The Great Powers and Orthodox Christendom Histories of the Sacred and the Secular 1 700– 2000 General Editor: Professor David Nash (Oxford Brookes University, UK) Editorial Board: Professor Callum Brown (Dundee University, UK) Professor William Gibson (Oxford Brookes University, UK) Dr Carole Cusack (Sydney University, Australia) Professor Beverley Clack (Oxford Brookes University, UK), Dr Bert Gasenbeek (Humanist University, Utrecht, Netherlands) Professor Paul Harvey (University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, USA) This series reflects the awakened and expanding profile of the history of r eligion within the academy in recent years. It intends publishing exciting new and high quality work on the history of religion and belief since 1700 and will encourage the production of interdisciplinary proposals and the use of innovative methodologies. The series will also welcome book proposals on the history of Atheism, Secularism, Humanism and unbelief/secularity and to encourage research agendas in this area alongside those in religious belief. The series will be happy to reflect the work of new scholars entering the field as well as the work of established scholars. The series welcomes proposals covering subjects in Britain, Europe, the United States and Oceana. Titles include: John Wolffe (editor) IRISH RELIGIOUS CONFLICT IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE Catholics, Protestants and Muslims Clive D. Field BRITAIN’S LAST RELIGIOUS REVIVAL? Quantifying Belonging, Behaving and Believing in the Long 1950s Jane Platt THE ANGLICAN PARISH MAGAZINE 1859– 1929 Jack Fairey THE GREAT POWERS AND ORTHODOX CHRISTENDOM The Crisis over the Eastern Church in the Era of the Crimean War Histories of the Sacred and the Secular 1 700- 2 000 Series Standing Order ISBN 978- 1- 137- 3 2800- 7 (Hardback ) (outside North America only) You can receive future titles in this series as they are published by placing a standing order. Please contact your bookseller or, in case of difficulty, write to us at the address below with your name and address, the title of the series and the ISBN quoted above. The Great Powers and Orthodox Christendom The Crisis over the Eastern Church in the Era of the Crimean War Jack Fairey © Jack Fairey 2015 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saffron House, 6 –1 0 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2015 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited, registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS. Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin’s Press LLC, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010. Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies and has companies and representatives throughout the world. Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries. ISBN 978-1-349-57573-2 ISBN 978-1-137-50846-1 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-137-50846-1 This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Fairey, Jack, 1970– The Great Powers and Orthodox Christendom : the Crisis Over the Eastern Church in the Era of the Crimean War / Jack Fairey. pages cm 1. Crimean War, 1853–1856—Religious aspects—Christianity. 2. Eastern question. 3. Europe—Politics and government—1848–1871. I. Title. DK215.F35 2015 280'.209034—dc23 2015018403 Typeset by MPS Limited, Chennai, India. Para Paola, Daniel, Sophia, y Toda mi familia adorada Contents List of Illustrations ix Acknowledgements x Linguistic Conventions and Abbreviations xiii 1 Reason in Exile: The War for Orthodox Christendom 1 Deus vult? The Crusader spring of 1854 1 Debating the ‘Northern sin’: Why the Crimean War? 10 ‘The fabric of theocracy’: Marx on the origins of the war 14 Charting a course 19 2 A Patriarch’s Progress: The Great Church under Grigórios VI 27 A most superior person: The Phanar, 1837 27 Yeóryios Fourtouniádis: Son of the Orthodox Nation 30 Father Yeóryios: The world of the parish 37 Bishop Grigórios: World of the upper clergy 42 Upon the t hreshing- floor of Babylon: Orthodoxy’s ominous decade 51 Patriarch Grigórios VI: The ecumenical throne 56 3 Ponsonby vs the Patriarch: Orthodoxy and European Diplomacy 58 Applying the axe to the root: Corfu, 1840 58 ‘Everything has gone to the dogs’: Keeping the Ottoman Empire afloat 61 First daughters of the Church: European religious protectorates in the East 63 The patriarchate abroad: The Ionian Islands 72 Restoring the Canons: The challenge of traditionalist reform 74 Putting Orthodox Christendom in its place: Setting limits to ecclesiastical authority 80 4 ‘The Great Game of Improvement’: Reşid Paşa and Reform 87 The rose garden of reform: Istanbul, 1839 87 Ottoman perspectives on communal reform 92 European perspectives on communal reform 95 vii viii Contents Ottoman attempts to reform the Orthodox Community 101 Patriarchal counter- projects 106 5 A Cossack Takes the Cross: Prince Menshikov’s Crusade 115 A Cossack upon the stage: Paris, 1854 115 ‘Invasions and arrières pensées’: Mounting concerns 119 ‘A burning fear’: The Holy Places dispute 122 Descent of the Thunderer: Defending the rights of the Church 130 ‘Throwing off the mask’: The Russian ultimatum 138 6 Ambassadors of Peace: Recasting Orthodox Christendom 144 Ringing the changes: Pera, 1855 144 Lord Stratford’s unorthodox protectorate 147 A looming peace: Negotiating the Four Points 154 The Constantinople Conference 157 Casting the die: The Reform Decree and the Peace of Paris 166 7 ‘A Complete Revolution’: The Great Church and the Great Powers 172 A defeated hope: Arnavutköy, 1871 172 ‘Occidentalizing … Byzantine society’: Legacies and consequences 182 ‘Hot culture wars’ and ecclesiastical power 196 Notes 204 Bibliography 247 Index 267 List of Illustrations Maps 2.1 Patriarchate of Constantinople in Anatolia, 1830–7 0 34 2.2 Patriarchate of Constantinople, 1830–7 0 35 7.1 Patriarchate of Constantinople, 1870–7 2 181 Table 2.1 Composition of the Holy Synod 46 ix