ST. NIKODIMOS, THE RUDDER, THE KOLLYVADES, AND THE RELIGIOUS COMPONENT OF REVOLUTONARY GREEK NATIONALISM: SELF-DEFINITION BY REFERENCE TO “THE OTHER”

William J. Chriss, University of Texas

Abstract

Historically, τό Πηδάλιον (The Rudder) of St. Nikodimos has been the primary canon law book used by the Greek Orthodox Church. It is conservative and exclusivist in outlook, particularly with respect to the status of non-Orthodox Christians, which it portrays as questionable. This article discusses The Rudder’s provisions dealing with the baptisms and sacraments of non-Orthodox Christians. More particularly, the theological and cultural attitudes that produced these provisions are analyzed in the context of the growth of Greek nationalism in the late eighteenth century. This study concludes that the xenophobic insularity characteristic of The Rudder was not theologically required, but rather represents a doctrinal choice between alternative formulations. That choice was determined more by the political and economic actions of Italian Christians than by theological considerations or the rule of the Ottoman Empire. The resulting system of church regulations and its accompanying ethos contributed to the development of Hellenic nationalism in the period just before the Greek Revolution.