The Influence of the Mystery Religions on Christianity information
Essay written by Martin Luther King, Jr
"The Influence of the Mystery Religions on Christianity" is an essay written from November 29, 1949, to February 15, 1950, by Martin Luther King Jr. It was written for a course on "The Development of Christian Ideas" at the Crozer Theological Seminary taught by George Washington Davis, who gave it an A grade.[1] It duplicates some material from "A Study of Mithraism" (1949), a previous essay King wrote for a course on Greek religion taught by Morton Scott Enslin.[2]
In the essay, King endeavors to show how five major mystery religions influenced Christianity. These religions include the cult of Cybele and Attis, the cult of Adonis, the worship of Osiris and Isis, the Eleusinian Mysteries, and Mithraism.[3]
^Carson et al. 1992, p. 294.
^Carson et al. 1992, p. 224, 294.
^Carson et al. 1992, pp. 297-310.
and 28 Related for: The Influence of the Mystery Religions on Christianity information
African and Iranian religions. The term Abrahamic religions (Christianity, Judaism and Islam) is often used instead of using the East and West terminology...
imperial cult, the various mysteryreligions, religious philosophies such as Neoplatonism and Gnosticism, and more localized ethnic religions practiced both...
Jesus was the prophesied Messiah and they continued their adherence to Jewish law. Jewish Christianity is the foundation of Early Christianity, which later...
2006-09-03. Thomas Riggs (2006). "Christianity: Coptic Christianity". Worldmark Encyclopedia of Religious Practices: Religions and denominations. Thomson Gale...
Christianity (/ˌkrɪst(ʃ)iˈænɪti/) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based onthe life and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is the world's largest and...
ancestry from elsewhere in the Empire. Imported mysteryreligions, which offered initiates salvation in the afterlife, were a matter of personal choice for an...
The decline of ancient Egyptian religion is largely attributed to the spread ofChristianity in Egypt. Its strict monotheistic nature did not allow the...
Chinese folk religion. The People's Republic of China is officially an atheist state, but the government formally recognizes five religions: Buddhism, Taoism...
Religionsgeschichtliche Schule ("history ofreligions school", 19th century) had a profound influenceonthe study of Gnosticism. The Religionsgeschichtliche Schule...
restricted the practice of non-Christian religions. Mystery cults died out near the start ofthe fifth century. They existed alongside Christianity for centuries...
believe that the similarities between these religions indicate that thereligions are related, a belief known as patternism. Many religionsofthe ancient...
Eastern religions (including Abrahamic religions and Iranian religions), Indian religions, East Asian religions, African religions, American religions, Oceanic...
the Edict of Milan expressing tolerance for all religions thereby legalizing Christian worship. He did not make Christianitythe state religion, but did...
both Buddhism and Christianity hold that there is no direct historical evidence of any influence by Buddhism on early Christianity. Scholars generally...
indoctrinated into mysteryreligions through initiation ceremonies, which were traditionally kept secret. These religions often had a goal of personal improvement...
pre-Roman Celtic religion. Mysteryreligions, focused on individual otherworldly salvation, originating from the southeastern provinces ofthe Roman Empire...
Criticism ofChristianity has a long history which stretches back to the initial formation ofthereligion in the Roman Empire. Critics have challenged...
America Religion in South America Religions by country List of state-established religions Buddhism by country Buddhism in the United States Christianity by...
adherents often frown upon the application ofthe label, especially those who belong to "revealed" religions, such as Abrahamic religions, or any system with...
the study of religious doctrines of salvation. Salvation theory occupies a place of special significance in many religions. In the academic field of religious...
be found worshipping in the civic religion, and as initiates of other mystery cults. Orphic speculation influencedthe cult of Mithras at times. In Orphic...
Dharmic religions East Asian religions Eleusinian Mysteries Henotheism Jungian psychology Kemetism List of pagans List of modern pagan movements List of modern...
the Mithraic mysteries or the Cult of Mithras, was a Roman mysteryreligion centered onthe god Mithras. Although inspired by Iranian worship ofthe Zoroastrian...
The Eleusinian Mysteries (Greek: Ἐλευσίνια Μυστήρια, romanized: Eleusínia Mystḗria) were initiations held every year for the cult of Demeter and Persephone...
Christianity or Pauline theology (also Paulism or Paulanity), otherwise referred to as Gentile Christianity, is the theology and form ofChristianity...
for religion, particularly the Catholic strain ofChristianity. The city is commonly regarded as the "home ofthe Catholic Church", owing to the ecclesiastical...
Global Information