Pagan influences on 1st Century Christianity.
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SEA OF FAITH IN AUSTRALIA (SoFiA) - Melbourne.
Some of us are participating in SoFiA's online event.
"PAGAN INFLUENCES ON 1st CENTURY CHRISTIANITY".
John Noack (Carl Jung Society) will present the topic and lead the discussion.
I have recently re-read the book “Mary Magdalene: The Woman whom Jesus Loved” by Robin Griffiths-Jones. This book deals with both the flesh-and blood Mary Magdalene, who was humanized as a devoted follower of Jesus and also the celestial and meta-physical Sophia, who expresses and represents the feminine principle.
In contrast to Science which always seeks empirical facts, those persons in quest of a Spirituality of experiential fulfilment, which will nourish their Psyches or Souls, will find that G-O-D can imply for them the exploration of ”Ground of Divinity” in the vast Cosmos and in their Souls or Psyches. This involves a more subjective, interpretative, symbol-based and metaphorically-expressed language, where “God” can become the Integrating Self.
Thus, it has often been noted that when humanity emerged and experienced the light and the life-bestowing heat from the sky-based solar disk, the Sun was personified and interpreted as the Lord of the Heavens and the Ruler of the Cosmos. The early Hebrews kept such solar features in their celestial deity “Yahweh” and the first-century Jewish Christians appear to have done the same with their “Yahweh Saves”, referred to as Joshua or Jesus.
Mark’s Gospel clearly presents earthly depictions of a personified Godman, based on the annual seasonal and zodiacal cycle of the Sun. This solar aspect is prominent in both the Transfiguration Story at Mt Hermon north of Galilee and in the later Conversion of Paul at the same location
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Meeting ID: 842 6352 5541 - - Passcode: 291023
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