Conversions to Orthodox Christianity by Young Men in the United States: What’s Going On?

A spate of news reports in the last few years has described an apparent trend of young men in the United States joining Orthodox Christian churches. Some reports describe this phenomenon as a turn to a perceived “masculine” form of Christianity; some describe it as a search for discipline or stability; some as a search for a sense of tradition and history. At least some men who convert appear to connect their religious ideas to far-right political views, including pro-Russia perspectives as well as rigid gender norms. This roundtable discussion will bring together scholars to discuss what is happening with this apparent trend of conversions and how it intersects with religion, politics, and gender in the United States. Panelists have expertise in Orthodox Christian theology, ethics, and worship; internet culture and anti-modernism; gender and Orthodox Christianity; political identity and religious conversion; religious history; and ecumenism.