Originally written as a polemic designed to encourage Protestants to return to the original Jewish origins and rules of the Bible, this work provides a thorough and complete overview of how paganism was absorbed into the Christian religion.
Starting with an overview of how the scriptural texts were interpreted by pagan Gnostics to reflect their value systems and culture, the author then shows that anti-Semitism caused the first non-Jewish converts to the new religion to reject many of the original rules of Christianity.
Next, he shows how most of the outer forms of what became familiar church rites were taken over almost without change from earlier pre-Christian religions and institutions.
Included in these pagan-origin rites incorporated into Christianity are the more famous rituals of Easter and Christmas--but a host of others which will astonish the reader--including the sign of the Cross itself, perhaps one of the most used symbols of Christianity; most baptism rituals--including child-naming ceremonies; Sunday observance; the "mother and child" symbolism of Mary and Jesus; the universally-used "Chi-ro" symbol; the use of candles in churches; the structure and prayer rituals of church services of all denominations, and much more.
The author points out that although all of these pagan influences entered Christianity through the Roman Catholic Church, most were taken over into Protestantism as well.
Contents:
Author's Preface
Chapter I: Remains of Paganism in Christianity
Chapter II: Pagan Methods of Interpreting the Scriptures
Chapter III: Asiatic Pagan Water-Worship
Chapter IV: Water-Worship in Northern Europe
Chapter V: Greek Water-Worship
Chapter VI: Pagan Water-Worship Transferred to Christianity
Chapter VII: Pagan Sun-Worship
Chapter VIII: Sunday Observance Unknown To Christianity before the Middle of the Second Century
Chapter IX: State Religion a Pagan Institution
Chapter X: The Control of Christianity by the State under Constantine and His Successors
Chapter XI: Constantine's Legislation Concerning the Pagan Sunday
Chapter XII: Other Forms of Pagan Residuum in Christianity Part I
Chapter XIII: Other Forms of Pagan Residuum in Christianity Part II
Index
