ABSTRACT
This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The religious situation that has concerned us in this book is clearly not as chaotic as the conditions in Beirut that Friedman describes. His account, nevertheless, serves as a useful analogy, pointing to two major themes to which our research has drawn attention: Religious establishments –official or authoritative versions of religious reality –have, to varying degrees, broken down or at least have substantially weakened in influence in the years since World War II, with the relative non-involvement of the post-war generation among the leading indicators of decline. In their place a variety of alternative versions of religious reality have emerged, most of them reflected in the religious or spiritual styles of the post-war generation. In all countries, Greece included, involvement in established religions has eroded as measured by attendance as church services. Membership declines are also evident in most of the countries.
