Orthodox Christianity in the United States: A challenge for the study of American religion

Abstract

Arguably one of the oldest forms of Christianity, with a global population of more than 260 million adherents, Orthodox Christianity is a major religious system, with networks of believers on almost every continent. However, within the study of American religion, as well as most of the social sciences and humanities (not including theology), Orthodoxy has received minimal research and interest. The broad omission of Orthodoxy from the history of American religions pushes a question to the fore: Why are some forms of Christianity at the very edge of our academic topography?This article explores existing literature on Orthodox Christianity in the United States, looking at issues between emic and etic studies, notions of Eastern Christian alterity, and the rise in new research at the intersection of contemporary social issues, Orthodox theology, and religious practice. In doing so, this article draws out how Orthodoxy provides rich American religious histories tied to global politics, immigration, and nationalism, while also prompting us to reconfigure how we study religion in the United States.