Discuss The Relationship Between Mystery Cults Of Late Antiquity And Early Christianity

For centuries, scholars from different fields attempt to interpret and establish their theories concerning the relationship between the Mystery cults of Late Antiquity and early Christianity. Several scholars appear to unelaborate illustrate the differences and the similarities of those two religious paths, while others adhere to either the one or the other side of the coin. One should keep in mind, though, that all those written theories stand chances of being flawed, no matter how influential they might appear, due to the fact that we do not have clear detail and material about the formation and the beginning of Christianity. Thus, we should be sceptical when studying about the genesis and the development of early Christianity, and be critical
Numerous scholars tend to congregate the Mystery Cults, making them appear as if they are alike, but if one takes a closer look on those pagan cults, he will soon become aware of their diversity. Nevertheless, no matter how diverse the mystery cults might be from one another, they share a set of resemblances that allows scholars to unite them. Through this essay, I will endeavour to, unbiasedly, demonstrate a number of theological theories that are said to have influenced the ideas concerning the relationship between Mystery cults and the various formations of early Christianity. Furthermore, I will examine whether it is possible, and worthwhile, to continue on analysing and comparing the two religion, and their aspects, but without the theological notions involved. Primarily, I find necessary that I adduce a sort outline of the Mystery cults that scholars compare with early Christianities and discuss the characteristics that those religions have in
Cumont was the first historian that nurtured the subject of Paul’s relation to the mystery cults . He suggests that Paul consciously borrowed from pagan mysteries customs and rituals and through this process, he formed what Cumont refers to as “Christian mystery”. In accordance to Cumont, what Paul did was to project pagan conceptions into Christianity. On the contrary, Alfred Loisy agrees with Cumont that Christianity was a mystery cult, heavily influenced by pagan mysteries, but as claimed by Loisy, even though Paul himself was the key-figure in the formation of Christology, he did not consciously borrow from the mystery cults. Other than that, Loisy holds the opinion that Christ’s resurrection was just another myth, affected by the pagan beliefs of resurrection, and he attempts to give a psychological explanation to this notion. He states that Christ’s followers could not bear the fact that their leader was eventually dead, thus Jesus’ resurrection was mythologized. Furthermore, Loisy points out Paul invented sacramental rituals of Baptism and the Eucharist. In his book “The Christian Mystery”, Loisy explains that “Christianity was not a heresy not it spilt from Judaism; it was a new religion”, but not due to the will of Christ nor due to