is hellenic paganism a closed religion

Many adherents of Hellenic paganism, like Panagiotis Marinis from the group Dodecatheon in Greece, claim that the religion of ancient Greece has survived throughout the intervening centuries. Marinis claims he was raised in a family that practiced this religion. The Romans had closed the schools in Athens before, back when they had first invaded the city in the second century BC. The Cauldron is an active, friendly virtual community for members of Pagan religions and their friends, featuring a threaded message board, and over 8 megs of articles, book reviews and other Pagan information. Hellenismos, otherwise known as Greek Reconstructionist Paganism, is the traditional, polytheistic religion of ancient Hellas, reconstructed in, and adapted to, the modern world. Hellenic Pagan has 3,052 members. Information on Greek/Hellenic Reconstructionist Paganism. Germanic Paganism is after all technically an ethnic religion. Folkish People Don’T Even Engage in Actual Ancestor Veneration Greek Paganism legally recognized as ‘known religion’ in Greece. For the faithful, religious practice provides a link between humanity and the spiritual world, joining people together in communities of worship and service. Hellenismos is both a religion and more than a religion. I turned to Christos ‘Pandion’ Panopoulos, a Hellenic polytheist in Greece, who admitted that the issue of Paganism/polytheism in Greece is “a pretty complicated picture,” but that, for the most part, Hellenic polytheists and Greek Pagans aren’t falling in line with the toxic racism and ultra-nationalism of the Golden Dawn. There are some traditions of modern Paganism that follow the structure of the ancient Egyptian religion. Greek religion and other forms of Paganism were earth based cultures, placing a high respect upon nature. Overall, as Herodotos tells us, though religion is part of Hellenism, Hellenism is more than a religion. While it is often misunderstood, paganism has a fascinating and mysterious history that influences much of our society today. Hellenismos is the term used to describe the modern equivalent of the traditional Greek religion. The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum welcomes members and friends of all positive Pagan religions. Greek Paganism legally recognized as ‘known religion’ in Greece. Hellenism is a Reconstructionist Pagan religion, which means that we attempt to preserve as many ancient elements as possible and use history and mainstream scholarship as our primary sources. The religion of the ancient Greeks had no formal doctrine regarding what was considered canon or the right way to serve a particular God. Devotees believed in 12 anthropomorphic gods — you remember Aphrodite, Hades, and their peers — under one almighty god, Zeus. The Hermetic Fellowship Website is a continually evolving, content-rich resource centre for seekers desiring information regarding the Fellowship itself as well as a broad range of topics in the Western Magical Tradition, including Magic, Hermeticism, Qabalah, Paganism, Occultism, Rosicrucianism, Gnosticism, Alchemy, the Grail Mysteries, and the Mystery Religions of Antiquity. There are some Heathens however who call themselves Folkists or Folkish Heathens who believe that only those who are of White Northern European descent have any right to worship the Gods. Ancient Greek religion encompasses the collection of beliefs, rituals, and mythology originating in ancient Greece in the form of both popular public religion and cult practices.These groups varied enough for it to be possible to speak of Greek religions or "cults" in the plural, though most of … Norse practice has lots of books and the heathen visibility project. The period of Hellenistic influence, when taken as a whole, constitutes one of the most creative periods in the history of religions. Ellinais believes in world peace, ecological awareness, and the right to education. MODERN HELLENIC (GREEK) RELIGION Hellenic paganism isn’t one single religion or religious path. The reality of Neopaganism is very different from this simplistic view. Hellenion ® is an US-based religious organization (“church”) dedicated to the revival and practice of Hellenic polytheism. We approach Hellenic religion from the reconstructionist perspective, which includes both an emphasis on historical precedent and respect for personal spiritual inspiration. Hellenismos is a diverse religious path that allows the follower to be equally diverse. Not all Hellenes shared a common blood, but rather a common ethos. Hellenic Paganism. Hellenic Paganism refers to pagans devoted to the Olympian deities. An ancient tradition, it was originally practiced in classical Greece. 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. Hellenism is not a “closed religion.” Maybe that woman’s very particular tradition is closed, but not the religion as a whole. This does not mean that we simply copy what the ancients did, nor does it mean that we don't modernize and innovate where necessary. Celtic Paganism is polytheistic, as a variety of deities… In 2006 the Greek high court granted them status as a “cultural association based on religious grounds”. Modern-day religions are central to the lives of billions of people around the world. This February, the Greek government officially recognized the Hellenic Ethnic Religion as an official religion. Greece is no exception. The Ancient Greek practice of Hellenism lives on as a modern religion. Is Hellenism mixed with witchcraft a closed practice? A religion of sacrifice To say that paganism was amoral is really just a first approximation. A post on the Hellenic Pagan organization Ellinais in Greece had a lot of interest, and led to the creation of this page. A Defense of the Ancient Greek Pagan Religion. After a break of 16 centuries, Greek pagans are worshipping the ancient gods again - despite furious opposition from the Orthodox church. Across Europe, different cultures are attempting to revive their pre-Christian religious heritage. A big difference I see between Greek polytheism and the Abraham religions is the existence of scriptures. Both aspects of the definition hold true for Celtic Pagan beliefs. More generally, someone who worships the Greek gods but does not necessarily adhere to Hellenic ideals, ethos or ritual may be referred as a Hellenic polytheist or pagan. On April 9th, the Supreme Council of Ethnic Hellenes (YSEE), a religious organization working to restore the indigenous religion of Greece, put out a statement saying Greek polytheism has received legal status in Greece. Yet there are traditions, stories, and ideas which are the background which inspires interest, curiosity, and wonder. There have been some great threads about the Greek religion on AskMeFi already. These are the ones that tend to promote White supremacism and other explicitly racist agendas. Yes, Slavic paganism is a reconstruction of the pre-Christian and pre-Islamic religion of Slavic peoples. When the belief system of Hellenismos is expressed in temples, priestly vestments, etc., this is called thriskeia (θρησκεία), the ancient word for religion. They see the myths as “poetic metaphors,” not as something to be taken literally, and their worship as a celebration of the culture they came from. For example, since the Hellenic tradition stretches continuously from before Homer's time (say, 700 BCE), through the Christian era, to the present, there is a larger surviving body of literature, artifacts, history, art and religion from the Hellenic tradition than from any other Western Pagan tradition. Aköí means "things heard;" it is the tradition. It is also normally seen as being synonymous with Wicca. The Cauldron is an active, friendly virtual community for members of Pagan religions and their friends, featuring an active message board, and over 8 megs of articles, book reviews and other Pagan information. Although the movement is small, there is a religious movement attempting to revive the worship of the ancient Greek gods .One name for this revival of the ancient Greek religion is Hellenismos, or simply Hellenism. Books on Celtic practice go out of print rather quickly, but that doesn't make it a closed practice. In a previous post on the topic of mythos and logos, I discussed the evolution of ancient Greek thought from its origins in imaginative legends about gods to the development of reason, philosophy, and logic. To say that Hellenismos is merely thriskeia would be misleading because Hellenismos is more than just forms and buildings. Paganism has come to refer to any sort of folk religion, and generally speaking, any polytheistic religion from history. Hellenism was the first universal religion, spreading from Spain to Afghanistan. One of their goals is to find and bless ancient temples in Greece. Counteracting Pagan Lies. The religion did not fade into history, however, as there are existing practitioners as well as neopaganistic movements to revive or reconstruct it. The religion lives on well into the 21 st century as Hellenismos, Hellenic Polytheism, Dodekatheism, or Olympianism. According to Dictionary.com, a Pagan is defined as 'one of a people or community observing a polytheistic religion' and ' a member of a religious, spiritual, or cultural community based on the worship of nature'. In the study of ancient Greek history, religion was a cornerstone of understanding their culture. From major holidays to decor, Paganism… Books on Greek pagan practice are hard to find, but that doesn't make it a closed practice. Helena … When one converts to Hellenism, they are not merely adopting certain dogmas, beliefs, and praxis, but are becoming a member of the Hellene ethnos, too. An ancient tradition, it was originally practiced in classical Greece. Another link between Greek religion and other forms of Paganism can be seen by their polytheistic nature. The new religion has little in common with the vicious pagan beliefs that inspired it. The Greek religion, stigmatized as "paganism", the religion of country-folk (pagani) survived only in rural areas as Europe entered into the Dark Ages. It's not a closed practice. Hellenic religion has manifested itself as legal bodies in Greece through Hellenic Ethnic Religion and Ancient Hellenic Religion to name but two. Typically these traditions, sometimes referred to as Kemetic Paganism or Kemetic reconstruction, follow basic principles of Egyptian spirituality such as honoring the Neteru, or deities, and finding a balance between man's needs and the natural world. I took the trouble of translating some selected passages from Greek to English, in order to neutralise some of the Pagan lies and disinformation against the Hellenic people, and also to show you that the term «ethnic Hellene» is much older than the ideological stereotypes of the various spiritual colonialists. Europe is in the midst of a pagan revival. Know more about it … Hellene eventually became a designated term to describe a pagan … The worship of many Gods is linked throughout all of the Pagan religions; Wicca, Druidism, Witchcraft and Neo-Paganism. It had no explicit moral teachings, but, like every human phenomenon, it … For most outsiders, “Pagan” is a single religion. In addition to the revival of Greek, Germanic, and Slavic forms of paganism, there is also an attempt to revive Celtic paganism. There are both reconstructionist Modern Celtic Pagans and syncretic Modern Celtic Pagans who also incorporate Wicca and other traditions into their religion. Hellenistic religion, any of the various systems of beliefs and practices of eastern Mediterranean peoples from 300 bc to ad 300.. This is a group for discussion of the religious practices of the ancient Hellenic world as well as modern religious practices that are in some way based on those. Hellenic Paganism refers to pagans devoted to the Olympian deities. (Beliefs common to pagan or polytheistic groups). To the followers, though, it’s more about connecting to their culture than about believing in ancient myths. Go here to read the 2009 post about the early trials of this group. Reconstructionism “…is a methodology used to build a cohesive belief system revolving around certain/specific ethno-cultural peoples, located in a specific era of time…” I constantly hear many different answers to that. Guest Author April 18, 2017 Archives, Indigenous/Pagan Voice No Comments on Greek Paganism legally recognized as ‘known religion’ in Greece. The recognition of the Greek religion came after it was rejected in 2015. It's a vibrant religion which can draw on a surprising amount of ancient sources. For example, since the Hellenic tradition stretches continuously from before Homer's time (say, 700 BCE), through the Christian era, to the present, there is a larger surviving body of literature, artifacts, history, art and religion from the Hellenic tradition than from any other Western Pagan tradition. Feb 22, 2017 Ian Harvey. I've been devouring Caprica and the Percy Jackson stories and thinking about the Greek myths. Aköí (akoe, ἀκοή; pronounced: ah-koh-EE) Ællinismόs is a way of life, not a faith blindly believed, not a set of doctrines to memorize. Ancient Greek religion, on which modern Hellenism is based, was a thousand-year polytheistic theology void of clergies and sacred texts. Instead, there existed a great deal of variety in forms of worship and belief across the Greek world and over the centuries. Information on Greek/Hellenic Reconstructionist Paganism. In the same year he also says, "The Emperor decreed that those who held Hellenic (i.e. pagan) beliefs should not hold any state office." Hellenism is more than a … ATHENS, Greece – On April 9th, the Supreme Council of Ethnic Hellenes (YSEE), a religious organization working to restore the indigenous religion of Greece, put out a statement saying Greek polytheism has received legal status in Greece.

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