Religions 2: What is Greek Religion? Recap of last class (questions) Compare Greek religion with Christianity in the modern West (say, Canada); what are the differences? Are these differences found in other religions today? Theory Chapter 1

Characteristics Greek religion Not monolithic > dynamic, i.e. changes in place and time Embeddedness in society Polytheism Gods interconnected Here and now Oral Patriarchal No important religious class

Ad 1: embeddeness - Returned in all segments of society - No division between Church and state - No division between ‘sacred’ and ‘profane’ Both private and public (most of it communal) ERGO > no word for ‘religion’! No word for ‘atheist’ (someone who does not believe in god): gods are everywhere, so irrelevant 5th century BCE: atheos = ‘lack of relations with the gods’/’distanced from the gods’

Words that cover the ‘sacred’ Hieros: everything that has to do with god and sanctuaries; e.g. hieron = temple; hiereus = priest Hagnos: gods: awesome; men: ritually pure Hosios: ‘permitted or pleasing to the gods’, could also have moral meaning: ‘morally permitted’ Hagios: not delimitating (like hieros): used for temples, rites and mysteries E.g. hiera kai hosia ‘correct ritual behaviour and (moral) treatment of other people’

Ad 2: polytheism Religious system in which each deity had its role: all gods needed to be revered No worship of one god: e.g. Hippolytos No conversion Greek term for piety = eusebeia, ‘revere in a good way’; asebeia: breaking ancestral rites, e.g. temple robbery; killing; holding improper ideas (e.g. Socrates); closer to ‘impiety’ Ancient religions inclusive, but were not necessarily more tolerant than monotheistic ones!

Ad 3: interconnected Gods always close by, so if you overstep boundaries you will be punished (e.g. Aktaion) Overstepping of boundaries = pollution; e.g. incest (e.g. Oedipus), cannibalism; needs purification Systematic thinking about life after death becomes only central among Christian theologians

Ad 4: here and now ‘underworld’ (Tartaros, Elysian Fields) existed from early on and philosophers speculated about death Long development > II-III p. mystery cults promise ‘salvation’

Ad 5: oral No sacred book, no credo, commandments etc. Traditions transmitted orally Explains centrality of religious practices, ‘rituals’, which are accompanied by words

Ad 6: patriarchal Male dominated Males had dominant position in religious realm (unless female priest); participation in festivals only under guidance of male

Ad 7: no religious class No institution ‘Greek priesthood’ (only perhaps priests at major sanctuaries); priests attached to individual cults Cf. imams, rabbis, Christian priests; no caste (Hinduism/Buddhism) Religious specialists: priests, seers (divination), poets (divine inspiration)