Editing Hellenism (modern religion) (section)

===20th century===
In the early 20th century, several [[Neopaganism|neopagan]] groups were formed, often incorporating elements of ancient Greek religion and honoring Greek gods, but with heavily syncretic elements drawn from Hermeticism and 19th century folklore studies. Most prominent of these modern traditions are [[Thelema]] and [[Wicca]], though [[Feraferia]] (an American tradition founded in the 1970s by Fred Adams) places heavier emphasis on a more Hellenistic style of worship and on the Greco-Roman pantheon of gods.<ref>{{Cite web|title=feraferia home|url=http://feraferia.org/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46:feraferia-home&Itemid=1|access-date=2021-05-08|website=feraferia.org|language=en-gb}}</ref> One Wiccan organization in the United States, the [[Aquarian Tabernacle Church]], began to host a spring festival based on the [[Eleusinian Mysteries]] in 1985, which has continued to be held every year through the present day.<ref>[https://wildhunt.org/2019/03/aquarian-tabernacle-church-names-new-arch-priest.html "Aquarian Tabernacle Church names new Arch Priest"].</ref>

While not exactly a Hellenist, the sociologist and practicing Wiccan [[Margot Adler]] stated in her book on Wicca titled ''[[Drawing Down the Moon (book)|Drawing Down the Moon]]'' that when she was a child, she had a great interest in the Greek gods and goddesses and that she also devised her own rituals to perform in dedication to them. Many years later when Adler found out about Wicca, she converted to that religion because she felt that it confirmed her earlier childhood experiences, though Adler also notes that with regards to her conversion "I never converted in the accepted sense. I simply accepted, reaffirmed, and extended a very old experience."<ref>{{cite book |last=Adler |first=Margot |year=2006|orig-year=1979 |title=Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers and Other Pagans in America |edition=Revised |publisher=Penguin |location=London |isbn=978-0-14-303819-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/drawingdownmoonw00adle_2 |pages = 15–19}}</ref>

During the 1970s, some began to reject the influence of Hermeticism and other heavily syncretic forms of Greek religion in preference of practices reconstructing earlier or more original forms of Hellenic worship. Early revivalists of Hellenic religion tended to be individuals working alone, and early attempts to organize adherents into larger groups failed. The first successful revival attempt was made by the [[Supreme Council of Ethnikoi Hellenes]] (or YSEE). In 1993, a variety of adherents to the Hellenic religion in Greece and elsewhere came together and began the process of organization. This resulted in a "Hellenic National Assembly", initiated at a gathering in southern Olympus on 9 September 1995. The process culminated with the formal establishment of the [[Supreme Council of Ethnic Hellenes|YSEE]] as a non-profit in Greece, in June 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ysee.gr/about.html |title=Who We Are and What We Want |publisher=Ysee.gr |access-date=2019-03-28}}</ref>

In the 1990s and 2000s, as the practice of the ancient Greek religion (also known as Hellenic religion) began to increase in popularity. The Orthodox [[Church of Greece]] viewed it as a significant threat to its own existence and wanted to eliminate it. As a result, they established a special committee, composed of [[Metropolitan bishop|Metropolitans]], [[Priesthood (Eastern Orthodox Church)|priests]], and university professors from [[divinity school]]s, to study ancient cults and neopaganism. They also organized conferences, published articles and texts, and uploaded information to the internet, all with the goal of arguing that the ancient Greek religion is a dangerous, idolatrous cult with strange beliefs and practices, possibly even having connections to [[Satanism]], and that Greek people should avoid it at all costs. The Orthodox Church also emphasized that the only true and accepted traditional religion in Greece is and should be [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox Christianity]], the religion of the forefathers.<ref name=":2" />