ABSTRACT

This chapter examines the relationship between secularization, external threat perceptions and nationalist mobilization in the discourse of the Greek Orthodox and the Irish Catholic Churches. It distinguishes between the ways in which the dominant Churches in Greece and Ireland react to secularizing processes in their discourse. Official Church discourse in Greece is constructed around a narrative that stresses the perils of extinction facing the Greek nation, should the latter loosen its bond with the Orthodox faith. The chapter compares the way in which the two churches have reacted to periods of crises and confrontation with the state, including the Greek Identity Cards Crisis and the Church scandals that broke out in Ireland and Greece. It breaks down church discourse in two main categories: historical focus—examining the emphasis on historical events that illustrate the religion-nation bond; and contemporary focus, examining the portrayal of current threats that the Greek nation is facing.