01: The Free Monks, the first Orthodox rock band in Greece, have gained a national following as they mix modern and traditional messages and styles.
The group of black-robed monks from the Brothers of St. Augustine is criticized by some traditional elements of the Greek Orthodox Church for its use of rock music, MTV style clips and promotion over the media and Internet. But much of the group’s message reflects current religious and political trends and concerns within Greek Orthodoxy. Their songs’ lyrics range from Christian messages to addressing social and personal problems, as well as expressing nationalist sentiments linking Orthodoxy and Greece together.
There is also a use of anti-globalization language, which links globalization and technology to the intrusion of European religious and political influence in to Greece.
(Source: paper presented by Lina Molokotos-Liederman at the recent Association for the Sociology of Religion conference. The Free Monk’s website is:http://www.freemonks.gr)