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Christian Pagan
by Ogmios
The term "Christian Pagan" is occasionally seen as a
description of an individual who participates at some level within an
established Christian church, while functioning at a deeper level as
a Pagan who has yet to "come out of the broom closet".
There has been a significant amount of discussion in print and
on-line publications, internet discussion groups, and Pagan-friendly
chat rooms regarding whether this is a "legitimate"
religious position - and, whether Paganism and
Christianity can be considered even remotely compatible.
Fundamentally, the question comes down to: "Is Christian
Paganism an oxymoron? Or, are the terms to some degree redundant?"
Answering this question revolves around three primary points:
(1) How do we define Christianity? (2) What do we mean by
Paganism? and, (3) Does syncretistic behavior weaken one's
fundamental beliefs? This last point is critical because one
can argue quite effectively that Paganism and Christianity are two of
the world's most syncretistic religious positions. Let's look
at these points.
Syncretism The American Heritage Dictionary
defines syncretism as "the attempt or tendency to combine or
reconcile differing beliefs, as in philosophy or religion."
Modern Pagan practice (aka neo-Paganism - eg Wicca, Asatru, Huna)
is, in general, partially a result of "handed down" wisdom,
and partially a "reconstructed set of beliefs and
practices". As such, it is often an amalgamation of
multiple traditional belief systems. Celtic Path practitioners
have no difficulty in acknowledging or calling upon an Asatru
deity; modern Huna practitioners may utilize an approach
primarily known through the traditional Hindu belief system; et
cetera. The purist will argue that when this occurs the deity
being called upon or the practice being applied "fits" the
belief system being practiced; nevertheless, Frigg is not
another name for Cerridwen. Julius Cæsar often attempted
to draw this conclusion by linking Gallic deities to their "Roman
counterparts", but -despite this historic precedent - belief
systems do not have interchangeable parts.
Christianity is even more syncretistic than Paganism. A few
illustrations should suffice: Christianity's immaculate
conception, virgin birth, grotto/manger setting, December 25th date,
attending shepherds, Madonna and Child images, Easter eggs, and All
Saints Day are all drawn from other religions. This is actually
a very common practice among major religions (appropriating pieces
from each other), and does not necessarily detract from the validity
of the underlying message of the particular faith.
What is Christianity? Christianity is, at its most
fundamental, the expression of religious faith that is based upon the
life and teachings of the Jew that became known to followers as
"the Christ". The term Christus is a Latin equivalent
to the Hebrew Messiah, and merely indicates one who is
"anointed". This could refer to a political anointing
(e.g, a king) or, in the case of Christ, a spiritual anointing (i.e.
the Son of God). The most fundamentalist and traditionalist
Christians (e.g. Baptist, Mennonite, Roman Catholic, Orthodox)
generally consider Christ to be "God incarnate" -
literally, God in human flesh (i.e. Jesus of Nazareth). Over
the years, there have been serious divisions within the Christian
religion over specific, intricate interpretations of exactly what
this means. Early groups such as the Arians and Donatists, as
well as more recent groups (such as some of the modern Protestant
denominations) have had difficulty accepting the seemingly illogical
"Three in One", "Three in Person, One in
Substance", and "It's a Mystery" explanations of the
Christian Trinitarian Godhead in a monotheistic religion.
Although many Christians would like to define Christianity to include
only those people who believe as they do (and require a belief that
"Jesus is God in human form"), the presence of so many
patently Christian groups that are only comfortable with stating that
Christianity is "the faith that follows the teachings and
example of Jesus the Christ" requires us to broaden our basic
definition of Christian to include these people as well.
What is Paganism? Describe a snowflake. It
is often stated that "no two snowflakes are the same".
And, this may actually be accurate (or, at least nearly so).
Similarly, Paganism envelops a very broad range of beliefs -
incorporating the beliefs and practices of hundreds of established
paths, as well as the highly modified variations practiced by
thousands upon thousands of solitaries. So, "what is
Paganism?" is not an easy question to answer, although the
derivation appears fairly certain: the Latin term paganus
refers to a rural inhabitant, or "country dweller".
It seems clear that the urban population began to equate the fact
that someone was a villager (paganus) with their unique,
pre-Christian religious beliefs (hence, pagan) - just as the
residents of India equated a refugee from Persia (Hindi parsi) with
their religious beliefs (parsiism; known in the West as
Zoroastrianism). This derivation for "pagan" is
similar to the derivation of heathen from a person who lived on the
heath (Anglo-Saxon for "unploughed land"). If nothing
else, this puts Christians in the awkward position of claiming that
"paganism is a modern perversion" while simultaneously
deriving the name for the followers of this "modern
perversion" from pre-Christian country dwellers.
So, can someone be both? Not really; however, the
two belief systems are, in many ways, more alike than they are
different - particularly in their ritual and traditions. There
are notable similarities between the Pagan wheel of the year and the
Christian liturgical year, and this extends even more to
holidays. In a number of instances, various aspects, rituals,
and even the very origin of the holiday are almost certainly
pagan. So, while it would be extremely difficult to conceive of
someone who believes in the essence of both Christianity and
Paganism, finding someone who practices both is not too difficult to
imagine. The question thus becomes "why?".
The open practice of paganism often invites criticism, ridicule,
potential loss of job, social ostracization, and even bodily harm -
while the open practice of Christianity more likely encourages a
positive popular response. As the saying goes, "it doesn't
take a rocket scientist" to realize that, for many people,
"passing" as Christian can significantly simplify their
public life. And, although this deception may be offensive to
the purist, it is generally not very difficult for the closet pagan
to participate in most ostensibly Christian practices.
In future articles, we'll explore: the Liturgical
Calendar; the Christian seasons; many of the purportedly
Christian traits, traditions, and rituals; and, several of its
various holy days. And, we'll look at their meanings, practice,
and origins (both known and speculative). The purpose is
neither to criticize nor belittle Christianity (after all, many of
these Christian practices are patently Pagan in origin). If you
have a question regarding a specific holiday, practice, or belief,
pose it via e-Mail to TWPT and we'll try to address it in the
articles that follow. |
