A significant number of contemporary scholars point out that over the past few decades, Greek Orthodox thought has been characterised by a black-and-white worldview, filled with radical anti-Westernism. Deeply thought-out, rationally verified, and elaborately presented theology often yielded its positions and capitulated to poster-like ethno-theology, which was mostly filled with stereotypical ideological slogans rather than a set of coherent and convincing arguments.
In his 2013 article, “The Image of the West in Contemporary Greek Theology,” which became one of the chapters of a collective monograph, Dr. Pantelis Kalaitzidis analysed the ideological foundations and external manifestations of the antagonistic attitude of 20th-century Greek theologians towards Western intellectual culture. In his scholarly exploration, the researcher refers to the legacy of two prominent Greek theologians.
According to Kalaitzidis’ study, the theology of Fr. John Romanides is a standard example of extreme Orthodox triumphalism, substantially supported by conspiracy theories, concepts about the uniqueness of Greek ethnogenesis and nation-building, as well as the demonisation of the Christian West. It is also noteworthy how disinterested and detached Fr. Romanides was towards the spiritual experience of saints glorified in the East Slavic lands.
Another Orthodox intellectual with distinctively anti-Western beliefs, Christos Yannaras, appears in Dr. Kalaitzidis’ study as someone who followed a controversial path from ecumenical openness to the glorification of the uniqueness of Greek ethno-religious identity and denunciatory rhetoric regarding the barbaric nature of the Christian West.
The full text of the review #8 by Fr. Andrii Shymanovych, which provides an overview of the aforementioned article by Pantelis Kalaitzidis, is available at this link:
