Paganism And Christianity

Words: 1455
Pages: 6
Open Document
Pagan & Christian Beliefs, Rituals & Myths: A Comparison
Most definitions of the word Pagan from most contemporary dictionaries is summed up as “A religion differing from main-world religion”. If we were to go backwards from contemporary dictionaries then we would likely find the definition “A religion differing from Christianity”. There has been a long-standing and tense relation between Christianity and Paganism, but how different are they really? Obviously they have differences and similarities but to what extent? Furthermore what do these overlapping characteristics mean in regard to each other, was it coincidence or correlation? If correlation than what caused the effect? Questions such as these are why research and discussion for this …show more content…
While Christianity has these, they are typically less intense and barbaric, focusing more on the symbolism than the act itself. One example of this is in “foundation sacrifice”. Foundation sacrifice is a Pagan ritual which involves burying a live member of the church when building a place for worship in order to instill spirituality and protect the building. Christians altered this method by changing what they too buried animal sacrifice or just things of sentimental or monetary value, if they even continued to do the practice at all. One reason that the Christian’s have a more narrow set of ritual is because of focusing on the symbolism more than the act. If Christians are more focused on the symbolism of a ritual, than they would only want to follow rituals that appeal to the active parts of their faith. On the other-hand, Paganisms intense lengthy rituals gives a wide room with a broad subject for interpretation considering their faith. …show more content…
This impact hasn’t always been positive for the Pagans but harsh times can sometimes prove to be beneficial in some way. Before assimilating Pagan culture and beliefs, Christians tried to flat out oppress the Pagans. While this is somewhat cloudy as there is no one body of Paganism, and especially more so back when the word was first thought of. Christianity played a big role in the dwindling of Paganism in the 7th-9th century. Christian missionaries spent a lot of effort into converting the Pagan tribes which inhabited the British Isles. Iceland, Denmark and Norway all resisted this change until considerably later in history, although they were affected. Christians successfully succeeded in making themselves the main European religion, although they did not completely eradicate Pagan practices. (Phillips)
Show More

Related Documents: Paganism And Christianity

Paganism and Christianity Essay

Jonathan Bryant Mrs. Llewellyn Honors English 4 24 October 2014 Paganism and Christianity “Do not cite the deep magic to me, Witch. I was there when it was written” (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe). This is just one example of the attitudes portrayed towards the modern idea of a witch. From the Wicked Witch of the West to the White Witch of Narnia, witches have become prevalent in popular culture. The portrayals of these characters as sinister villains betray the lack…

Words 1963 - Pages 8

From Paganism To Christianity In Beowulf

Beowulf was written when the society was converting from Paganism to Christianity. In this epic poem, these two religions come through the actions of the different characters, so the author promotes the Christian and pagan religions by preaching and writing about both. Christianity, and the reference to the Christian God influences the story of Beowulf in many ways. For instance, the author describes Grendel as a very inhuman and monstrous character because he is a biblical allusion of evil. This…

Words 429 - Pages 2

Constantine Christian Influence

Constantine emerged as a ruler in 324 transforming Christianity from a precariously tolerated sect into the religion formally favored by the emperor. Once Constantine passed his successor Constantius II took place trying to reform Christianity by implementing Paganism. Constantine II referred to Christians as “the Apostate”, which means the rejection of Christianity by someone who formerly was a Christian. Constantine II attempt to restore Paganism lasted until Julian, cousin to Constantine II died…

Words 505 - Pages 3

Religion In Beowulf Essay

the history of literature, religion is quite frequently a major topic that is used for writing. During the time period of the epic poem, Beowulf, two religions were competing for popularity. When Paganism was thriving, Beowulf was being told orally. Therefore, when the poem was put onto paper, Paganism was rapidly beginning to be converted into Christian values. The pagan elements of the story are threaded through the writing because that is how the story was told. The Christian elements are more…

Words 563 - Pages 3

Essay On Roman Empire Religion

The Roman Empire religion from about 1 to 400 AD was of two types through this type from. The first was Paganism which was a mix of fragmented rituals, taboos, superstitions, and traditions which they collected over the years from a number of sources (Roman Paganism). The other was predominantly Christianity. The religious was there at home, but it was primarily based off the head of the household which was the father at the time. In the public eye the religion was what the Emperor announced it to…

Words 1405 - Pages 6

Religion In Beowulf

played an important part in the function of a changing society. During the time that Beowulf was written, Britain’s belief structure underwent a significant change with Christianity and Paganism coexisting throughout Europe. Originally led by the Celtic faith, society was in the process of converting from Paganism to Christianity. The evolution of religion during this era is quite obvious, as religious philosophies interacted and influenced the interpretations of this epic poem. The narrator moves…

Words 1181 - Pages 5

Essay on Humanities 1

powerful religious, character, and family morals. Morals were important and followed by the women in The Vinland Sagas. The first moral is to follow their religion. The Vinland Sagas talk about two religions: paganism and Christianity. The first religion talked about is paganism. In paganism, there are “Nine Noble Virtues” stated by the Patheos Library. One of these nine noble virtues is “Hospitality – kindness to strangers, travelers, and those who are in need” (Patheos Library). Gudrid follows this…

Words 1409 - Pages 6

Paganism In Beowulf Essay

Jesse Williams Dr. Wardell EN 211 2/22/17 Elements of Christianity and Paganism in Beowulf Beowulf is one of the oldest of the long epics written in English, and it is revered as one of the most important pieces of literature written in Old English. The poem is an epic tale of heroism that has many religious themes spread throughout. It is believed to be composed as an oral tradition during the first half of the eighth century, and transcribed in the eleventh century. Because it began as an oral…

Words 572 - Pages 3

Essay about Beowulf: Beowulf and Beowulf J. R. R. Tolkien

funeral traditions, and the armor and weapons they used during battle. In Anglo-Saxon society their religion began to change. At the time, paganism was the primary religion; no specific god, but gods. The life you lived was short, miserable, and pointless. Many people feared death, and Christianity offered eternal life in heaven after you passed away. “Christianity opened up a bright new possibility: that the suffering of this world was merely a prelude to the eternal happiness of heaven. No one knows…

Words 581 - Pages 3

Beowulf: What It Means To Be A Pagan Warrior

Beowulf was written when the Anglo-Saxons of Britian were converting to Christianity, yet their society was struggling to establish their identity within this new belief system. This Old English epic depicts the heroic exploits of the Anglo-Saxon warrior, Beowulf. Beowulf is hero that stands for strength, decency, righteousness and bravery. He is not just fighting a physical fight but a personal battle between Paganism and Christianity. Throughout the poem, various characters display their faith and love…

Words 867 - Pages 4