The liberal orientation of most Protestant religious communities in the United States – their embrace of “woke” culture and abandonment of advocacy for the traditional family and the protection of the poor – has led to a notable surge in conversions to more traditional faiths, particularly Catholicism and especially Orthodoxy.
At the same time, many mainstream media outlets covering this phenomenon have criticised these converts as representing the most conservative and radical elements of society.
American traditionalists, a growing current within that society, believe that everything America has achieved – and what once made it admired and emulated worldwide – was built upon traditions now being turned into their opposites. From their perspective, the Conservative movement that emerged within the Republican Party in the 1960s has failed to actually “conserve” any traditional values. The model of the white Anglo-Saxon Protestant (WASP), once embodied by the founding fathers of the American nation, under the pressures of women’s emancipation and the rights of sexual and racial minorities, has abandoned not only regressive values but also much of what conservatives regard as a noble tradition.
Abandoned by the Protestant church and political movements, original traditionalists are turning to another tradition they view as more conservative: Orthodoxy or Catholicism, alongside American nationalism and the original values enshrined in the Constitution and the documents of the country’s founding political elite. It’s worth noting that the modern managerial and financial elite, via the mainstream media, are attempting to craft a narrative that any return to pre-Protestant Christianity inevitably leads to “extreme nationalism”—something they claim is just a step away from “domestic terrorism”.
To defenders of tradition, this is a clear sign that the programme to destroy the Christian religion in America is now under threat from the resurgence of Orthodoxy.
Bojan Basarić, a Belgrade-born engineer who has lived in Canada for over three decades, explained to NIN the prevailing traditionalist outlook in North America.
“The link between healthy traditionalism, nationalism, and the old church is quite simple: all three are necessary to establish spiritual and mental order in the lives of ordinary people who possess true faith and a traditionalist psychological structure,” Basarić told NIN. He summarised how dissatisfaction with traditionally dominant churches in the USA came about.
“Absolute freedom of speech, assembly, and protest has been replaced by administrative rules and laws prescribing banned words and thoughts, mass surveillance of the entire population, and widespread legal retribution against civil protests. The Protestant elite, whose patriotism, Christian theology, and work ethic once formed the core of American culture, has been replaced by financial elites who do not understand America as a unique culture to be defended and developed based on tradition. Protestant churches have splintered into dozens of denominations, most of which now actively oppose core Christian principles: the preservation of the family and productive work as fundamental values in a person’s life,” Basarić said.
E-Orthodoxy
Orthodox blogs and podcasts are popping up across the United States daily, often attracting millions of views. One of the most popular (and controversial) influencers associated with Orthodoxy is Andrew Tate, a former kickboxer and prominent figure in the so-called manosphere (websites, forums, and blogs that promote masculinity and oppose feminism). This highly controversial influencer (currently under investigation with his brother Tristan for rape), with millions of social media followers, has positioned his assertive narrative about masculinity as a refuge for many men whose gender identity has been challenged by woke ideology. He, and not only he (as Tate has also flirted with Islam), along with other conservative influencers, have inspired young Americans facing a crisis of masculinity – highlighted in numerous sociological studies – to find comfort in conservatism and a return to religious tradition. Orthodoxy, in this context, has emerged as the least susceptible to modernist reinterpretation.
Among Orthodox “missionaries” on social media, their topics often go beyond theology. One of the leading voices is known as The Prudentialist, who presents himself as a geopolitician, social critic, and writer of Orthodox persuasion.
Interpreting the conversion of many Americans to Orthodoxy, one observer explains:
“Globalism is not just about the economy – it’s a world without homes. Belonging has become a luxury, and forgetting one’s roots is the new normal. For many, Orthodoxy is a path back to reality. It offers what the modern world denies men: structure, silence, sin, and redemption. That’s why so many converts come here. Because they’re not just seeking God – they’re seeking order.”
Speaking about the mission of Orthodoxy, the Prudentialist (who does not come from a traditionally Orthodox background) says: “America has become a mission field. It’s no longer a Christian empire – if it ever was – but a space of choice. And in that chaos of choices, Orthodoxy stands like granite among sand.”
Another recent convert to Orthodoxy, Ben Christenson from Fairfax, Virginia, grew up in an Anglican family, regularly attending Sunday services and Christian summer camps, but says he always longed for a more traditional faith.
“The difficult thing about growing up in my church was that there were so many changes even within my lifetime. I realised there was really no way to stop the endless changes,” he told American media. As he explained, “I watched traditions fade into oblivion.”
“The robed choir was replaced by a celebration band, the lines around the ordination of women became blurred, and long-standing positions on LGBT issues shifted,” says Christenson.
Some new Orthodox converts are far more colourful and primarily give emotional reasons for their transformation. Father Moses McPherson, a retired tattoo artist, describes himself on Instagram as “an Orthodox priest, husband, father, 100 kilograms heavy, who can lift a total of 730 kilograms in squat, bench, and deadlift.”
McPherson (43), an African American and rector of the Orthodox Church of the Holy Mother of God in Georgetown, Texas, is among a growing number of younger men who have embraced the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, known for its conservatism. Some members say they are drawn to traditional religion in an era of “enlightened” churches that support gender equality, LGBTQ rights, and the Black Lives Matter movement. What they generally share is a rejection of the shifting value landscape in American society and the wider world.
American Orthodoxy and radicalisation
A study of Orthodox churches across the USA revealed that parishes recorded a 78% increase in converts in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Historically, men and women converted in roughly equal numbers, but since 2020 significantly more men have joined the Church – potentially indicating the role of a masculinity crisis in the appeal of Orthodoxy.
Father Josiah Trenham has led the Orthodox Church of St Andrew in Riverside, California, for nearly three decades, and he has observed a dramatic rise in interest:
“The last four or five years have brought tremendous growth. There are no signs of it slowing. The move to Orthodoxy is happening en masse across the country,” says Father Josiah.
Studies suggest that many American converts to Orthodoxy, especially those joining the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, are drawn to the traditional values and conservative social norms the church upholds. They often come from backgrounds already aligned with conservative political views, including support for Donald Trump and the MAGA movement.
Most converts are former Evangelicals or Catholics who have become disillusioned with American society and are seeking stability and tradition in Orthodoxy, according to a study by Dr Sarah Riccardi-Swartz, Associate Professor of Religion and Anthropology at Northeastern University and author of the book Between Heaven and Russia: Religious Conversion and Political Apostasy in Appalachia. She is also a member of the Orthodox Church in America.
“They often express admiration for Putin as a symbol of preserving Christian values and opposing liberal societal changes,” says Riccardi-Swartz.
In a society traditionally antisoviet, anti-Russian, and anti-Putin, this trend causes concern in some circles. Traditional Orthodox communities in the US, which show no signs of yielding to change, are also exercising caution.
“It appears that American Orthodoxy has a problem with radicalism. The Church has consistently maintained a conservative social stance. But in our time, it is becoming increasingly inclined toward reactive politics and ideology, and nowhere is this more evident than on the ‘Ortho-web’ (Orthodox websites). As an Orthodox Christian, anthropologist, and scholar of Orthodox Christianity in the US for over a decade, I can say that the turn by some laity and clergy toward politicised digital discourse is changing the social ethos of our Church in ways that will have lasting impacts on faith in the West,” warns Professor Sarah Riccardi-Swartz.
In criticising American culture, Orthodox Christians – often converts – use social media to promote a moral Orthodox vision of the future. They express deep concern, often justified, about the secularisation of society. They believe that Orthodoxy, possibly in combination with certain far-right political philosophies, could reclaim the world for God. To implement this kind of social change, they frequently seek out like-minded individuals online.
“Social solidarity, even online, can be a useful aspect of a shared worldview, but it can also become a driving force behind new conflicts. Many on the Ortho-web see their posts as a means to rechristianise America; but in reality, I believe this project reflects not so much Orthodox theology or teachings, as it does the long history of American culture wars and, ultimately, the intrigues of modern secularism,” observes Riccardi-Swartz.
MAGA and Orthodoxy
Although some individuals and groups among American Orthodox converts express disillusionment with certain aspects of American politics, there is no widespread disappointment with the MAGA movement or Donald Trump. On the contrary, many converts continue to support conservative political ideas and seek spiritual and social stability through Orthodox faith. Some fractures have appeared around the issue of Israel, although they have not aligned with Palestinian causes.
“Their stance on Israel is entirely predictable for anyone who is a true American nationalist. They don’t want anything to do with a small Middle Eastern state that drains enormous resources from their own country. They are completely neutral in their support or opposition to Israel. In their view, Israel should be left alone to deal with its own issues,” says Basarić.
By raising important questions of identity and values, new Orthodox converts often use violent language toward certain racial, ethnic, and social groups, instead of the language of salvation and love for one’s neighbour, which does not sound either Christian or Orthodox. On the Orthodox internet, the language of history and tradition is sometimes used to spread political ideology, becoming a carrier of modernity—the very thing they claim to oppose.
Orthodoxy in the USA
According to 2020 data, the Orthodox Church in America has around 750,000 practising believers, with a strong trend of increasing numbers of newcomers. The largest group of long-standing Orthodox adherents are ethnically Greek, around 375,000, while there are about 70,000 believers of Serbian descent.
Nominally, there are between two and six million Orthodox Christians in the USA, but many of them – of Russian, Greek, or Serbian background – are inactive or do not identify religiously.
The second-largest Orthodox community is the Orthodox Church in America, the successor of the Russian church mission in Alaska from the 18th century. It was originally part of the Russian Orthodox Church, later developing as an independent church in the USA. In 1970, it was granted autocephaly by the Moscow Patriarchate, but it has not received a tomos (formal recognition) from other Orthodox churches, including the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Constantinople.
Its current leader is Metropolitan Tikhon (Mollard), “of all America and Canada.” He resides at the Monastery of St Tikhon of Zadonsk, the oldest on American soil, founded in 1905 in South Canaan, Pennsylvania, where the seminary is also located.
The USA – A nation of religious converts
Around 28% of American adults have changed their religion from the one in which they were raised. This means that of the roughly 262 million adults in the USA, approximately 73 million have switched religious traditions during their lives.
The Pew Research Center reports that 35% of adults changed religion after childhood. This translates to eight to ten million people each year.
Almost 22% of adults left the form of Christianity they practised, most often one of the Protestant denominations, while 3.6% of atheists converted to Christianity. The trend of religious switching has been increasing since 2021, with most people turning to Catholicism and Orthodoxy.
(NIN, 16.06.2025)
https://www.nin.rs/svet/vesti/80038/iznenadujuca-religijska-tendencija-u-sad-zasto-amerika