A Theological Commentary on the Idea of 'Greekness' of the Ancient Patriarchate of Jerusalem

Abstract

Two factors account for the difficulty of making a theological commentary on the concept of 'Greekness' in the 'Ancient Patriarchates' in general and in particular in the Patriarchate of Jerusalem: [1] The first factor is the multidimensional nature of any subject relating to the Eastern Patriarchates and thus to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, Among these aspects are economic interests, diplomatic games between at least six governments and three religions, different Christian denominations and various same-faith Christian churches, Greek national interests, local nationalistic claims, and the drawn out history of tensions in each individual Patriarchate. In addition, socio political reorganization, personal ambitions, corruption and theological disagreements are interwoven in such a way that they shape an explosive scenario, where much is at stake for many interests. [2] The second factor is the nature of theological thought. The theological mindset often slips into an epistemological error. It expresses weighty judgments for situations without taking into account the historical conditions, the factors which shape them, or its own notional and historical assumptions. The theological mindset, however, just like any other mindset, is not divine, nor can it view things from out of nowhere to assess objectively the rights and wrongs of each case.