PAUL AN D TH E ST . MYSTERY RELIG IO N S V’ ‘ FRANKLIN i ROUPE . JO H N , M A OFPH OCT 1 5 1964 BO STO N : THE GORHAM PRESS K : C PP C co . TORONTO THE O LAR , LIMITED COPYRIGH T 19 17 BY OH N FRANKLIN T ROUP E , , J A LL R IGH TS R e s a a v e o m M a d e i n th e Un i te d Sta t e s o f A e ri ca , T rh a m P re s s B s n U A . h e G o , o t o , . S . O WIFE T MY FOREWORD In the following pages I have endeavored to show that Saint Paul is no more indebted to the Mystery u i Religions , for the s pport which he lent to Christian ty , than a ny man is indebted to any other man because he uses the language which they both have in common . I have en deavored to approach the subject with an open and unbiased mind s o that the conclusions a rrived at may be regarded a s the result which the facts them r i selves wa rant , and not the result o f prej ud ce . A K P . JOHN FR N LIN TROU E, M . A e a rk a N w P , P . CO NTENTS Ch a p t e r C I . INTRODU TION TH E CuLTs — DI ON Y II . MYSTERY DEMETER, S A O P C SU , ND R HI CYBELE—ATTIS CULT OS A AP S S . ISIS, IRIS ND SER I CULT A v . MITHR CULT HERMETI C MYSTERY LITERATURE . C STOI ISM . A G I N TREPRETATI ON V III . LE ITIMATE OF TH E FACTS PRESENTED X TH E S A S I N I . POS IBILITY OF JUD I M BEING FU EN CED BY HELLENISTI C CULTURE X . A A A DET ILED REL TION OF ST . P UL TO TH E TERMINOLOGY OF TH E MYSTERY RELIGION S X I V . APPARENT E IDEN CE OF DOUBLE PERSON ALITY PASSAGES ’ X I I TH E . C P LEADING CON E TIONS OF ST . PAUL S THOUGHT ARE ROOTED IN TH E O LD 6 6 X . AP A A A G III B TISM L RITES OF P G N RELI IONS . X I V C . SA RIFI CIAL MEALS IN RELATION To TH E MYSTERY RELIGION S X V . CON CLUSION S PAUL AN D TH E ST . MYSTERY RELIG IO N S I I ntroduc ti on O s um up all things in Christ, the things in th”e heavens and the things upon the earth ; in him . ’ : . Eph . i I O This appears to be St Paul s interpreta ’ ’ lli nclu i hilo s o tion o f the Creator s a s v e plan . Such a p phy o f history arouses a religious enthusiasm , which increases i n intensity as the search for religious truth advances . It teaches us , that St . Paul regarded Christianity , not as an isolated , abstract entity , but as ’ the absolute and final phase of God s dealing with his creatures a n d that we should not be surpri sed i f we o f Gre e ci a n find in it , the noblest elements philosophy , t the highest surviving truths of o her religions , the o o f the logical fervor the Hebrews , together with a i o f u i unique revelat on . The origin Pa line Christian ty cannot be attributed to a mere summing up O f these o f i s e elements , but an understanding it dep ndent upon n u an u derstanding of these elements , j st as an appreciation o f the symphony is dependent upon an appreciation of the individual pieces in the orchestra . Because of the exceedingly scanty knowledge of the i times in which Chr stianity took its rise , and because o f the popular idea that it is an eternally fixed quantity of doctrine , devotion and discipline , it may at first appear difficult for us to determine whether the new I I A T N 1 2 ST . P UL AND H E MYSTERY RELIGIO S wa s o r religion at the outset a closed revelation , o f i n i n whether it is the product a develop g process , i fluence d by environmental forces . In modern t mes we are beginning to think o f religion in terms o f ex n e C ha s a s pe ri e c . The loister been abandoned forever ou r the place to cultivate true piety . We now carry ‘ l with us re igion into the market places , believing that it i n is at its best when practice . I f there is any truth in ’ t Jeremy Taylor s O ften quo ed phrase , the child is the s truc father O f the man , then certainly , the religious ture O f the men o f tomorrow i s dependent upon the environmental framework of the children of today . And any faith which i s incapable of adj us ting itsel f to the urgent needs Of the times , is not to be considered a “ o f part that Gospel , o f which Jesus said , my grace is sufficient for the e f Notwithstanding , many are disposed to foster the claim that early Christianity was entirely free from u such environmental infl ence . Such an attitude , no i o ut doubt , ar ses O f the \commendable desire to retain S Oi n » o d , Q EQQ EEY But by g it may be that they are snatching Christianity away from its proper rela tions and treating it as an intruder into the divinely de o f creed course human history . I f there is no source O f inspiration in existence today from which we hesi to o f no t tate draw , in behal f Christianity , may it be reasonable to suppose that primiti ve Christia nity would i s a gain rather than lose , i f it discovered that St . P ul wa s wide awake to all pha s es o f human activity ? o u o s s ibil From this p int o f view , let s consider the p ity of St . Paul being influenced by contact with other INTRODUCTION 1 3 le s s s te e me d i t fo di ha t hw a s ”not be a “ g if is ug Winfluenced o 0 o cont c I f It 18 sufic h d w nor more esteemed found that tzw y am l fl he was not influenced by such contact . In the light o f i o f the high conception wh ch Paul had the new faith , it may seem difficult to see how he could derive anything e from conte mporary sources . He cond mns both Pag ani s m and Judaism and pronounces an anathema upon ’ ’ " ‘ ’ ’ hri ti hi li h fii efifig ?C s t er a h m a vf cii a y6 t t S “ But thou preach unto you any Gospel other than that which we : 8 preached unto you , let him be anathema . Gal . i . In 2 n i . : a d n . I . Cor i 3 , he harshly criticises Judaism Gal 2 he I 4 , observes tha”t it is only a temporary tutor to bring us unto Christ . The philosophy of the Greeks ‘ ’ he regards as vain deceit a nd the popular reli gions he ‘ ’ o declares to be senseless id latry . Such sweeping condemnations , however, are not S s more than hould be expected under the circum tances . e All criticism must necessarily be harsh . All cont mp o rary religions are regarded as built upon a fallacious principle , consequently , the critic does not pause to dwell upo n the virtues entangled in the mass O f alleged is error . But it not more than fair to suppose that some valuable truths were occasionally found and sometimes even absorbed , perhaps , by the new faith . It seldom happens that the vi ctorious debater fails to learn some thing from his vanquished opponent, though in the heat of the conflict he may sternly condemn a s wo rth hi ’ I s . t less , all opponent s arguments may be that the i s t i s same true in the case of St . Paul . We know hat h merciless criticism of Judaism did not dete r hi m from incorpora ting into Christianity such o f i ts mate rials a s ST N T T N S 1 4 . PAUL A D H E MYS ERY RELIGIO hi s were advantageous , nor did opposition to the Gen tiles hinder him from recognizing that it wa s possible for them to please God by following the dictates O f . t their own conscience Thus it appears , hat opposition no t to other faiths as religious systems , did hinder him from actually appropriating from them all that wa s useful and ofg ood re po fl . Paul further emphasizes this idea in his assertion O f the belie f that Christianity was the legitimate heir o us l i i . o en y ex st ng go d , maintaining that the course o f past history wa s preliminary to the e s li hme n S O ta b s t of Christianity .