It is approximated that over 2.38 billion people globally adhere to the Christian faith in all its flavors, according to a 2020 Pew estimation, making it the largest religious group. Out of this number, the Roman Catholic Church and the plethora of Protestant denominations account for approximately over 2 billion people, with roughly 300 billion reportedly following the Eastern Orthodox Church.

While it is generally acknowledged that faith in Christianity has steadily waned in a rapidly advancing and technologically developing West, reports suggest young men in the US and other Western European countries are turning more and more to traditional forms of Christianity choosing to convert to Eastern Orthodoxy. This form of Christianity is considered stricter, demanding a more disciplined path from its followers.

Recently two articles featured in the New York Post and the Telegraph attempted to offer some insight into this trend and explain the phenomenon.

In a piece titled “Young, single men are leaving traditional churches. They found a more ‘masculine’ alternative”, The Telegraph highlights the appeal to young single men who “are flocking to the Orthodox church after discovering the “masculine” Christian religion through online influencers.”

The piece continues by claiming many coverts are drawn to the denomination because they are disillusioned by what they call “the ‘feminization’ of the Protestant church and were attracted to the “authenticity” of Orthodoxy, which they claim pushes them physically and mentally.

“Priests are now planning to open new parishes to accommodate the “tsunami” of young men who have converted since the pandemic”, the article notes about converts in the U.S.

As it explains many of the new converts were exposed to the Orthodox Church by watching YouTube videos or listening to podcasts during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns.

According to The Telegraph, 2022 experienced an 80% surge in Orthodox converts in 15 states in America compared to the pre-pandemic levels, based on data from a 2023 survey by the Orthodox Studies Institute of Orthodox clergy.

Roughly six out of ten of these converts were men who found the “masculine” character of the church, which puts emphasis on denial and pushing yourself physically appealing.
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During liturgies in most Eastern Orthodox Churches, worshippers are required to stand, in some cases for over 2 hours straight. Strict fasting intervals over a liturgical calendar can reach over 2 months.

Worshippers must stand for long services, which can last upwards of five hours. They must fast, too, sometimes for up to 40 days.

This, some felt, was in stark contrast to other religious denominations where they felt the church had been “feminized”.

The New York Post, in an article titled “Young men leaving traditional churches for ‘masculine’ Orthodox Christianity in droves”, which includes photos of a recent convert from Virginia in front of his many Orthodox icons on his house wall, writes the constantly changing Protestant churches was one the reasons that draw men to the Orthodox Church.

As the piece writes, the constant modernization of the Protestant Churches with varying traditions being left behind, including “swapping out the robed choir for a worship band” pushed many over to the “East”.

The trend of Protestants “moving eastward” has not gone unnoticed by various Protestant leaders and pastors prompting many apologists to seek ways to stem the tide by informing their flock on ways to counter the allure of this ancient, and often mysterious in the eyes of Americans form of Christianity.

with info from the Telegraph and NYPost