08-06-2006, 10:21 PM
Not ritual but:
The Pope retains the title "Pontifex Maximus."
The bishop's crook closely resembles the lituus of the augurs.
Many details of Christian feasts and festivals retain the aspects of the pagan festivals they supplanted: the Yule log, Christmas tree, the green and red colors of Christmas, Easter eggs (the word Easter comes from the name of a pagan goddess) and many others.
Years ago I saw a documentary on the Easter ceremony practiced by the Coptic Christians in Ethiopia. It greatly resembled the ancient Adonis rituals in Greece and Asia Minor, only practiced by all instead of by women alone.
Otherwise, Christian ceremonies bear little resemblance to their pagan precursors, if only because the latter always centered upon animal sacrifice. If you are looking for a genuine amalgam, study voudon and santeria, which do mix Christianity with polytheism and animal sacrifice. As Roman Catholicism becomes increasingly dominant in Africa, that could be the wave of the future for the church.
The Pope retains the title "Pontifex Maximus."
The bishop's crook closely resembles the lituus of the augurs.
Many details of Christian feasts and festivals retain the aspects of the pagan festivals they supplanted: the Yule log, Christmas tree, the green and red colors of Christmas, Easter eggs (the word Easter comes from the name of a pagan goddess) and many others.
Years ago I saw a documentary on the Easter ceremony practiced by the Coptic Christians in Ethiopia. It greatly resembled the ancient Adonis rituals in Greece and Asia Minor, only practiced by all instead of by women alone.
Otherwise, Christian ceremonies bear little resemblance to their pagan precursors, if only because the latter always centered upon animal sacrifice. If you are looking for a genuine amalgam, study voudon and santeria, which do mix Christianity with polytheism and animal sacrifice. As Roman Catholicism becomes increasingly dominant in Africa, that could be the wave of the future for the church.
Pecunia non olet
