The Orthodox Church-Run Program for the Treatment of Addictions in Romania

  1. Lemma
  2. The Orthodox Church-Run Program for the Treatment of Addictions in Romania
  3. English
  4. Tampakis, Kostas
  5. Culture and national identities - Scientific theories and disciplines > Medicine
  6. 12-10-2017
  7. Moldovan, Sebastian [Author]. The Orthodox Church-Run Program for the Treatment of Addictions in Romania
  8. European Journal of Science and Theology
  9. Addiction - 12-Step Program - Romanian Orthodox Church
  10. Click Here

    1. The article discusses the Anti-Drug program run by the Romanian Patriarchate in 2008. The author first narrates the first steps towards the establishment of the first Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) groups in Romania, with special mention to the work of Floyd Frantz, in creating the “Saint Demetrios” program, on behalf of the Romanian Orthodox Church. He then moves on to the Church’s National Anti-Drug Program (NADP), which started in 2008. The article discusses the goals of the program and the structure of its function, highlighting the central role of the clergy. NADP is presented as the principal center of activities addictions, focusing on its methods and the first active model-centers. Furthermore, the article depicts the relation between the AA and the Orthodox Church in Greece, Russia, the Orthodox Diaspora of the USA and other Orthodox centers, showing the level of cooperation between them, especially in adopting the 12-Step method. The relations between this method and Orthodox spirituality are raised further down, concerning “God’s Anonymity”, the principle of complete abstinence and the shrinking admission of the spiritual aspect against a rising acceptance of a medical theory of addiction. Finally, the author tackles the readiness of the NADP to include spiritual aspects to its treating methology and also underlines, beyond the medical approach to the problem, the absolute necessity of Church’s community environment and practices for the restoration of the addicted. In conclusion, the article points out the impasse that the Church nowadays faces, which leads the addicted towards an alienation from God and thus the need for immediate transformation.