par Depret, Isabelle 
Référence Archives de sciences sociales des religions, 185, 1, page (65-85)
Publication Publié, 2019
Référence Archives de sciences sociales des religions, 185, 1, page (65-85)
Publication Publié, 2019
Article révisé par les pairs
| Résumé : | As a self-administered male monastic territory, Mount Athos (Greece) is often described as an “out of time” and otherworldly high spiritual place. However, since their foundation, the Athonite monasteries had to maintain some links with the secular and the outside world in order to be able to survive as mundane institutions, as well. In this article, attention is paid to the structural characteristics of Athonite economy from a long-term perspective and especially to the potential, yet paradoxical relationship between monastic ascetic ethos and collective accumulation of material goods. Further, the focus turns to the contemporary situation and to three speciic ields where religious and economic activities meet. These cases enable us to consider the material basis of the notion of the “Athonite heritage”, namely processes of converting “symbolic goods” into economic resources; and inally, to question the potential role of the “female igure” within the symbolic, moral and material economy of a Holy Mountain where the avaton principle is strictly applied. |
