Ecumenism, Neo-Idolatry and the New Age

PART 1: ECUMENISM AND THE NEW AGE

Presentation at the Inter-Orthodox Theological Conference on "Ecumenism: Genesis - Expectations - Disappointments," Thessaloniki, September 20-24, 2004, Ceremony Hall, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

In this presentation, we will demonstrate a close relationship or causal link between the so-called New Age and Ecumenism. We will try to explain that Ecumenism, or the Ecumenical movement as it is otherwise known, is part of the broader phenomenon, movement, or syndrome, if you will, of the New Age.

First of all, we assume that our audience has a basic awareness of what the New Age, the New World Order, and Globalisation are, on the one hand, and what Ecumenism is, on the other hand.

To put it briefly, the New Age is a global movement that claims humanity receives a new mediator every 2,000 years, bringing new truths to the earth. Therefore, according to this theory, the era of Christ and Christianity has passed, and now we are waiting for the mediator of the New Age, or the Age of Aquarius, who will be both a political leader uniting humanity and a religious figure uniting religions.

A New World Order, therefore, at a political-economic level and a New World Order at a religious level are the two main objectives of the so-called New Age. Globalisation, which we hear so much about, is directly linked to these two goals. The designers of the New World Order aim to break down boundaries, not only of states and their economies but also of cultures and religions, through cultural globalisation, that is, through a cultural homogenisation - levelling down (adopting by-products of the American way of life), to make this union more certain and permanent.

On the other hand, Ecumenism or the Ecumenical movement is defined as organised efforts aimed, as the pioneers of Ecumenism themselves declare, at the reunification of divided Christians. The timeframe of this movement spans the entire twentieth century, with a primary focus on its second half. It is important to emphasise that already from the 1970s, the ecumenical vision and aim are not limited only to the union of Christian denominations (Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants, Non-Chalcedonians) but also extend to the world's religions, initially focusing on so-called monotheistic ones (Christianity, Judaism, Islam) to later expand to others (Hinduism, Buddhism, etc.). Thus, we have moved from Christian syncretism (for that is what it is) to interfaith syncretism. It is characteristic of the statement by Patriarch Athenagoras, the rector of Ecumenism, that "through the unity of the Churches, we move towards a universal humanity." And of the former Archbishop of America, Iakovos, "The WCC is progressing towards the realisation of its goal through the synthesis of cultures, religions, and peoples."

PART 2: NEO-IDOLATRY AND THE NEW AGE

Presentation at the Scientific Conference on the topic "Phenomena of Neopaganism. Hellenism - Underestimation of the Old Testament - Olympic Games," Thessaloniki, May 25-27, 2003, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Ceremonial Hall.

In the multifaceted confusion that plagues humanity in our time, there has been a gradual revival of ancient religions over the last fifteen years.

This phenomenon is not only Greek. It is global. Its pioneers aspire "to provide the elements for the creation of a new human identity..." as well as a "new national identity." They present the ancient religion as the only one capable of expressing the ancient soul and the Greek ideal.