The Greek Orthodox Church: A Unique Cultural and Social Environment

In the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans, the Orthodox Church rooted in Greek tradition constitutes perhaps the most basic feature of people’s cultural identity. That is to say, religion is the connecting link uniting populations to this very day, binding them into a single milieu (the Byzantine commonwealth). Moreover, religious allegiance is a reference point for tradition and art, with significant outcomes in the political sphere. The concept of cultural identity in this geographical area is incomprehensible without referring to the influence of the Greek Orthodox Church. The significance of this Church in the Eastern Mediterranean, particularly for Greece, can be understood through the prism of societal structures inherited from ancient Greek and Judeo-Christian patterns. While shaping a geopolitical consciousness and observing global developments, the Greek Orthodox Church currently plays a significant role in the area of cultural geography, among others, in both the Middle EastMiddle East and the BalkansBalkans, as well as in those parts of the world where the Greek-Orthodox diaspora exists and develops, and in the areas where missionary work goes on. In particular, the Greek Church (Ecumenical Patriarchate and Church of Greece) is engaged in reinforcing human relationships and connecting Greeks everywhere with their homeland.