People of Greece

Olympic gold will shine on Mount Olympus in 2004 as the nations of the world once again gather in Athens, Greece. During the reign of Alexander the Great, Greece was the center of the known world, providing the world with Hellenistic logic, Plato, Aristotle, marathons and the gymnasium.

Olympic visitors to Greece will find the Greeks to be well aware of a strong historical and cultural heritage. Traditions and customs differ throughout Greece, but overall a strong sense of unity prevails. The Greek Orthodox Church has a strong traditional influence on the Greek way of life, especially in more rural areas, and Christianity is part of the national heritage.

Although the Greek language was used to translate the Old Testament Scriptures and then to record the apostles’ original writings, Greece needs the gospel today as much as the unreached peoples of the world. Though home to the ancient Greek Orthodox Church in Constantinople (Istanbul), Greece has few who understand the gospel of faith alone by grace alone and few Greeks have a living relationship with Christ. There are about twenty thousand evangelical Christians in the country— just two tenths of one percent of the 10 million citizens.

Sources: TripodAdvisor.com, Hellenic Ministries