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What is Hellenism?

paarsurrey

Veteran Member
What are their core beliefs? Please
How many denominations it has.
Regards
 
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paarsurrey

Veteran Member
The most I know of (though I am not a Hellenist) are Hellenic Reconstructionism and Orphism
What one understand from Hellenic Reconstructionism, and Hellenic Orphism? Are these one or are these different denomination of Hellnesim?
Please give one's own understanding rather than the academic one?
Regards
 

Kirran

Premium Member
Pagan religions were often not so distinctly subdivided as those later religions which have more of their basis in doctrine, so to talk about denominations of Hellenic religion must be done with a pinch of salt.
 

Kirran

Premium Member
It can relate to any aspect of Greek Culture really whether that's philosophy, religion, literature or whatever.

I suppose the distinctions between these fields is in many cases a modern phenomenon, or at least an Abrahamic one.
 

The Emperor of Mankind

Currently the galaxy's spookiest paraplegic
Hellenism religion, if it is a religion. Please
Regards

It's the worship of the ancient Greek gods. Some people are reconstructionists i.e. they try to reconstruct the ancient Greek religion as historically accurately as possible while making as few allowances for modern society as possible. Some practitioners aren't reconstructionists and don't see the need to be slaves to history (I'm one of them). I won't do something just because the ancients did it.

I've even seen the term 'Hellenism' associated with reconstructing specifically the Greek religion as it was practised during the period in history when Greece was under Roman control. That was only once, mind you.
 
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Kirran

Premium Member
I suppose it also refers to ways of looking at things more broadly, i.e. cultural lenses and so forth. So you get Hellenised Jews who approach their Judaism from a Hellenic mindset.
 

paarsurrey

Veteran Member
It can relate to any aspect of Greek Culture really whether that's philosophy, religion, literature or whatever.
Well, my interest is religion, primarily.
Any clues to it.
Why Hellenism is called Paganism, if they have no difference and no distinct beginning/creeds? Please
Anybody, please
Regards
 

1AOA1

Active Member
It's the worship of the ancient Greek gods. Some people are reconstructionists i.e. they try to reconstruct the ancient Greek religion as historically accurate as possible while making as few allowances for modern society as possible. Some practitioners aren't reconstructionists and don't see the need to be slaves to history (I'm one of them). I won't do something just because the ancients did it.
"It's the worship of the ancient Greek gods. Some people are reconstructionists i.e. they try to reconstruct the ancient Greek religion as historically accurate as possible while making as few allowances for modern society as possible. Some practitioners aren't reconstructionists and don't see the need to be slaves to history (I'm one of them). I won't do something just because the ancients did it."

How does one practice Greek?
Some people are reconstructionists i.e. they try to reconstruct the ancient Greek religion as historically accurate as possible while making as few allowances for modern society as possible. Some practitioners aren't reconstructionists and don't see the need to be slaves to history
Are they slaves to the reconstructionist lifestyle or to that of a non-reconstructionist historian?
I won't do something just because the ancients did it.
It is worth noting that though someone is called an ancient, it is only a part of their characteristics that cumulatively contribute.
 

The Kilted Heathen

Crow FreyjasmaðR
What one understand from Hellenic Reconstructionism, and Hellenic Orphism? Are these one or are these different denomination of Hellnesim?

As Scotsman mentioned, the Reconstructionists try to recreate the ancient worship as best they can. Orphics are more flexible in their ritual, and do things more modernly. They are both divisions of Hellenic Paganism, or Hellenism.

Why Hellenism is called Paganism,

Anymore, the definition of "Pagan(ism)" has been changed. Or rather, it's in the process of being changed, but it's the lingo that we use. Paganism overall is (generally) modern revivals of pre-Christian cultural beliefs of Europe. This includes Greek, Roman, Germanic, Norse, Celtic, Slavic, and Uralic beliefs, and is mostly determined on which cultures self-identify as Pagan. For example, while they are commonly included under the umbrella, Kemeticists (Egyptian polytheism) don't generally consider themselves Pagan.

Formerly, the term was Neopagan - I noticed that we have that section on this forum. For myself I never liked that term, as it sounded odd. I would use Contemporary Paganism more often, but anymore we all use "Paganism" as the regular, and refer to the past as ancient Paganism, arch-Paganism, or even just "the old ways."
 

The Emperor of Mankind

Currently the galaxy's spookiest paraplegic
Well, my interest is religion, primarily.
Any clues to it.
Why Hellenism is called Paganism, if they have no difference and no distinct beginning/creeds? Please
Anybody, please
Regards

Hellenism (relating to the religion) comes under the Pagan umbrella because it has features commonly associated with Pagan religions - features that still exist in Pagan religions such as Shinto. These include but are not limited to:
  • Reverence for nature and life;
  • The perception that divinities (spirits, gods etc) are immanent in the Universe rather than existing independently of it;
  • The presence of polytheist & animist elements of practice;
  • A distinction between domestic & communal worship;
  • Religious practises differing on a regional basis. The ancient city-states didn't hold all the same gods on similar levels of importance. I.e. the chief deity of Athens was Athena; of Eleusis, Demeter. That said, it wasn't a case of a city only worshipping that god in isolation because they still existed in a polytheistic context.
  • Emphasis placed on the concept of reciprocity;
  • Emphasis placed on developing relationships between gods/spirits & mortals;
  • Veneration of ancestral spirits;
  • Festival calenders

I'll add more to this list later.


"It's the worship of the ancient Greek gods. Some people are reconstructionists i.e. they try to reconstruct the ancient Greek religion as historically accurate as possible while making as few allowances for modern society as possible. Some practitioners aren't reconstructionists and don't see the need to be slaves to history (I'm one of them). I won't do something just because the ancients did it."

How does one practice Greek?

I just told you. If you want a more detailed explanation then I'd recommend books like KHARIS: Hellenic Polytheism Explored and others. @DavidMcCann could you help me out with a list, please?

Are they slaves to the reconstructionist lifestyle or to that of a non-reconstructionist historian?

I'm not really sure what a "reconstructionist lifestyle" is since they're just rebuilding the religion, not the culture it grew up in and no, not really. Recons tend to study contemporary sources like Homer, Hesiod & others for clues as to what was offered to various gods and how the rituals & processions took place. So not much use for non-recon historians there. They tend to only incorporate something into their religious practise if it can be attested as something the ancient Greeks did.

It is worth noting that though someone is called an ancient, it is only a part of their characteristics that cumulatively contribute.

To be clear, I wasn't using 'ancients' as a derogatory term.
 
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