Pagan & Christian Creeds: Their Origin and MeaningCosimo, Inc., 01/12/2005 - 324 páginas The main Christian doctrines and festivals, besides a great mass of affiliated legend and ceremonial, are really quite directed derived from, and related to, preceding Nature worships; and it has only been by a good deal of deliberate mystification and falsification that this derivation has been kept out of sight.-from "Solar Myths and Christian Festivals"Socialist advocate, progressive educator, and amateur mystic, Edward Carpenter is perhaps best remembered today for his conflicted homosexuality, an attitude that infuses even this 1920/US work of comparative mythology, which seeks to rehabilitate the sexual longings and sensual traditions of pagan mythologies and how they influenced Christian theology. In this examination of the ancient roots of modern religion, Carpenter explores the concepts of ritual dancing, sex taboos, rites of initiation, magic associated with food and vegetation, and much more. Singing with secrets and mysteries, this is a timeless work of the numinous that will delight anyone who seeks a connection with the past and with the corporeal and carnal foundations of human spirituality.British activist and writer EDWARD CARPENTER (1844-1929) produced books and pamphlets on a wide variety of subjects; his works include Prisons, Police, and Punishment (1905) and The Religious Influence of Art (1870). He is best known for his epic poem cycle, Towards Democracy (1883). |
Índice
| 9 | |
| 19 | |
| 36 | |
| 54 | |
FOOD AND VEGETATION MAGIC | 69 |
MAGICIANS KINGS AND GODS | 86 |
RITES OF EXPIATION AND REDEMPTION | 100 |
PAGAN INITIATIONS AND THE SECOND BIRTH | 117 |
THE SEXTABOO | 180 |
THE GENESIS OF CHRISTIANITY | 198 |
THE MEANING OF IT ALL | 222 |
THE ANCIENT MYSTERIES | 239 |
THE EXODUS OF CHRISTIANITY | 257 |
CONCLUSION | 271 |
I REST | 283 |
THE NATURE OF THE SELF | 295 |
MYTH OF THE GOLDEN AGE | 137 |
THE SAVIOURGOD AND THE VIRGINMOTHER | 154 |
RITUAL DANCING | 163 |
INDEX | 309 |
Outras edições - Ver tudo
Pagan and Christian Creeds: Their Origin and Meaning Edward Carpenter Pré-visualização limitada - 1999 |
Palavras e frases frequentes
ancient animals anthropomorphic Attis Augeas Aztecs become belief birth blood body born Bull called centuries ceremonies Christ Christian Church connection consciousness constellation course creatures creeds cults Cybele dance death Dionysus divine doctrine doubt early earth Egyptian Eucharist evolution fact fear festival Frazer Gilbert Murray Gnostic gods Golden Bough Gospel Greek heaven holy human human evolution idea imagine initiation inner instinct Isis J. G. Frazer Jesus Lamb later legends lingam magic mankind means mind Mithra Mithraism modern morality mysteries myth nature origin Osiris pagan perceive perhaps period priests primitive race religion religious represented resurrection rites ritual sacred sacrifice salvation savage Saviour self-consciousness sense similar slain soul Spirit stage Sungod supposed symbol taboos Temple Themis things thought tion to-day totem tree tribal tribe unity Upanishads Vernal Equinox victim Virgin whole word worship Zodiac
Passagens conhecidas
Página 188 - A monstrous eft was of old the Lord and Master of Earth, For him did his high sun flame, and his river billowing ran, And he felt himself in his force to be Nature's crowning race. As nine months go to the shaping an infant ripe for his birth, So many a million of ages have gone to the making of man: He now is first, but is he the last? is he not too base?
Página 110 - They addressed him in their prayers as "the god by whom we live," " omnipresent, that knoweth all thoughts and giveth all gifts," " without whom man is as nothing," " invisible, incorporeal, one god, of perfect perfection and purity," " under whose wings we find repose and a sure defence.
Página 120 - DEARLY beloved, forasmuch as all men are conceived and born in sin ; and that our Saviour Christ saith, None can enter into the kingdom of God, except he be regenerate and born anew of Water and of the Holy Ghost...
Página 174 - Heaven lies about us in our infancy ! Shades of the prison-house begin to close Upon the growing Boy, But He beholds the light, and whence it flows, He sees it in his joy ; The Youth, who daily farther from the East Must travel, still is Nature's Priest, And by the vision splendid Is on his way attended; At length the Man perceives it die away, And fade into the light of common day.
Página 120 - Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Página 238 - Saviour: knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
Página 122 - O MERCIFUL God, grant that the old Adam in this child may be so buried, that the new man may be raised up in him.