Exegetai
Our current Exegetai are:
The term exegetai (plural) was used throughout ancient Greece to refer to religious specialists. They gave advice about carrying out cultus to different gods and interpreted religious laws and customs. They also offered legal guidance to other people upon request, sometimes in law cases (particularily in ancient Athens).
Here at Neokoroi, we have a tried and tested group of religious advisors, well educated in the cultus of our gods. We do not call these exegetai "priests" because in Hellenic times, priesthood was tied to a specific temple or cult, and could be an hereditary or purchased position.
Within our organization, the exegete (singular) advises on the practices related to a specific god, or of Hellenic ritual in general. Those who wish to take on this role must be willing to be available to anyone who needs them, within reason. This includes the Hellenic pagan community beyond Neokoroi, potentially.
An exegete is NOT, however, a personal counselor or mouthpiece for the god. They are simply knowledgeable individuals who offer advice on how to recognize and interpret the actions of their deity, information on how to conduct rituals, and so forth. But always, they are simply an individual, someone whose opinion is to be respected because of their experience and contributions - but not an authority in the sense that they are above questioning and critique.
To Become An Exegetai
This is the basic process for application to the Exegetai program.
- The applicant will submit a profile, including academic and personal experiences, their reason for wanting to be an exegete, and other general information.
- Thista, along with the other Exegetai, will determine if the person meets our basic requirements before proceeding further. If they do not meet those standards, the applicant will be informed of what things might be done to further a later application.
- If the applicant meets our standards, they will be asked to write at least two articles that will be posted to the website on the page for the god in question. These articles should be a mixture of historical information and personal knowledge, but do not have to meet academic standards (in other words, you don't have to have a degree to be an exegete, you just need to be able to convey your knowledge adequately).
- Once the membership has the chance to read these materials, a live chat will be scheduled to which any interested member is invited, where they will have a chance to ask the candidate questions and evaluate them. Those who participated will then send feedback to the Exegetai, who will make a final decision.
If the candidate is not accepted, they may re-apply in one year. If the candidate is confirmed, they will appear on this page along with a profile and links to their contributions on the site. Anyone may then contact them for help in relevant matters. Feedback may be left about them on their profile.
Requirements of Exegetai
Exegetai must be willing to provide assistance to sincere seekers. Exegetai are also required to submit at least one article concerning their area of expertise to each issue of Neokoroi's newsletter, He Epistole. Exegetai may not charge for their services under the auspices of Neokoroi, but they may accept donations - monetary or otherwise - if offered voluntarily. Any individuals unable to fulfill these requirements will be removed from the exegete program.
You may click here to apply to become an Exegete of Neokoroi. Please note: when you are done filling out the application, please click the tiny "continue" text at the top center of the page. The middle text/image is an ad which we have no control over. Clicking "continue" will return you to our main webpage.