ABSTRACT
While most of the developments in this process happened with representatives from the national churches, the Orthodox Christians in Western Europe also played a role and reflected the progress of pan-Orthodox efforts, which is analysed in the fourth section of this chapter. This includes the more recent criticism of the Paris School, which according to some, argues for a "protestantisation" or a "catholicization" of Orthodoxy, thereby depriving Orthodox Christianity of its religious essence. In particular, the numerous websites with conversion stories repeatedly describe Orthodoxy as a “hidden gem” or an “oasis in the desert of this world”. The ecumenical discourse provides a neat ending point in the discussion of the four interrelated discourses of Orthodox Christians in Western Europe.
