Thursday, April 22, 2010

Pagan Culture in Christianity

Christianity has always had a blend of pagan culture in their art and theology. I believe that this blend started at the fall and spiraled down ever since. It is a part of us as humans and of the flesh to flee from the truth and anything not of what the Lord created, otherwise known as pagan. It is something that has been, is, and always will be apart of who we are Christian or not. This unattractiveness to the truth in Christianity is seen in all of aspects of our life, even art.

In ancient history the toga was something considered ‘pagan’ because it was used by the Romans. Never the less many Christians artists portray many kinds of ‘Christian’ people wearing them, even Jesus and the disciples themselves. They took Jesus and the disciples out of context and placed them in something pagan.

Another example that is pretty far out there is in the use of Christian architecture. One might think that Christians were not even originally considered have a building to worship the Lord in so extravagant. If you think about the members of the early church met in homes not in large designated buildings calcified as churches. Many people might think that meeting in buildings like this could be considered pagan.

I also believe that a large part of this idea about Christianity using pagan ideas is something that relies on the context, both time and place. Believes and society change and with that religion changes as well.

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