Singing an Old Song in a New Land: Orthodox Christian Churches in the Twenty-First Century America

Abstract

Orthodox Christianity in America exists in cultural, religious, and social environments which are different from the “Old Lands” of Orthodoxy, where more homogeneous religious demography gave rise to presumptive religious identity. In contrast, the historically established American tradition of religious pluralism, in combination with an ever-expanding smorgasbord of religious options, force most churches to compete to retain or gain adherents. This has numerous implications for how Orthodox Church life in the U.S. is organized.

Based on a number of original studies conducted by the author from 2010 to 2018, this chapter, first, focuses on the administrative structure, geography, parish, monastery and membership data on various U.S. Orthodox Churches. Secondly, the author explains the ongoing changes in Orthodox Church membership (influx of new immigrants, growing number of American converts to Orthodoxy, increasing number of religiously mixed families). Third, the strength of ethnic culture and identity in U.S. Orthodox Churches is explored. Fourth, the author discusses the major (non-theological) differences between American Orthodox parishes and Protestant congregations. Finally, the chapter discusses the possible future developments and adaptations by U.S. Orthodox Churches to the mainstream American cultural and religious environment.