What is Hellenismos?
Hellenismos, as originally intended, means the belief system of the Greeks, but even in the modern usage (which may be more appropriately Hellenism), refers to the character, thought, culture, and ethical system of ancient Greece. Modern Hellenismos is a religious movement that attempts to reconstruct the ancient polytheistic religion of ancient Greece in a modern context.
Where does the term “Hellenismos” come from?
The term was first coined by Emperor Julian the Faithful (Flavius Claudius Iulianus) in the Fourth Century of the Current Era. He was the first to attempt to restore the Greek religion, but that attempt was cut short when he was killed less than three years into his reign.
What is “Reconstructionism”?
Reconstructionism is a methodology for reconstructing an ancient religion, not a religion in and of itself. It uses the best, most reliable information, from both primary and secondary sources, and where evidence is lacking will make scholarly comparisons to similar religions and cultures (both living and dormant) to infer the most plausible beliefs and practices.
Is everyone who worships the Greek gods today a practitioner of Hellenismos or a Reconstructionist?
No, absolutely not. Hellenismos is a specific religion based not only on the worship of the Greek Gods, but is based on the history, character, thought, culture, and ethical system of ancient Greece. Ancient Greece is the foundation of the religion. Hellenismos is not simply the worship of the ancient Greek Gods, “using” their names for the names of the Goddess and God of Neopagan religions, or injecting them into some magical system. This does not imply that there is a single, uniform theology, but it does state that we all draw from the same information. It also means that we do not eclectically blend religious practices and concepts together with the expectation of it still being Hellenismos.
How does one become a member of your religion?
Nothing more than to have an earnest desire to honor the Gods in a traditional manner, and begin practicing. There are no initiations, no obligatory dedication ceremonies, and no secret or esoteric knowledge required.
Christianity has ‘great moral messages,’ what does your religion offer?
Hellenismos has a strong moral message, but unlike Christianity, it is not focused on condemning individual personal behavior or controlling a personal lifestyle. We have an ethical system that uses rational thought and the virtues of temperance, prudence, fortitude, and justice to ensure that one does the right thing, at the right time, and for the right reason. It is with moderation that passions and desires are controlled so that choices are not purely self-gratifying and selfish indulgences, but are truly advantageous actions.
What is the source of your beliefs? What are your Holy Texts, and do you have scriptures?
We do not have a bible, or scriptures that are seen as the true “Word of God.” Our sacred texts are the sum total of all surviving ancient Greek works. Our myths are typically seen as tools to proclaim the existence of the Gods to all, but the stories are allegories for finding greater knowledge and are not to be taken as literal history or as literal descriptions of the Gods’ actions.
What do you believe about the divine?
While there is not an absolute, uniform theology, and no hard fast doctrine to dictate beliefs, generally speaking, we believe the Divine (some call the Good, others the Source, even others the One) is beyond all beings, and is the summit of the Cosmos. It is all-inclusive, existing before both the Heavens and Earth. It functions everywhere unhindered, is incorporeal and changeless, and is the source of all spirit, matter, and of all created things.
Who and What are the Gods?
The Gods are those that make the world be, that animate it, harmonize it, and keep it. They control and maintain the complete ordered and harmonious system of the Cosmos.
How many Gods do you have, twelve?
This becomes a rather complicated question. In short, the totality of all things makes up a multiplicity of a single ultimate thing, the One. The One contains all time, all space, all intelligence, and all spirit. It is all-inclusive, and functions everywhere unhindered yet without diminishing diversity or individuality. The One is seen as the source of all spirit, matter, and of all created things.
In a closed-system (the One being that system and containing all things) it is an implausibility for there to exist an infinite number of things. By containing all things, the One is itself infinity. A thing that is contained cannot be infinite. Therefore, while it is possible for the total number of Gods to be innumerable, there can only ever exist a finite number. We can then reason the total number of Gods is both finite and innumerable.
The Twelve refers to the Twelve Olympian Gods, or Dodekatheon, who are considered the supreme Cosmic Gods. There can be slight variations, but the twelve most recognized are Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Demeter, and Hestia. We can reason these twelve are in primary possession of the world, and can consider all other Gods are contained within or divisions of these.
What other beings do Hellenists honor?
Hellenists can choose to honor from a long list of Gods, Demigods, Daimons, Heroes, and spirits including ancestors and local nature divinities.
Are you therefore Polytheists?
The simple definitions of polytheist, monotheist, and pantheist are inadequate to describe the concepts of Hellenismos, or most naturally evolved religions for that matter. Many have concluded that all things that exist are products of, contained within, and reflections of a single divine source. The Gods, existing at a higher level of reality, exist at a higher level of unity with that source. This unity allows for the distinctiveness of an individual in such a way that it does not conflict with diversity and individual expression. Therefore, since the Gods do exist as individual and distinct beings, polytheism can be said to be the best word to describe Hellenismos.
What is the dogma of Hellenismos?
Hellenismos has no absolute or strict dogma, but Hellenismos can be identified by a basic theology and the use of and adherence to specific traditions, sacred texts, and mythology. Personal theologies will differ slightly from person to person, and Hellenismos tends to be more an abstract set of ideas and values developed both through personal and communal experiences, with an emphasis on the qualitative value of the practical, emotional, insightful, and ethical, rather than a formal doctrine.
Does Hellenismos engage in proselytizing?
No, absolutely not.
Do you want to replace the one God of the monotheists with many Gods?
We want to be able to exercise our freedom of religion, worshiping and practicing what we believe to be true. There is no intent to replace any other religion with our own, but if it happens then it happens. We do not work to replace the one God of the monotheists in the hearts and minds of those who believe that, but we do not work to protect that either.
Are you idolaters? If you aren’t, then how do you justify the use of statues in your worship?
No, we are not idolaters. Idolatry is the worship of an image, idea, or object as opposed to the worship of an actual God or Goddess. For Hellenic worshipers, statues and images of the Gods are not the Gods themselves. We do not worship idols. Statues are a focal point to direct worship, and some believe that during prayer and other forms of worship the divinities will inspirit the statue themselves. Regardless, idolatry is a major offense in the Abrahamic religions and the tenets of those faiths do not affect our worshiping style.
Are you Pagans?
The most common use of the word pagan is to mean a person who is not Christian, Muslim, or Jew. We do meet that definition, but many Hellenists do not self-identify as Pagan and some will take great offence to being called Pagan. There are two reasons for this. The first is the original use of the word by Christian was a slur, insinuating that those who held to the old ways were uneducated and unsophisticated country bumpkins. The second reason is a wish to not be too closely associated with the New Age Neopagan religions, which are often eclectic and lack historical and cultural perspective.
Some make fun of Hellenismos by referring to the immoral practices of the Gods in myth. How do you respond to this?
It should not be surprising when crude people interpret myth according to their own coarse and limited ability. Myth is intended to stimulate the mind and soul. Those actions clearly exist in myth for the soul to recognize as absurd. Myths are veils, and the truth of the Gods is hidden. Those who wish to know the Gods must make an effort.
There are some who insist that the ancient Greeks were in fact monotheists.
Some people just cannot wrap their minds around Hellenic spiritual concepts, but others distort ancient Greek concepts in an attempt to validate their own monotheistic beliefs. Of the latter, it is most common that they know full well the truth, and are intentionally engaging in deceit. They have no shame in lying. They believe that any method to bring people to their God, that is successful, will be rewarded.
Does Hellenismos have a ‘professional’ priesthood?
While there can be those in an official role as priest, no professional priesthood stands between worshipers and the Gods. A priest, within Hellenismos, is not a “holy man,” and the office is not one that requires any unusual qualifications or any requisite for a priest or priestess to have a special education or esoteric knowledge. In fact, the family handles most rites of passage such as welcoming ceremonies, weddings, and funerals. The head of the household is the family’s priest. The priests in Hellenismos have a restricted function in the religious life of practitioners, and anyone can petition the Gods or perform sacrifices.
What happens at a typical worship service?
The basic ritual, typically performed outdoors, is a relatively straightforward structure. It many times will include a procession, hymns, prayers, offerings, and a communal meal.
Can women become priestesses?
Yes. Typically, priests are assigned to Gods and priestesses are assigned to Goddesses, but it is not rare for the opposite to occur. There are also no specific restrictions on age, gender, education, social status, or anything else except those limits placed on the office by individual temples or groups, and based on the needs of the God or Goddess.
Where do you worship?
Many rituals are performed outdoors, even those performed at home, though it is not uncommon for rituals to be performed indoors.
Do you sacrifice animals?
I am not aware of any modern practitioners who are performing a literal animal sacrifice at this time, though many are not opposed to the idea if proper training and methods are used. Religious sacrifice is legal in the US, and was upheld by the US Supreme Court in 1993 with the case “Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah” (508 U.S. 520).
What holidays do modern Hellenists celebrate?
There are too many to list in total here. Festival calendars can be localized and each temple, cult, or organization may include modern festivals in addition to incorporating ancient ones.
Do you celebrate rites of passage and life cycle events?
Yes. We have Welcomings for newborns, Coming of Age rites for adolescents, Weddings, Funerals and other rituals to mark important times in a person’s life.
How does Hellenismos view Christianity?
Hellenismos takes no official stand on Christianity.
What is your understanding of the Bible?
The Bible is the sacred text of Christianity. We view it as we view the myths from any other religion. It ultimately has no bearing on how we worship or what we believe.
What about Jesus?
The historical Jesus was most likely a Jewish reformer, and no different than any other person claiming to be the Jewish Messiah during the time period he supposedly lived. The debate over whether Jesus was an actual person or not has no bearing on how we worship or what we believe.
Are you Satanists?
No. Satan has no place within the Hellenic world. Attempts by other religions to paint Hellenic Gods and Goddesses as devils and demons are slanderous.
How, specifically, does Hellenismos differ from Wicca?
There is no real link between Hellenismos and Wicca (or any other form of modern Occultism, Esotericism, Neopaganism, and New Ageism) other than each being non-Abrahamic. They are not linked with any form of shared ethical code, set of practices, core values, institutions, common traditions and rituals, recognized sacred texts, or history. Religions that share some closer link with Hellenismos include many Reconstructionist religions such as the Asatru, Religio Romana, Romuva, Celtic Recon, and some other indigenous religions.
How do Hellenists view the Gods of other religions? Can one be a Hellenist and worship Gods outside the pantheon?
The Greeks believed that everyone, everywhere worshiped the Greek Gods, just by different names and through different myths, but that the Greek Gods were the most perfect representation of the Gods. Having said that, there is nothing to preclude anyone from worshiping any God that they choose, and there are those, who are multi-religious. The caveat to that is one does not eclectically blend practices, pantheons, and beliefs with the claim that what one is still practicing is Hellenismos. Worshiping Gods outside the pantheon is generally seen as ok, as long as they are being worshiped in their own context.
Is Hellenismos an ethnic religion? Must one be ethnically Greek to practice it?
Most Hellenics identify Hellenismos as culturally specific, not ethnically specific. Therefore, there is no demand that a person be Greek. The only requirement is to have an earnest desire to honor the Gods, and to actually worship in a traditional style.
Is magic(k) part of Hellenismos?
No. Hellenismos is not a “magical religion.” Magic(k) as a form of ritualism based on an irreligious concept of causation, whether or not it evolves from superstition, pseudoscience, or the use of fuzzy logic. These acts are seen as predominately unethical and unjust practices seeking power or wealth through the manipulation of the “supernatural.” Magic clearly has no place in any practice based on, or inspired by, the Ancient Greek religion. Some practices, such as mysticism, divination, and shamanistic healing, have become mislabeled as magic by outsiders, but things such as spellcraft, sorcery, and other forms of forced manipulation are seen as impious and/or hubris. There are those who attempt to make the argument that because magic obviously existed within ancient Greek culture that it is acceptable within Hellenismos, but it had no part within the religion, and was rejected by Hellenic society.
