Download or read book Revealing the Hidden Pagan Origins written by A L Childers and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2023-08-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In our modern society, many of our cherished holiday traditions have deep roots in ancient pagan festivals. As Christians, it is essential to understand and navigate the intersection between these pagan origins and our faith. We will explore various American holiday traditions that celebrate authentic pagan festivals and delve into their rich history and associated customs. We will explore various American holiday traditions that celebrate true pagan festivals and delve into their rich history and associated customs. We have explored other pagan festivals such as Beltane, Ostara, Imbolc, Lammas, and Mabon. By understanding their origins and traditions, we can engage in meaningful conversations about the intersections between Christianity and these ancient practices. While it may be tempting to ignore or dismiss the pagan origins of our holiday traditions, doing so would rob us of the opportunity to learn from history and engage in thoughtful discussions. By navigating this intersection with knowledge and respect, we can celebrate our Christian faith while also appreciating the rich tapestry of human history and culture. It is important to understand and navigate the intersection between these pagan origins and our faith.
Download or read book Christian Mythology written by Philippe Walter and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2014-11-20 with total page 221 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reveals how Christian mythology has more to do with long-standing pagan traditions than the Bible • Explains how the church fathers knowingly incorporated pagan elements into the Christian faith to ease the transition to the new religion • Identifies pagan deities that were incorporated into each of the saints • Shows how all the major holidays in the Christian calendar are modeled on pagan rituals and myths, including Easter and Christmas In this extensive study of the Christian mythology that animated Europe in the Middle Ages, author Philippe Walter reveals how these stories and the holiday traditions connected with them are based on long-standing pagan rituals and myths and have very little connection to the Bible. The author explains how the church fathers knowingly incorporated pagan elements into the Christian faith to ease the transition to the new religion. Rather than tear down the pagan temples in Britain, Pope Gregory the Great advised Saint Augustine of Canterbury to add the pagan rituals into the mix of Christian practices and transform the pagan temples into churches. Instead of religious conversion, it was simply a matter of convincing the populace to include Jesus in their current religious practices. Providing extensive documentation, Walter shows which major calendar days of the Christian year are founded on pagan rituals and myths, including the high holidays of Easter and Christmas. Examining hagiographic accounts of the saints, he reveals the origin of these symbolic figures in the deities worshipped in pagan Europe for centuries. He also explores how the identities of saints and pagan figures became so intermingled that some saints were transformed into pagan incarnations, such as Mary Magdalene’s conversion into one of the Celtic Ladies of the Lake. In revealing the pagan roots of many Christian figures, stories, and rituals, Walter provides a new understanding of the evolution of religious belief.
Download or read book Her Hidden Children written by Chas Clifton and published by Rowman Altamira. This book was released on 2006 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A history of wicca and neopaganism in the United States focusing on the post-WW II period.
Download or read book The Faiths of the Founding Fathers written by David L. Holmes and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2006-05-01 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It is not uncommon to hear Christians argue that America was founded as a Christian nation. But how true is this claim? In this compact book, David L. Holmes offers a clear, concise and illuminating look at the spiritual beliefs of our founding fathers. He begins with an informative account of the religious culture of the late colonial era, surveying the religious groups in each colony. In particular, he sheds light on the various forms of Deism that flourished in America, highlighting the profound influence this intellectual movement had on the founding generation. Holmes then examines the individual beliefs of a variety of men and women who loom large in our national history. He finds that some, like Martha Washington, Samuel Adams, John Jay, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Jefferson's daughters, held orthodox Christian views. But many of the most influential figures, including Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John and Abigail Adams, Jefferson, James and Dolley Madison, and James Monroe, were believers of a different stripe. Respectful of Christianity, they admired the ethics of Jesus, and believed that religion could play a beneficial role in society. But they tended to deny the divinity of Christ, and a few seem to have been agnostic about the very existence of God. Although the founding fathers were religious men, Holmes shows that it was a faith quite unlike the Christianity of today's evangelicals. Holmes concludes by examining the role of religion in the lives of the presidents since World War II and by reflecting on the evangelical resurgence that helped fuel the reelection of George W. Bush. An intriguing look at a neglected aspect of our history, the book will appeal to American history buffs as well as to anyone concerned about the role of religion in American culture.
Download or read book Pagan Christmas written by Christian Rätsch and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2006-10-24 with total page 559 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An examination of the sacred botany and the pagan origins and rituals of Christmas • Analyzes the symbolism of the many plants associated with Christmas • Reveals the shamanic rituals that are at the heart of the Christmas celebration The day on which many commemorate the birth of Christ has its origins in pagan rituals that center on tree worship, agriculture, magic, and social exchange. But Christmas is no ordinary folk observance. It is an evolving feast that over the centuries has absorbed elements from cultures all over the world--practices that give plants and plant spirits pride of place. In fact, the symbolic use of plants at Christmas effectively transforms the modern-day living room into a place of shamanic ritual. Christian Rätsch and Claudia Müller-Ebeling show how the ancient meaning of the botanical elements of Christmas provides a unique view of the religion that existed in Europe before the introduction of Christianity. The fir tree was originally revered as the sacred World Tree in northern Europe. When the church was unable to drive the tree cult out of people’s consciousness, it incorporated the fir tree by dedicating it to the Christ child. Father Christmas in his red-and-white suit, who flies through the sky in a sleigh drawn by reindeer, has his mythological roots in the shamanic reindeer-herding tribes of arctic Europe and Siberia. These northern shamans used the hallucinogenic fly agaric mushroom, which is red and white, to make their soul flights to the other world. Apples, which figure heavily in Christmas baking, are symbols of the sun god Apollo, so they find a natural place at winter solstice celebrations of the return of the sun. In fact, the authors contend that the emphasis of Christmas on green plants and the promise of the return of life in the dead of winter is just an adaptation of the pagan winter solstice celebration.
Download or read book Pagan and Christian Creeds written by Edward Carpenter and published by Book Tree. This book was released on 1999 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a systematic and logical approach to the origins of religion. Many common themes are shown to exist between Christianity and earlier Pagan religions that go back in time centuries before Christianity itself. Carpenter makes an effort to get to the very roots of religion in this book. He's trying to uncover where our religious concepts first originated, and reveals an evolutionary sequence which starts with phallic and procreative cults as having the earliest known impact. Following this came a cult of magic, much along the lines of Frazier's The Golden Bough, where spirits and earth divinities were worshipped. Lastly, came the belief in actual God-figures that came down from heaven. A big part of early religion also concerns the consciousness which is generally found today. Lastly, and most importantly. Carpenter mentions a third type of consciousness found in many of the rites and beliefs of ancient religions, but which we seem to have lost today. He considers this form of consciousness "unnamed, " but provides an Appendix on the doctrines of the Upanishads which, he says, at least gives us an idea concerning this third stage of consciousness and the mental attitude required. Only here, in this higher stage that we've been striving for, are the real facts of the inner life found.
Download or read book Jesus Interrupted written by Bart D. Ehrman and published by Harper Collins. This book was released on 2009-03-03 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The problems with the Bible that New Testament scholar Bart Ehrman discussed in his bestseller Misquoting Jesus—and on The Daily Show with John Stewart, NPR, and Dateline NBC, among others—are expanded upon exponentially in his latest book: Jesus, Interrupted. This New York Times bestseller reveals how books in the Bible were actually forged by later authors, and that the New Testament itself is riddled with contradictory claims about Jesus—information that scholars know… but the general public does not. If you enjoy the work of Elaine Pagels, Marcus Borg, John Dominic Crossan, and John Shelby Spong, you’ll find much to ponder in Jesus, Interrupted.
Download or read book Christianity The Origins of a Pagan Religion written by Philippe Walter and published by Inner Traditions. This book was released on 2006-06-27 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reveals how Christian mythology of the Middle Ages had more to do with paganism than the Bible • Identifies pagan deities that were incorporated into each of the saints • Shows how all the major holidays on the Christian calendar are modeled on long-standing pagan traditions This extensive study of the Christian mythology that animated medieval Europe shows that this mythology is primarily of pagan inspiration and that very little of it comes from the Bible. The fact that Christianity grafted itself onto earlier pagan worship was no mystery to the Church Fathers, Philippe Walter explains. Pagan elements were incorporated into the Christian faith on the advice of Pope Gregory the Great, who told Saint Augustine of Canterbury that rather than tear down the pagan temples in Britain, he should instead add the pagan rituals into the mix of Christian practices, thus providing an easy transition to the new religion. It was simply a matter of convincing the populace to slightly redirect their focus to include Jesus. In this highly documented work Walter shows which major calendar days of the Christian year are founded on pagan rituals and myths, including the high holidays of Easter and Christmas, a time when many pagans prepared for the coming of spirits who would leave gifts for those who honored their coming. Indeed, the identities of saints and pagan figures were so intermingled that some saints were even transformed into pagan incarnations. Mary Magdalene, for instance, became one of the ladies of the lake of Celtic legend. He also explores how the hagiographic accounts of the saints in the scriptures reveal the origin of these symbolic figures to be the deities worshiped in pagan Europe for centuries.
Download or read book Hidden But Now Revealed written by G. K. Beale and published by Inter-Varsity Press. This book was released on 2014-11-21 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the biblical conception of mystery as an initial, partially hidden revelation that is subsequently more fully revealed, shedding light not only on the richness of the concept itself, but also on the broader relationship between the Old and New Testaments. As such, it is a model for attentive and faithful biblical theology.
Download or read book Old Ways Old Secrets written by Jo Kerrigan and published by The O'Brien Press. This book was released on 2015-06-02 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a land like ours, the old beliefs bring pleasure and wisdom... Exploring the legends, special places and treasured practices of old, Jo Kerrigan reveals a rich world beneath Ireland's modern layers. So many of today's Irish traditions reach back to our ancient past, to the natural world: climbing to the summit of a mountain at harvest time; circling a revered site three, seven or nine times in a sun-wise direction; hanging offerings on a thorn tree; bringing the ailing and infirm to a sacred well. Old Ways, Old Secrets shows us how to uncover the wisdom of the past, as fresh as it is ancient. 'Inviting, lyrical text and beautiful, atmospheric photographs ... A fascinating read.' Evening Echo on West Cork: A Place Apart
Download or read book Signs and Mysteries written by Mike Aquilina and published by Our Sunday Visitor. This book was released on 2008-08-04 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Imagine the dangerous life of an early Christian. You've embraced your newfound faith in Christ but fear the risk of persecution or death at the hands of the pagans living around you. Then a trusted friend tells you about some of Jesus' followers who secretly meet. He whispers into your ear, "Look for a fish carved in a paving stone" by a certain home on the Via Tiburtina. You smile in gratitude. Still today, modern society recognizes those Christian symbols that kept the early Christians safely connected: they appear on churches, bumper stickers, mugs -- even mints and stuffed animals. Yet we are often ignorant of the rich meaning of these symbols: their origins in Scripture, in ancient culture, and in the preaching of the Church Fathers. In this book, noted author Mike Aquilina conducts an intriguing and insightful tour of the symbols that expressed the life and devotion of the Church through the first four centuries of its existence. He explains how Christians freely borrowed pagan and Jewish symbols, giving them new, distinctly Christian meanings. Recover the zeal of our spiritual ancestors as you learn to read their symbolic language -- and discover the impact the symbols still have on your life today. More than a hundred illustrations, reproduced by artist Lea Marie Ravotti from the ancient originals, beautifully complement the text. View a mulitmedia presentation and listen to an interview of the author here.
Download or read book Pagan Streams written by Daniel Kelly and published by Createspace Independent Pub. This book was released on 2011-09-14 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Bible is a river with many tributaries. Join author Daniel Kelly in following the parallel myths, the pagan streams, back to the hidden wellsprings of mystical source, pristine and primeval. The main themes of Pagan Steams: An Inquiry Into The Origins Of The Bible are as follows: -Parallel myths. We investigate specific myths and folktales, from all around the world, that parallel specific Bible stories. The extensive footnotes and endnotes cite hundreds of primary ancient texts and authoritative academic translations. -Spiritual meaning. The purpose of Pagan Streams is not only to uncover historical truths, but also, and even more so, to discover spiritual truths. The Bible is merely our starting point. We seek to discover the great truths enshrined within every religious and cultural tradition. -Science and metaphysics. Ancient myths and scriptures often reveal an astoundingly advanced understanding of nature. Pagan Streams: An Inquiry Into The Origins Of The Bible seeks to bridge the divide betwixt the ancient understanding of nature and that of conventional modern science. Pagan Streams: An Inquiry Into The Origins Of The Bible is meant for the open-minded reader, as a literary sanctuary of sorts, complete with gardens and pavilions. Enjoy the scenery, take what you will, and share it with others.
Download or read book The Immortality Key written by Brian C. Muraresku and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2020-09-29 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER As seen on The Joe Rogan Experience! A groundbreaking dive into the role psychedelics have played in the origins of Western civilization, and the real-life quest for the Holy Grail that could shake the Church to its foundations. The most influential religious historian of the 20th century, Huston Smith, once referred to it as the "best-kept secret" in history. Did the Ancient Greeks use drugs to find God? And did the earliest Christians inherit the same, secret tradition? A profound knowledge of visionary plants, herbs and fungi passed from one generation to the next, ever since the Stone Age? There is zero archaeological evidence for the original Eucharist – the sacred wine said to guarantee life after death for those who drink the blood of Jesus. The Holy Grail and its miraculous contents have never been found. In the absence of any hard data, whatever happened at the Last Supper remains an article of faith for today’s 2.5 billion Christians. In an unprecedented search for answers, The Immortality Key examines the archaic roots of the ritual that is performed every Sunday for nearly one third of the planet. Religion and science converge to paint a radical picture of Christianity’s founding event. And after centuries of debate, to solve history’s greatest puzzle. Before the birth of Jesus, the Ancient Greeks found salvation in their own sacraments. Sacred beverages were routinely consumed as part of the so-called Ancient Mysteries – elaborate rites that led initiates to the brink of death. The best and brightest from Athens and Rome flocked to the spiritual capital of Eleusis, where a holy beer unleashed heavenly visions for two thousand years. Others drank the holy wine of Dionysus to become one with the god. In the 1970s, renegade scholars claimed this beer and wine – the original sacraments of Western civilization – were spiked with mind-altering drugs. In recent years, vindication for the disgraced theory has been quietly mounting in the laboratory. The constantly advancing fields of archaeobotany and archaeochemistry have hinted at the enduring use of hallucinogenic drinks in antiquity. And with a single dose of psilocybin, the psychopharmacologists at Johns Hopkins and NYU are now turning self-proclaimed atheists into instant believers. But the smoking gun remains elusive. If these sacraments survived for thousands of years in our remote prehistory, from the Stone Age to the Ancient Greeks, did they also survive into the age of Jesus? Was the Eucharist of the earliest Christians, in fact, a psychedelic Eucharist? With an unquenchable thirst for evidence, Muraresku takes the reader on his twelve-year global hunt for proof. He tours the ruins of Greece with its government archaeologists. He gains access to the hidden collections of the Louvre to show the continuity from pagan to Christian wine. He unravels the Ancient Greek of the New Testament with the world’s most controversial priest. He spelunks into the catacombs under the streets of Rome to decipher the lost symbols of Christianity’s oldest monuments. He breaches the secret archives of the Vatican to unearth manuscripts never before translated into English. And with leads from the archaeological chemists at UPenn and MIT, he unveils the first scientific data for the ritual use of psychedelic drugs in classical antiquity. The Immortality Key reconstructs the suppressed history of women consecrating a forbidden, drugged Eucharist that was later banned by the Church Fathers. Women who were then targeted as witches during the Inquisition, when Europe’s sacred pharmacology largely disappeared. If the scientists of today have resurrected this technology, then Christianity is in crisis. Unless it returns to its roots. Featuring a Foreword by Graham Hancock, the NYT bestselling author of America Before.
Download or read book Christianity and Mythology written by Thomas Sawyer Spivey and published by . This book was released on 1927 with total page 144 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Draws clear connections between ancient mythology and the Christian religion. How is it that forms of pagan worship and various gods could be connected to a religion that, on the surface, seems to stand on its own? Spivey answers this question with page after page of word and language analysis, exploring word origins and mythological belief systems, showing how these words and beliefs were carried over and why. He reveals a message or hidden code by early Church fathers. The worship of the sun, fire, light, and of the heavens and stars had much to do with this message. Covers many Greek and Roman gods, with an explanation of their meanings, functions, and relation to Christianity. Warning: May cause one to reexamine their own personal beliefs." --
Download or read book Spellbound Secrets Unveiling The Mysteries Of Wiccan Magic written by www.witchcraftvibes.com and published by THE PUBLISHER. This book was released on 2024-03-21 with total page 73 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spellbound Secrets: Unveiling The Mysteries Of Wiccan Magic is a comprehensive guide that introduces readers to the fascinating world of Wiccan magic. The book explores the history, principles, and tools of Wicca, providing a solid foundation for practitioners. From casting spells and performing rituals to divination and fortune-telling, the author delves into various aspects of magickal practice. Readers will learn about the power of a coven and the rituals associated with different life events such as handfasting, Wiccaning, and rites of passage. Additionally, the book delves into the importance of ethical practices and personal responsibilities for witches. From connecting with deities and spirits to harnessing lunar energies and transformative magick, Spellbound Secrets covers a wide range of topics, including creating sacred spaces and working with mythical creatures. The book also explores the magick of love and maintaining balance in relationships. With its accessible writing style and in-depth exploration of Wiccan magic, Spellbound Secrets is a must-read for anyone interested in the practice of Wicca or seeking to expand their knowledge of magickal arts.
Download or read book Jesus the Wicked Priest written by Marvin Vining and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2008-03-27 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Decodes the Dead Sea Scrolls to reveal Christianity’s hidden Essene origins • Reveals the Essenes as key figures behind Jesus’s trial, torture, and crucifixion • Shows how Jesus, a former Essene himself, was deemed “the Wicked Priest” for his liberationist politics and humanist bent • Examines the lost Christian doctrine of reincarnation and the secret role of Gabriel in the Virgin Birth The Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in 1947 at Qumran, are generally believed to have been written by a Jewish sect known as the Essenes between 350 BCE and 70 CE--but until now no convincing methodology has linked the Scrolls to the actual life and teachings of Jesus. Marvin Vining builds from the controversial work of Barbara Thiering to demonstrate that the Scrolls do speak directly to the origins of Christianity and even reflect a mirror image of the Gospels from the perspective of Jesus’s enemies. Christianity arose out of a schism between the exclusivist, rigid, and militant views of the Essenes and the inclusivist, tolerant, and nonviolent views of Jesus. Jesus was raised an Essene, but he refused to follow their orthodoxy. Vining shows that the Dead Sea Scrolls are written in a secret coded language called pesher in which Jesus emerges as the Wicked Priest, the antagonist to the Teacher of Righteousness who was the leader of the Essenes. Jesus the Wicked Priest revitalizes the Gospel message by revealing Jesus’s true role as a tireless social reformer and revolutionary teacher. Vining’s study reopens Christian doctrinal questions supposedly long settled, such as reincarnation and the Virgin birth--even demonstrating that these two issues are related. He discloses that the angel Gabriel was incarnate in a living human being and transmitted the seed of a holy bloodline to the Virgin Mary.
Download or read book Inner Christianity written by Richard Smoley and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2002-10-08 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An eye-opening introduction to the complex world of esoteric Christianity—perfect for the general reader This guide to mystical and esoteric Christianity speaks from a nonsectarian point of view, unearthing insights from the whole of the Christian tradition, orthodox and heretical, famous and obscure. The esoteric tradition has traditionally searched for meanings that would yield a deeper inner knowledge of the divine. While traditional Christianity draws a timeline from Adam's Fall to the Day of Judgment, the esoteric often sees time as folding in on itself, bringing every point to the here and now. While the Church fought bitterly over dogma, the esoteric borrowed freely from other traditions—Kabbalah, astrology, and alchemy—in their search for metaphors of inner truth. Rather than basing his book around exponents of esoteric doctrine, scholar Richard Smoley concentrates on the questions that are of interest to every searching Christian. How can one attain direct spiritual experience? What does "the Fall" really tell us about coming to terms with the world we live in? Can we find salvation in everyday life? How can we ascend, spiritually, through the various levels of existence? What was Christ's true message to humankind? From the Gospel of Thomas to A Course in Miracles, from the Jesus Prayer to alchemy and Tarot, from Origen to Dante to Jung, Richard Smoley sheds the light of an alternative Christianity on these issues and more.
