I don't consider these people truly believers. That's up there with that guy holding the shovel in the sky and daring Zeus to strike him down on the stupidity level. Hellenistic practices involve polytheism via the worshiping of the Greek gods, heroes, natural divinities, and underworld deities of Ancient Greece. Harold W. Attridge: The Lillian Claus Professor of New Testament Yale Divinity School to the death of Cleopatra and the incorporation of Egypt in the Roman Empire in 30 B.C.E. The religion was killed off, therefore it isn’t closed. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. So Hellenic communities in Greece have gotten awful?? It's why I'm on this sub all the time warning people about this when they stray from the topic of worship into magickal territory - if you were to go to Greece and practice with a group there, you would find a very strict worship protocol and absolutely NO magick being allowed at all. The public practice of the Greek religion was made illegal by the Emperor Theodosius I in the fourth century of the current era, and this was enforced by his successors. What I'm looking for is a discussion with anyone in this subreddit who is Greek and/or lives/has lived in Greece and might have more insight on this. For the faithful, religious practice provides a link between humanity and the spiritual world, joining people together in communities of worship and service. Hellenism is the most common term, used chiefly as an identifier for the modern polytheistic religion by its adherents today but it can also refer to the ancient Greek religion and culture. Today Hellenism is called Humanism, and it still promotes the idea that the human being is the ultimate authority in the universe. Hellenism originated in and is practiced in Greece and in other countries. See more. There has nonetheless been development of thought regarding the religion mainly based on the writings of ancient Greek philosophers and ethicists. And lots of other western countries who practice Hellenism really don't like it either. It will happen for Hellenism, like it begins to happen for Zoroastrianism! That's understandable, I just try to be as respectful as possible in my practice and this was the first I'd heard from someone who was Greek saying it was technically closed. She explained that many people disregard when Greek people speak up about this, as it's still taboo and heavily stigmatized in Greece. Most Greeks think that ethnic Hellenes who practice the religion are nuts anyways because the country is overwhelmingly Greek Orthodox Christian. No official estimates exist for devotees worldwide. and Are Hindu and Greek mythologies very different? What is the difference between requesting something of the gods and "magic"? Hellenion defines its practice as Hellenic Pagan Reconstructionism with an emphasis on historical accuracy. Alexander killed all men of the lands he conquered, which spreaded Greek culture with other cultures. The only closed practices in Hellenism were mystery cults, and these were closed not on the basis of ethnicity but on the simple basis of being initiated or not. A common criticism of historic orthodox Christianity is the claim that early Christianity was corrupted by the intellectual forces of 'Hellenism.' 'Greek' Wicca, Greco-Wicca or 'Hellenistic' Wicca. What's the dividing line? Greek education was a source of knowledge for Jews within the empire, and Jewish literature was greatly influenced by traditions from Greece. It is used to apply to a wide range of polytheistic spiritual paths that honor the pantheon of the ancient Greeks.In many of these groups, there is a trend towards the … The cultural tradition of the Greeks is called Hellenism. There's also some issues with the ethnic Hellenea in Greece wanting to keep the religion only for Greeks, and that has some shades of racism in it. After Alexander the Great conquered much of the Middle East, the homeland of the Jews in ancient Palestine spent several centuries under the rule of Greek empires. In a world that has a myriad of religious beliefs, the practice of Hellenistic polytheism has found modern practitioners in Greece and other countries. Followers seek to be true adherents of the public and family ways ofhonouring the Gods, in a manner that is as close as possible to that of theancient Greeks. It’s not closed. If, therefore, the derivation of Paulinism from the historical Jesus is still to be abandoned, recourse must be had to … The organization is still active today, and it refers to its Hellenism as “ethnic polytheistic” and “genuine Hellenism.” Its followers are called Ethnikoi Hellenes (ethnic Hellenes). The period of Hellenistic influence, when taken as a whole, constitutes one of the most creative periods in the history of religions. I still have a little card with a prayer to St. Michael the Archangel next to my Buddha statue and while I love it, I'm still kinda iffy on it, but if Hellenism was syncretic with Buddhism, maybe a picture of an angel is far from some terrible heathen-y-ness. Upon the Jews' return from exile in Babylon, they endeavored to protect their national identity by following the law closely. In many European polytheistic communities, religion is involved in a wider project of national recognition and identity. Moreover there's not a single bit of ancient literature supporting the idea of it being a closed practice, but there is plenty regarding foreigners honoring Hellenic Deities and there's plenty of Hellenic rulers honoring Deities from other faiths as well. You know in Greece we have some people that often speak about the gods, but they mix stuff with conspiracy theories, aliens, and whatever. The purpose of Hellenism.Net is to introduce and promote hellenism and the Greek culture to Greeks and non-Greeks from around the world. Moral and ethical codes of followers are inspired by Ancient Greek virtues like moderation, reciprocity, and self-control, and texts such as the Delphic maxims, Tenets of Solon, Golden Verses of Pythagoras, and Aristotle’s Ethics. Photo Credit. The term originally stems from a systematization and revival of Greek religion done by the Roman Emperor Julian . She went on to say that while people are free to practice what they want, the "results may be harmful to people who don't have an ancestral connection to early worshippers.". Can anyone tell me anything about modern Hellenism, eg, is it still practiced, can anyone be a member of this faith, etc. Finally I realized is that a religion? Hellenismos is the religiouspath of the ancient Greek, faithfully reconstructed for Pagans in the modernworld. Learn more about the modern Greeks who worship the ancient gods. Hellenismos is a diversereligious path that allows the follower to be equally diverse. Outside Greece, Hellenic religious organizations began to emerge around 1998, with some individuals claiming to have been engaging in some form of traditional practice since the 1970s. so i stumbles over thge fact that apprently hellenism is still practiced by the Supreme Council of Ethnikoi Hellenes. Leaders of the movement claimed in 2005 that there are as many as 2,000 adherents to the Hellenic tradition in Greece, with an additional 100,000 who have “some sort of interest”. Hellenistic Culture The influence of Greek language, philosophy and culture on Jews and early Christians. The term Hellenismos originally stems from a 4th-century AD systematization and revival of Greek religion by the Roman Emperor Julian. A few years ago, Greek fascists wildly missed the mark and were drawn to what they perceived as YSEE’s nationalistic identity. Press J to jump to the feed. Theodosius forbade the beautiful Hellenic cult in the IVth century. I've been following this path for 5-6 years now and have never once had any sort of negative experiences, and actively trying to dissuade people from honoring the Gods makes her little better than a Christian doing the same, imho. It offers training for clergy, adult religious education classes, and other courses for members. “I am a Hebrew, and I worship the LORD the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land” OED's second definition is more interesting still: “transf. Though I am reviving a tradition not practiced for centuries, my Hellenism is very much a living religion. I looked on line and it was really confusing. You know, as a mostly eclectic dude who has only recently gotten deeper and deeper into Hellenism, I started thinking maybe it wasn't cool that I have a little ceramic Buddha in the same room as my altar/shrine to some of the Greek gods, including Heracles. Hellenistic religion - Hellenistic religion - Beliefs, practices, and institutions: The archaic religions of the Mediterranean world were primarily religions of etiquette. So I have really loved the Greek gods for 2 years now and I do believe in them. A notable example is Jews. I still have a little card with a prayer to St. Michael the Archangel next to my Buddha statue and while I love it, I'm still kinda iffy on it, but if Hellenism was syncretic with Buddhism, maybe a picture of an angel is far from some terrible heathen-y-ness. The Hellenistic Period is a part of the Ancient Period for the European and Near Asian space. So if you do go to Greece and meet someone who callea themself a Hellenic, be aware that there's some differences between the way you both see the religion that are likely to come up. There were Platonists, Aristotelians, Stoics and Epicureans each espousing a differing interpretation of the world around them. Buddhism was fused with Hellenism and we even got mixed mythology, where Heracles served Buddha as his bodyguard, let alone that some Buddhist monks were Greek togas to this day. While still a child, she became a professional actress and later, during her youth, she performed and choreographed dances in burlesque, vaudeville, and circus shows. The concept of Hellenistic religion as the late form of Ancient Greek religion covers any of the various systems of beliefs and practices of the people who lived under the influence of ancient Greek culture during the Hellenistic period and the Roman Empire (c. 300 BCE to 300 CE). On the other hand, the Greek Hellenes hate how in other countries that Hellenism is mixed with witchcraft. Although some groups offer training for roles in the church or clergy, the consensus is that followers learn about the religion independently and perform rituals on their own. This is the first time I've heard that it's a closed religion. and they say they worship 12 gods but im not quite sure where on their website i can find the exact list of the 12 gods from the manny the greek had that … Wicca is a unique Pagan religion in that we really don’t have our own pantheon of Gods. People who call themselves Hellenes or Hellenics outside of Greece are very different from people inside of Greece who go by the same title. The Greek Hellenes are really trying to be taken seriously by their country, so they want to dissociate their religion from a magickal practice. Hellenism is mostly practiced in Europe, particularly in Western Europe. In addition, there is a Hellenic religious organization in Brazil called the RHB, the Reconstrucionismo Helênico no Brasil. Choose your answers to the questions and click 'Next' to see the next set of questions. No, and anyone who says it is a closed practice is insultingly ignorant of the religions history and is in my opinion wildly impious. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Hellenic religion and Hellenic polytheism are also used frequently while Dodekatheism and Olympianism are less commonly used terms. Hellenistic religion, any of the various systems of beliefs and practices of eastern Mediterranean peoples from 300 bc to ad 300.. Hellenism (or Hellenismos) is the most common term, used chiefly as a name for the modern religion by its adherents today, though it can also refer to the ancient Greek religion and culture. Hellenism as a faith spread to Anatolia, Thrace, Italy, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Bactria, India and so many other places. Hellenism (or Hellenismos) is the most common term, used chiefly as a name for the modern religion by its adherents today, though it can also refer to the ancient Greek religion and culture. Classical Greek population has been settled by Turkish colonizers. That’s sad. The organization was started by Brazilian members of Hellenion and other groups. The precise number of members is undetermined since the organization does not provide such information to the public. Hellenism is not a “closed religion.” Maybe that woman’s very particular tradition is closed, but not the religion as a whole. Not all Hellenes shared a common blood, but rather a common ethos. Unfortunately though, many Hellenists of Greece are just nationalists in disguise. The Ancient Greek themselves didn’t give a shit about your “”blood line”””. 2) how do you practice/do Hellenism? Revivalism centers on Hellenism as a living religion that changes with time, thus giving believers more freedom to decide what is right to practice. Hellenism (Greek: Ellinismós, Latin: Hellenismus), also less frequently called Olympianism (Greek: Olympianismós, Latin: Olympianismus) or Dodekatheism (Greek: Dodekatheïsmós, Latin: Duodecimdeismus), is the traditional polytheistic and animistic orthopraxic religion, lifestyle, aesthetics, and ethos of the ancient Graeco-Roman world, and is the indigenous religion of the common Greek and Latin cultural sphere. Hellenism: A View of The World. I'm Greek, born and raised in Greece, and I can tell you that Hellenism is definitely not a closed practice; anyone who looks at the history of Ancient Greece will realize this. Recognition of Hellenism and linked the ancients to the death of Cleopatra and incorporation..., Poseidon, Hermes etc linked the ancients to the period of Hellenistic influence, taken... 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