In the latest episode of “Explaining Greece”, we speak with Effie Foka, a senior fellow at the Athens-based Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), as well as a research associate for the London School of Economics – Hellenic Observatory. Prof. Fokas also teaches politics at the American College of Greece – Deree.

On the occasion of a major Aug. 15 religious holiday in Greece, which commemorates the Dormition of the Virgin Mary on the Orthodox Christian ecclesiastical calendar, Prof. Fokas delves into the relationship between the Orthodox Church, the modern Greek state and the Greek Orthodox faithful.

Fokas notes that the major August religious holiday is not the only one in Greece intertwined with a national dimension, with the most notable example being March 25, which is annually celebrated as the commencement of the Greek War of Independence in 1821 and coincides with the Feast of the Annunciation.

“The secular and the religious overlap,” is one of her statements.

Fokas also touches on the issue of religious education in Greek public schools and the Church’s standing vis-à-vis the state and its institutions, as well as its position in the country’s national identity.

She also touches on how prevalent the concept of being “vicariously religious” is in Greek society, and debates about Church-state relations.

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