Ideological traditionalism and organisational innovation in Greek Orthodox ecclesiastical governance. Issue 3 (1st September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Patrikios, Stratos
• Is Part Of: Journal of contemporary religion. Volume 35:Issue 3(2020)
• Page Start: 415
• Page End: 432
• Publication Date: 2020-09-01
• Subjects: Church politics -- religious change -- Greek Orthodoxy -- lay involvement -- organisational reform; Religions -- Periodicals; Religions -- History -- 20th century -- Periodicals; 200
• DOI: 10.1080/13537903.2020.1814604
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1353-7903

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Studies of church governance approach religious change either as 'soft' transformation (ideological and discursive adjustments implemented by clerical élites) or as 'hard' restructuring (shifts in organisational decision-making processes and administrative forms). This article illustrates that the joint, rather than separate, consideration of the two types of change provides a more nuanced description of the internal dynamics of religious organisations. Employing a framework with comparative applicability, which breaks with standard theoretical approaches, the empirical application examines a case in which the two types of change coincided: the Orthodox Church of Greece in the late twentieth century, where a radically conservative ideological transformation accompanied a particular instance of bureaucratic modernisation (lay involvement in high-level ecclesiastical governance).