The Truth Within a Myth

However, from this notion, Pico intertwined the Cabala traditions into Christianity. Pico claimed that the Cabala provides proof of Christ because of the holy names within it (Pico, Thesis 9.9; Thesis 11.7). Pico believed in magic and wrote about it openly. He believed that all doctrines point to the same truth, a pantheism point of view. However, Pico still had to present his theories along the lines of the Christian church.

From the cup from which Jesus drank from to the meaning of life; the Holy Grail is dated back far into time where it has always held a great deal of significance. This grail holds such an outstanding amount of importance that even people who truly relate themselves to the time and meanings of the grail claim to have “THE” grail or ‘knockoff’ versions of their own. “Suggestions for the meaning of the grail include Celtic myth, ancient mystery religion, an archetypal journey, medieval heresy, and occult philosophy and Templar treasure. Several relics claim to be the true grail, and they have traditions of their own” (Wood, 2). In relationship to the Arthurian legend, the many different quests for the Grail led to many other ways of life.

With that in mind, the question then becomes: do these changes distort the story of salvation so thoroughly that the poem cannot be considered a genuine Christian work? Very little of the biblical tale remains intact in the poem. The cross is adorned with gold, jewels, and other earthly treasures; Christ is shown as more of a battle-hungry soldier than a servant of God’s will; and the Rood is itself made holy and powerful, able to defeat Roman centurions and heal mankind. While it could easily be argued that the poet simply strays too far from his source material, “The Dream of the Rood” is redeemed by the fact that it is intended to be the retelling of a dream. This version of Calvary takes place in the subconscious mind of the Dreamer and in a manner that ultimately inspires him to spread the gospel of Christianity.

These religious influences show up often in Crime and Punishment in the form of inexplicable occurrences that stand out from the realistic aspects of the book. Throughout the novel Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky uses supernatural events to represent a godly force and prove his new belief in the existence of godly beings. Dostoevsky uses supernatural forces to guide and control the characters’ lives. When Raskolnikov goes to see Razumihin, the idea pops into his head almost subconsciously. No plausible explanation exists for “what put the idea of going to Razumihin into [his] head,” and yet he has a very strong impulse to go (42).

Christ's placement the center of the apse holding a book with his left hand provides a direct relationship to the Bible. His right hand held up in blessing illustrates his divine power towards the people, who receive the sacrament on the altar below him. Christ is also surrounded by stars, wh... ... middle of paper ... ...creation stories occurred before the Sacrifice of Cain and Abel, and this would follow the same standard as the stories of the New Testament below. The representation of divinity was clearly defined in Christ in Majesty with Symbols of the Four Evangelists through its subject matter, technique, and style. Christ acts as the focal point, but the artist also used different subjects from the Old and New Testament to decorate the apse.

11 Nov. 2013. Heydt, Bruce. "Legends of Arthur." British Heritage. 01 Dec. 2001: 58. eLibrary.

Protestantism, Catholicism, and Judaism widely recognize the breaking of the bread and the drinking of the cup as two of the most important aspects of display... ... middle of paper ... ...avered. Conclusion: The eucharist, a tangible reminder of God’s grace, exists and is revered in many forms. From the Passover feast celebrated by the Israelites to the death of Jesus and the Last Supper, it has remained vital to be in connection with God. Jesus Christ displayed how important he felt sacraments were by sharing in and creating the eucharist with his followers. Participating in communion is a faith-building exercise, no matter the origins of the religion.

The Symbolism of the Cross in the Catholic Church Religious groups throughout the world have used symbols to represent the historical events, deities, and beliefs of a faith. Symbols express the moral values of the teachings of religion and bring the ones who practice the belief closer to the divine. The catholic church uses the cross or crucifix to represent the belief that Jesus died on the cross to redeem humanity. The crucifix is similar to the cross, but depicts the body of Jesus Christ, representing his sacrifice. While the cross and the crucifix differ because of the image of Jesus Christ, the meaning of the image is a sacramental sign that prepares Catholics to receive the grace of God.

Their intense belief in the imminence of the end of the world, however, along with the mode of interpretation which they applied to the Revelation, reflected trends in Christian thought redirected by Martin Luther, and largely ignored by John Calvin. In this paper I will examine Luthers role in three English interpretations of the Revelation, discussing both his influence as an intellectual precedent, and his appearance as a character within these texts. Luther himself never wrote a detailed commentary on the Apocalypse, but in a preface to the 1530 edition of his German New Testament, he outlined a mode of exegesis which emphasized the application of the Revelation to history. This literal approach first appeared in England in a 1545 commentary by John Bale, a transitional figure often considered the progenitor of the English apocalytic tradition. Later works utilized Luthers model more completely, and I will cite three of these in particular: Arthur Dents Ruin of Rome (1603), an excellent introduction to the mainstream of English commentaries; Thomas Brightmans Revelation of St. John (1609), which epitomized the Anglocentric slant inherent to the Englis... ... middle of paper ... ...rines and works.

For modern scholars, it is becoming increasingly meaningless to qualify Gnosticism as a coherent series of ideas. Rather Christianity is the coherent doctrine, and the absence of adherence to that doctrine is what qualifies texts for Gnosticism. In Gnosticism, God is a villain or a fool. In Christianity, God is the one true creator of life. In Gnosticism, the rulers created the Garden of Eden.