Edited excerpt:
Paganism died out for a reason. It was superseded by the advent of Christ who really did make all things new.
And yet some things were lost in the process, in particular a real connection to creation and a contact with the inner workings of nature as well as a proper relationship with the spirit of place.
This is why the contemporary Christian needs to re-engage with paganism and even add a pagan element to his Christianity. This element should be seen in the light of Christ, in other words it must be baptised, but it provides a form of spiritual nourishment that Christianity lost as it lost touch with nature, with the earth and the land.
This is what I mean by Christian polytheism. Such a polytheism does not mean believing in many gods rather than one God. It means that under God there are many what we can justifiably call gods who carry out his work in creation.
This is not too great a leap from where Christians already are, characterising them as angels, but angels are often regarded as somewhat abstract or, worse, sentimentalised. By seeing them as gods our minds can enter more deeply into the spiritual universe and the inside of creation.
You could call them the inner energies of creation though with the understanding that behind these energies are beings not mere impersonal forces.
This could be envisaged as a way of understanding the two concepts included in the term "Romantic Christianity" - with "paganism" doing the work of "romantic".
My understanding of Christianity being essentially about choosing to accept Jesus's offer of post-mortal resurrected eternal life in Heaven; is of course easily compatible with many aspects of paganism.
I assume this is why it was so easy and straightforward for pagans to become Christian - they regarded Christianity as an addition, a bonus: paganism-plus.
The main (and only essential) difference between what they already had from paganism, and what they would get with conversion to Christianity; was that Christianity offered the possibility of a Happy Ending beyond death.
3 comments:
Bruce, suggesting that trad Christians embrace some aspects of paganism to connect to the land, etc, is not really possible. For 2,000 years the church has beat mysticism out of people's minds and souls, referring to relating to the land as witchcraft. The modern world with its scientism makes paganism seem even more foolish and unreal. There are people who do take the land seriously and openly sense unseen realities but they mostly keep it to themselves as they have learned to do. The hallmark of modernity is abstract thinking not related to the earth, as the world gets worse because we are no longer connected to reality.
@ag - I'm personally not suggesting that trad + "do" anything specific. More that they start to think for themselves about these matters, in a spirit of intuitive discernment; rather than seeking for some external authority to give them a set of comprehensive principles and rules.
But there are plenty of self-proclaimed practising pagans in the West nowadays - albeit they are apparently no more powerfully motivated by their paganism than adherents of any other kind of religion.
The point William and I are emphasizing is that trad + and paganism are valid but partial and incomplete - and that between them (if understood in the right kind of way) they may provide what is most needed.
But in achieving some such positive complementarity; neither Christian churches nor pagan practitioners are likely to be of help, and will probably be a hindrance; since both parties have very negative attitudes to the other.
However we look at it, the conclusion always seems to be that Ultimately our religious-spiritual life is a thing for which we each must take personal responsibility.
Bruce's comment here sums up perfectly the approach I was suggesting. It's a mental engagement "in the spirit of intuitive discernment" that is needed not adopting or adapting any particular set of ideas or beliefs. That would just take us to yet another thought created theoretical system and the point is to approach reality through the spiritual imagination. God is above the imagination but the world of the gods is, partially, at least, accessible through it.
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