Père Alexandre Schmemann

This article by Father Alexander Schmemann examines the role of Orthodox Tradition in the implantation and development of Orthodoxy in America. Written in the form of a historical and theological study, it traces the experience of successive waves of Orthodox emigrants to the United States, who arrived without pre-established ecclesial structures. The central idea is that Tradition — understood not as a set of formal dogmas, but as an internalized liturgical and ecclesial way of life — constituted the true cement of these communities in the face of an American culture structurally hostile to any continuity with the past. The article then identifies four dynamics of renewal: a renewed interest in ecclesiology, the rediscovery of the Eucharist, the awakening of the laity, and a thirst for authentic spiritual life. The theological contribution lies in the distinction drawn between living Tradition and traditionalism, and in the thesis that American Orthodoxy illustrates the universal vocation of the Orthodox Church.