The Influence of Christianity on Ancient and Modern Greece

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The Influence of Christianity on Ancient and Modern Greece

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?From the earliest establishment of Christian churches in Macedonia, Achaia, Epirus, and Crete, to the expansion of the Orthodox Church, Greece has been a formidable landmark for development of Christianity throughout the world.? From its arrival to Greece with the first preaching of Paul, the Christian faith has undergone a unique assimilation into the cultural and philosophical traditions of the Greek people to create a church, visibly distinguishable from all other sects and denominations of Christianity.? Christianity has certainly influenced the nation of Greece.? However, it is safe to say that Greek culture has also had a notable effect on the way its people view Christianity.? The purpose of this paper is to examine the mutually significant and interacting influences of the Christian faith on Greece and of the Greek culture on Christianity.

?From the onset of Paul?s mission to evangelize the non-Jewish world, it was clear that the ministry to the gentiles would take on an entirely different form than that to the Jews.? Where converting the Jews was an issue of convincing a small people, otherwise knowledgeable about the nature of God, that this Jesus was indeed the Messiah they had long waited for, preaching to the Gentiles would be a fundamentally different task.? Greek culture, largely influential to the Roman world, was already rich with philosophy, science, art, literature, and political values.? Reaching out to this people that was, in so many ways, far advanced beyond the Hebrew nation, would mean appealing to its philosophy and tradition as a foundation for proving Christ?s supremacy.? Greek Christianity was destined to...

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...dia of Religion, 6, 95-97

[2] Schaff, Philip (1910).? History of the Christian Church, 1.? WM. B. Weerdmans Publishing Company: Michigan.?

[3] Beardsley, Monroe C. (1966).? Aesthetics from Classical Greece to the Present: A Short History.? ? University of Alabama Press: University, Alabama.?

[4] Carassava, Anthee (2001).? ?Many Greeks praying against John Paul II visit?.? Time Magazine, 157.

[5] ?Pope Appologizes?.? Christianity Today, 45.? 2001.

[6] Moschovis, Peter P. (2001).? ?Socialists give Evangelicals some relief?.? Christianity Today, 45.

[7] Moschovis, Peter P. (1998).? ?Court upholds right to evangelize.?? Christianity Today, 42.

[8] ?Greece?s churches divided over ID cards?.? Christian Century, 117.? 2000.?

[9] Carassava, Anthee (2000).? ?Greeks debate privacy rights vs. religious identity?.? Christian Science Monitor, 92 (148).

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