The first part of this paper will explore the mystery-religions, the reasons behind their popularity, and the Hellenistic world in which they grew that began with Alexander the Great. Next, their characteristics and connections first with Judaism and later with Christianity will be more deeply discussed. In the second part it will be shown that the mystery-religions helped to clear the pathway for the Christianization of the Greco-Roman world by men such as Paul the Apostle. Finally, the Emperor Constantine’s role in this story will be mentioned, during whose reign the mystery-religions declined and Christianity became the major religion of Europe and the near east. The paper will conclude with a brief speculation about the significance of these ideas to modern Christianity.
Introduction
The place and time in which Christianity developed was characterized by change and confusion in all areas of life. Political, philosophical and especially religious questions were being asked that had never been asked before, and traditional systems were not providing the answers. For nearly seven centuries, from the conquest of Alexander the Great to the establishment of Christianity as the state religion by the Roman Emperor Constantine, the ancient world sought these answers in the mystery-religions, independent groups worshipping in new and experimental ways. Ancient religious tradition had failed to fulfill the needs of this evolving and expanding society and these mystery-religions were a cultural expression of that need. Christianity grew into the midst of this world and was in fact the end result of the experiment started in the mystery-religions.
The term, “mystery-religion” refers to various forms of worship popular in ancient t...
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...d. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1999.
King, Martin Luther Jr. “The Influence of the Mystery Religions on Christianity.” The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Volume I: Called to Serve. Clayborne Carson, Ralph Luker, and Penny A. Russell, eds. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1992. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project. Clayborne Carson, dir. Stanford University. 1 Feb. 2002 .
Pike, Albert. Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry. Washington: House of the Temple, 1966.
Additional Works Consulted
Jonas, Hans. The Gnostic Religion: The Message of the Alien God and the Beginnings of Christianity. 2nd ed. Boston: Beacon Press, 1991.
Murray, Gilbert. Five Stages of Greek Religion. New York: Doubleday, 1955.
Armstrong, Karen. A History of God: The 4000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1993.
7. Robert Miller, "The Miller's Tale as a Complaint," Chaucer Review, 5 (1970), p. 147-160. This from p. 150.
If one did not obey The Church, they were excommunicated and labeled heretics, cast out into the world with no spiritual guidance, never to see the light of God again. However, the Church also offered hope and a chance of salvation in a time that was inevitably grim and solitary. This statement will be proven through the analysis of The Church’s rise to power, the threat of heretics, the effects of excommunication and indictment. The role of monks and nuns in the medieval society, the use of sins and the idea of heaven and hell and how the Church used sacraments to gain control of people’s lives will also be discussed to prove this statement. Christianity is based upon the teachings of a Jewish man named Jesus.
The change in Mediterranean religion, from paganism to Christianity, occurred over a long period of time, and many ideas and philosophies were absorbed from the ancient cultures to make the transition g...
Layton, Bentley. "The Gnostic Scripture." The Gnostic Scripture. New York: Doubleday, 1987, 1995. 9. Paperback.
7 Thomas A. Robinson and Hillary Rodrigues, World Religions: A Guide to the Essentials. (Michigan: Baker Publishing Group, 2006), pp. 44
The conclusion of this essay enforces the idea that Arthur Miller's plays are unique from other tragedies. It reinstates the thesis and the reason that it is true. The conclusion also summarizes the most important points of the essay and ends the paper tying everything together.
Migdalis, I., Leslie, D., Papanas, N., Valensi, P., and Vlassara, H. (2014). Diabetes Mellitus. International Journal of Endocrinology, 2014, 108419. http://doi.org/10.1155/2014/108419
"The Miller’s Tale." The Canterbury Tales. Ed. Ronald L. Ecker and Eugene J. Crook. Hodge & Braddock, Oct. 1994. Web. 25 Oct. 2013.
New supervisors looking for guidance need something they can refer to when faced with certain issues that arise on the job. This manual outlines six supervisory responsibilities and some basic guidelines for effectiveness. It is important to remember that with the variety of personalities in the workplace, each specific situation is going to require a different approach. The following are general guidelines for handling each responsibility.
2) Gollwitzer, Helmut. The Existence of God: As Confessed By Faith. Philadelphia: The Westminister Press, 1965
Kohn, Risa Levitt, and Rebecca Moore. A Portable God: The Origin of Judaism and Christianity. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2007. Print.
Larry Hurtado’s novel, Destroyer of the Gods, discusses the historical context behind Christianity and its role in the polytheistic world of ancient Rome. Hurtado examines what characterized early Christians through distinctive patterns of religious beliefs and practices that separated them from the Roman world (Hurtado 76). The novel consists of five significant points that demonstrate the difference between Christianity and polytheism which includes: religion in Rome, rules that Jews and converted Gentiles had to follow, Christian rituals, the history of the codices, and infant exposure. Each of these points represents a different aspect of history and are what stuck out in the novel. However, there are strengths and weaknesses that are contained in Hurtado’s novel, which either contribute to the novel through structure, summary and background information or he gets lost in the information and tends to repeat information previously stated.
Larry Hurtado’s novel, Destroyer of the God’s discusses the historical context behind Christianity and its role in the polytheistic world of ancient Rome. Hurtado examines what characterized early Christians through distinctive patterns of their religious beliefs and practices that distinguished themselves from the Roman world (Hurtado 76). The novel consists of five significant points that demonstrate the difference between Christianity and polytheism which includes: religion in Rome, rules that Jews and converted Gentiles had to follow, Christian rituals, the history of the codices, and infant exposure. Each of these points represent a different aspect of history and were what stuck out in the novel. However, there are strengths and weaknesses
The supervisor and the employee review the job description standards and compare the employee’s accomplishments against the standards set. The data comes from established performance metrics, employee self-assessment and customer or coworker feedback from daily activities.