The Orthodox Church in America: The Role of Conversion

Join Professor Lydia Bringerud for a stimulating discussion on religious conversion and the role it has played in the growth of the Eastern Orthodox Church in the US. Orthodox Christianity is the 2^ndlargest Christian church in the world with over 250 million members. Yet its presence in North America is less obvious, outside of occasional media appearances like My Big Fat Greek Wedding. 

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How did conversion help to grow the church in America, and how do those who convert negotiate the cultural values of their upbringing with the received messages of their new faith? As one of the oldest religious institutions in the world, Orthodox Christianity features prominently in the history and cultures of Eastern Europe, Northeast Africa, Greece and Turkey, the Caucasus and the Middle East.

Professor Bringerud is a Ph.D. candidate in Folklore at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Her research explores cultural relationships between converts and Orthodox-born immigrants. She studies how converts and immigrants alike reconcile an ancient faith’s historical and cultural traditions, understandings of sex and gender, and the forces of globalization with their experiences.