Becoming Protestant: Greek Orthodox Responses to Conversion in 19th-Century Ottoman Anatolia

Year 2018, Issue: 21, 331 - 362, 01.06.2018

Merih Erol

Abstract

During the nineteenth century, through American missionaries’ efforts, some, albeit a small portion, of the Greek Orthodox subjects of the Ottoman sultan adopted Protestantism. This article explores various incidents of libel and violence, and the punishments of exile or banishment which the Greek Protestants faced. This study is mainly based on the official documentation at the Prime Ministry Ottoman Archives, and to a lesser extent, on the annual reports of the missionary organization, the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. The article investigates the disputes between the Orthodox and the Protestant Greeks Rum in various parts of Anatolia, namely Izmir, Bursa, Burdur, Adana, and Ordu.

Keywords

Religious conversion, Greek Protestants, American Board, Protestant millet, 19th-century Ottoman Anatolia

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