Christianity & Pagan Customs: The church had begun a process of trying to redeem pagan holy days, customs and imagery by claiming them for Christianity. For example. Saturnalia was the Roman winter festival that encouraged merriment, gift giving and things like candle lighting, and it was syncretized with later Christian celebrations. Worship of Artemis was transferred to Mary as was the veneration of the Egyptian goddess of Isis. Isis was even referred to as “the Great Virgin” and “Mother of God.” The followers of these pagan personality cults naturally turned to Mary when their own religions had their temples destroyed and were outlawed or persecuted. Even images of Isis holding the god-child Horus can be seen in poses very similar to those of Mary and Jesus. Ultimately, the honorific titles given to Mary were in honor of her divine son. A further blending of paganism and Xianity came through the building of chapels and churches on the sites of martyrs’ tombs. This also influenced church architecture and devolved into a competition for saintly corpses and artifacts. These saints and martyrs served to supplant many pagan gods, and their shrines usurped pagan temples. Many of the saints were also believed to have special or magical powers. Church never went so far as to say that saints should be worshipped, it was only suggested that they were in a special position to hear certain petitions and take them before God directly. This is akin to a “great man of the court” who, having special privileges, could take requests directly before the emperor.
-Took over 25th of Dec. as Christ’s birthday from pagan sun-worship -Pope Leo rebuked Christians in 5th century who bowed to the sun before entering St. Peter’s -candles, incense, garlands were pagan customs that were at first avoided but later adopted -Veneration of Mary likely stimulated by parralels in paganism: Atermis/Dian in paganism or Isis from Egypt who became the ‘universal mother’/’Great Virgin’/Mother of the God’ of later pagan religion. Images of Isis holding Horus are similar to some early Christian madonnas. But “bearer of God”, title for Mary, was intended to honor the Son. -“cult of saints and martyrs” grew in 4th cent. And was a blending of old paganism and Christianity. Chapels and churches began to be built over tombs of martyrs. Competition for saintly corpses soon turned to superstitious search for relics. This was supported by Jerome, Abrose, Augustine. -Theodoret, Christian historian boasts that saints and martyrs took the place of pagan Gods of cities. -The Church never taught that saints should be worshipped. They viewed them like a man at court who could get results by petitioning directly to the emperor.
Christianity & Pagan Customs:
ReplyDeleteThe church had begun a process of trying to redeem pagan holy days, customs and imagery by claiming them for Christianity. For example. Saturnalia was the Roman winter festival that encouraged merriment, gift giving and things like candle lighting, and it was syncretized with later Christian celebrations.
Worship of Artemis was transferred to Mary as was the veneration of the Egyptian goddess of Isis. Isis was even referred to as “the Great Virgin” and “Mother of God.”
The followers of these pagan personality cults naturally turned to Mary when their own religions had their temples destroyed and were outlawed or persecuted. Even images of Isis holding the god-child Horus can be seen in poses very similar to those of Mary and Jesus. Ultimately, the honorific titles given to Mary were in honor of her divine son.
A further blending of paganism and Xianity came through the building of chapels and churches on the sites of martyrs’ tombs. This also influenced church architecture and devolved into a competition for saintly corpses and artifacts. These saints and martyrs served to supplant many pagan gods, and their shrines usurped pagan temples. Many of the saints were also believed to have special or magical powers. Church never went so far as to say that saints should be worshipped, it was only suggested that they were in a special position to hear certain petitions and take them before God directly. This is akin to a “great man of the court” who, having special privileges, could take requests directly before the emperor.
-CL
-Took over 25th of Dec. as Christ’s birthday from pagan sun-worship
ReplyDelete-Pope Leo rebuked Christians in 5th century who bowed to the sun before entering St. Peter’s
-candles, incense, garlands were pagan customs that were at first avoided but later adopted
-Veneration of Mary likely stimulated by parralels in paganism: Atermis/Dian in paganism or Isis from Egypt who became the ‘universal mother’/’Great Virgin’/Mother of the God’ of later pagan religion. Images of Isis holding Horus are similar to some early Christian madonnas. But “bearer of God”, title for Mary, was intended to honor the Son.
-“cult of saints and martyrs” grew in 4th cent. And was a blending of old paganism and Christianity. Chapels and churches began to be built over tombs of martyrs. Competition for saintly corpses soon turned to superstitious search for relics. This was supported by Jerome, Abrose, Augustine.
-Theodoret, Christian historian boasts that saints and martyrs took the place of pagan Gods of cities.
-The Church never taught that saints should be worshipped. They viewed them like a man at court who could get results by petitioning directly to the emperor.
-BV