Question about Adelphopoiesis

[PaladinValer]

First off, let me quickly reassure you that I'm not asking about how it is so wrongly often seen as some sort of same-gender marriage ceremony.

You may now breathe easier now!

I am, however, interested in learning about about this fascinating rite. I long had a personal philosophical belief about love that seems to fit this ancient rite to a tee. Unfortunately, despite my skills as a historian, I am having a difficult time getting much information on my own about it. I know it is, as I said above, sadly wrongly cited as some excuse for same-gender unions, but I am interested in its original and orthodox intent: a form of ritually forming a siblinghood in the eyes of God due to agape and having a very close relationship with another person.

Does anyone have any information on this rite? Also, does anyone know where I could find a rite translated into English or could do so?

Thank you for any help that may be offered.

 

[Kristos]

I've never heard of it. I don't see it in my service book... Sorry I couldn't help.

 

[PaladinValer]

According to my research, the rite is rather ancient and fell into disuse. It was considered orthodox (obviously) and was practiced strongest in the East (which is why I am asking here). I therefore doubt you'll find it in a book on rituals that is popular today.

This is something truly ancient. The theology is very moving from what I have gathered; it seems to be a sort of foretaste what sort of brotherhood all of us will feel like when existence is transfigured. I am hoping I might find someone here who has access to resources I do not.

 

[gzt]

Here is a review of the recent book on it: New Oxford Review

The book is bad and wrong - it stretches evidence to claim they're really gay marriages. The review corrects the error. In doing so, it points to some primary and secondary sources which may be helpful. I know another priest who wrote a scholarly article on the subject, but I'd have to dig around for it. However, there aren't any non-scholarly resources around.

 

[Silentchapel]

The Baptism makes all Christians brothers and sisters - having a rite that makes two people 'more' brotherly or sisterly would be a strike against Baptism itself.

 

[PaladinValer]

The Baptism makes all Christians brothers and sisters - having a rite that makes two people 'more' brotherly or sisterly would be a strike against Baptism itself.

Well, evidentally, especially in the East, such a rite existed that joined together two people as brothers when they were not before, so I'm not sure we can honestly say it is a strike against Holy Baptism.

Otherwise, your church wouldn't have had the rite at all.

 

[Thekla]

IIRC, it could be used for more than two persons, as I recall instructions that for more than two a cord or sash was held. Also, that per the canons, siblings of the now-blood-brothers could not marry, as they were "related".

 

[gracefullamb]

I have never heard of this so you have me curios. What was the reasoning behind wanting or needing such a ritual that would make two or more individuals "blood-brothers?"

 

[E.C.]

Sounds like sibling adopting...

 

[Thekla]

After searching and searching for the article I read years ago, I looked at wikipedia and the article was in the citations

Here is an excerpt from the article by Fr. Evangelos K. Mantzouneas

In ancient Greece there are very many examples of close friendship
which could result to the self-sacrifice of one of the friends for the
sake of the other. First Herodotus informs us about real ceremonies of
fraternization which were performed by the peoples of Asia, Lydes and
Scyths. Lydes used to nick their arms with a sharp object and when they
would start bleeding they would lick the blood of the one who was to
become their blood-brother. Scyths also used to nick their arms but they
would let the blood of the ones to be fraternized run down together into a
glass where it was mixed with wine. They used to wet the tip of their arms
with this mixture and they would afterwards drink it. Under analogous
forms this custom of fraternization was found in Rome, Byzantium and in
all the later peoples of the West. It is especially found though, more
than anywhere else, in the Balkan Peninsula where - especially during the
Ottoman era - the oppressed people used to be fraternized in order to
fight the enemy with greater unity. In Western Europe as well as in the
Balkans the Church started from very early to recognize and even bless
fraternization with a special celebration. This kind of solemnization had
as a result on the one hand the extension of the relation to all the other
members of the family of the blood-brothers and on the other the creation
of social and legal questions such as e.g. even hereditary demands. That
is why provisions were issued which decreed that fraternization was not
banned as a custom but it could not create any legal consequence. Despite
these provisions the peoples continued and still continue in many parts of
the world to attribute a lot of importance in fraternization, much more
than the importanee which the Church and the State wanted to recognize. In
Serbia, Albania, Bulgaria and not less in Greece the custom of
fraternization was so well rooted that it was considered by the other
members of the family as well as a bond equal to blood relation. Marriages
between members of the families of the blood-brothers were blocked and,
because the blood-brothers were called "crossbrothers", after some time it
became a habit to address all the other relatives with the prefix "cross"
e.g. "cross- mother", "crossfather", "crossbrother-in-law" etc. Among the
many ritual customs with which fraternization was made official in Ottoman
Greece is the following. When the blood-brothers were more than two, they
would surround the Priest and they would bind a handkerchief from the belt
of his cassock. They would hold the other end of the handkerchief.

http://www.qrd.org/qrd/religion/judeochristian/eastern_orthodox/Church.of.Greece.on.adelphopoiia

(Worth reading the article in its entirety ...)

 

[PaladinValer]

IIRC, it could be used for more than two persons, as I recall instructions that for more than two a cord or sash was held. Also, that per the canons, siblings of the now-blood-brothers could not marry, as they were "related".

I have no clue about instructions...if you have any documentation or even a translation of the ritual, that would be absolutely fantastic!

And I agree with the marriage prohibitions. My Anglican Church has probably the same rules and regulations as yours' does. Given the nature of the ritual and what character it bestows, those prohibitions make perfect sense.

I have never heard of this so you have me curios. What was the reasoning behind wanting or needing such a ritual that would make two or more individuals "blood-brothers?"

Okay, I suppose you all deserve an explanation:

I have someone in my life (let me be clear: I am heterosexual who has actually taken a vow of celibacy. The relationship I have with him is absolutely not romantic/sexual/etc, although it is very strong) who has been there for me when I've needed someone. I view him as the big brother (he's actually my 1st cousin) I never had but always wanted.

What is really strange is that, in a novel I am currently writing, there is a ritual in which two people become literal brothers despite being totally different peoples through a holy and mystical rite. Thinking about my relationship with my cousin, it made me realize that, just as those two characters had such a strong bond, I had one with him; one based on a personal philosophy I have on the subject.

Upon doing some research, I discovered only about a week ago the concept of Adelphopoiesis and I was immediately intrigued: here all along was the same concept and it was far more ancient than I realized...and to top it off, it was Christian.

God certainly works in mysterious and truly wonderful ways!

I am researching this out of the strong bond I have with my cousin. I would love to have a rite such as this to affirm, establish, and strengthen a feeling we do seem to share with each other. That, and I have a love of ritual and feel like I would love to see this revived in modern-day practice in both the East and the West.

Again, let me stress that we have no romantic interests in each other nor in others of our same gender. This is strictly a familial love of strong friendship and trust, the kind this rite seems to bless and sanctify.

As for "blood-brothers," that seems to be something different. While in my case, my cousin and I do have the same blood (1st cousins, after all; we have the same maternal grandparents), the rite has been historically used between individuals who had no immediate familial relations. I believe the closest description would be "spiritual brothers" or even "brothers in the eyes of God."

Sounds like sibling adopting...

That seems to be another translation of the Greek that I have found. Yes.

After searching and searching for the article I read years ago, I looked at wikipedia and the article was in the citations

Here is an excerpt from the article by Fr. Evangelos K. Mantzouneas




http://www.qrd.org/qrd/religion/judeochristian/eastern_orthodox/Church.of.Greece.on.adelphopoiia

(Worth reading the article in its entirety ...)

I will.

I thank all of you who have given me information. I appreciate all that you are all doing to help me in my research.

 

[ikonographics]

One of my liturgics professors told us that the original purpose of the service was to make an adopted son and a biological son "blood brothers". It was certainly not for making friends "blood brothers" . That is where all the abuse began...

 

[PaladinValer]

One of my liturgics professors told us that the original purpose of the service was to make an adopted son and a biological son "blood brothers". It was certainly not for making friends "blood brothers" . That is where all the abuse began...

Sts. Sergius and Bacchus appear not to have qualified as per your information yet both East and West recognize that they were created brothers by this rite.

Certainly there is room for abuse in practically all the rites and rituals of the Holy Church. That should mean a level of discernment on the Church's part in making sure all is in proper order as well as discernment on the recipients' part. I'm not sure we should abolish rites or rituals based on whether they can be abused...we'd have none to few left!

However, be that as it may, is it now the position of the Eastern Orthodox Church that a "civil adoption" be performed first before a rite of Adelphopoiesis?

 

[ikonographics]

The rite of adephopoiesis is never used. It has been scrapped precisely because of abuses and will never be used again especially now that it will be abused more then ever.

 

[Antony in Tx]

I will go ahead and point out the obvious; that is that you finding the words of any liturgical service and co-opting them for your own purposes is in itself a bit off the wall. You are certainly free to say and do whatever you want, within the bounds of legality, but the EO Church would not consider what you are doing to be in any way legitimate. Any such "rite" presupposes that it involves people within the Church who are in good ecclesiastical order and that the presiding bishop has given his blessing for said liturgical practice to take place. Thus the legitimacy of this rite within the church is immaterial, as you are obviously not Orthodox and therefore you finding these words and using them in any fashion is simply not of any meaning to us.

 

[Dorothea]

Are you talking about like monastic communities where men or women live as brothers and sisters in Christ? Or am I way off?

 

[Kristos]

This article from Fordham might be interesting for you:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/pwh/bosdisc-april94.txt

You can view Goar's Euchologion on google books, but it's not translated...