic Institute's 5th annual conference
on the future of Hellenism in America, Dr. Eva Prionas of Stanford
University reported that the number of Greek speakers in America
now totals about 250,000. This figure roughly corresponds with
the number of immigrants who have arrived since 1960. Taking into
account that the offspring of immigrants usually retain some control
of Greek, we must confront a bitter fact: Despite vigorous and
constant efforts for more than a century, efforts often centered in
the Church, we have not found an effective method for preserving
Greek in the American-born generations. To simply proceed with the
established policies is to continue playing what has been a losing
hand.
Some Greek Americans believe that knowing Greek is not fundamental
for a Greek identity. They cite the poor language skills in
many former Greek communities in Asia Minor and the Balkans.
Overlooked in that analysis is that Greek was at the center of the
cultural life of legendary cities such as Smyrna and Constantinople.
Greek was also a cultural binder in the extraordinary community in
Alexandria. Cavafy may have been bilingual, but his poetry was crafted
in Greek. In like manner, members of the Filiki Etaireia, the most
passionate supporters of Greece independence operating outside of
Ottoman control, were usually fluent in Greek.
The Church is the only ethnic institution with a presence in every
Greek community. Indeed, in some areas, it is the only place where
Greek Americans gather regularly. In addition lay cultural
organizations such as AHEPA often have intimate links to their local
parish. Without a doubt, most of the faithful want their Church to
foster Greek culture and Greek identity by all means possible. One
consequence of prioritizing the emphasis on Greek ethnic identity, of
course, is that Church would remain relatively small in numbers.
Archbishop Demetrios has pointed in a different direction. He
apparently feels that remaining an ethnic Church means remaining in
a cultural ghetto. He has noted that there are 60 million Americans
who can be characterized as "unchurched." He has suggested
the Greek Orthodox Church should be evangelizing such persons.
In that regard, Charles Moskos, the late historian of Greek America,
was fond of noting that the Orthodox Church in Britain is that
nation's fastest growing Christian denomination.
The prospect for finding converts from other Christian faiths in
America is also quite favorable. These include Roman Catholics
disgusted by the pederasty the Catholic hierarchy allowed to flourish
for decades, and Anglicans who are unhappy with the liberal direction
of their Church. To them may be added Protestants who realize
not only that the Gospels were written in Greek, but also that all
Christian theology in its first centuries of development was codified
by Greek-speaking clerics.
The inevitable consequence of converting Christians and non-
Christians who have no Greek heritage is that the more successful the
outreach, the greater the erosion of Greek identity within the Church.
The only counter-argument made to this observation by many who
support the conversion strategy is that, given the demographic
challenges at hand, a larger, more inclusive Church is the only
realistic way to preserve the Greek cultural heritage in America.
Modern Greek is a certain loser in the conversion scenario. The
historical structure of Orthodoxy has been to have a Church based on a
national language/culture headed by a national hierarchy which
stands on an equal basis with other Orthodox entities. In that sense,
the idea of "Americanizing" Orthodoxy is to adhere to the major
Orthodox tradition, rather than continue with Greek American
exceptionalism.
At its core, however, Orthodox tradition is culturally Hellenic. If
the emphasis of the Church turns to conversion efforts, there will
surely be parishes that will seek affiliation with, or form an
Orthodox organization which prioritizes, Greek identity.
Simultaneously, especially in areas with a limited Greek population,
other Christian denominations supported by American friends will
become increasingly attractive.
At present, the Greek culture of the Church is ebbing away, and the
conversions come in dribbles. Just talking about the need to
revitalize Greek culture or just talking about an evangelical mandate
is not useful. What is required is a dynamic commitment by the Church
to what it wants to be and do in this new century.
The future, and perhaps even the existence, of a viable Greek
America is at stake. The success of neither strategy is guaranteed.
Each endeavor requires rigorous thinking and massive financing,
neither of which is now apparent.
Prof. Georgakas is Director of the Greek American Studies Project
at Queens College – CUNY and Consulting Editor of CINEASTE
magazine.
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