St. Pachomius Library

Zoë Brotherhood

A Greek Orthodox organization, founded in the early XX Century by Fr. Eusebius Matthopoulos and to some extent perhaps modeled on the Roman Catholic active orders. Its members, though usually either priests or celibate, are not necessarily monks. The Brotherhood established many schools and other organizations and has been credited by some with revitalizing the Greek Church; its popular youth movement was imitated with great success in other Orthodox countries. In the 1960s, however, there were serious internal conflicts, resulting in the creation of a new brotherhood called Soter in 1963. The Zoë Brotherhood was also attacked as Westernizing and "pietistic" by some prominent younger theologians, including Christos Yannaras, and after 1967 it developed close ties to the regime of the Colonels which proved damaging when that dictatorship fell.
Many important Greek liturgical and other texts, including the Holy Bible in Greek as used by the Church, are available most easily or even exclusively from Zoë's publishing house.
Norman Hugh Redington

ABOUT:
- Fr. Eusebius Stephanou: The Unsung Heroes of Renewal. Emphasises continuity with the teachings of controversial (and in fact excommunicated) XIX Century theologian Apostolos Makrakis. Read with caution: the author is a Charismatic but canonical Greek Orthodox priest, who sides strongly with Makrakis. Does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Zoë itself. --- St. Symeon Renewal Ministry

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