Did the Ancient Mysteries Influence Early Christianity?

In my lecture I will look at the influence of the ancient Mysteries, such as those of Eleusis, Isis or Mithras, from a double perspective. I will first look at their reception around 1900, the heyday of the study of their influence on early Christianity, and in the immediate post-Reformation era, when the evidence was collected for the very first time. I will then proceed with taking a fresh look at the possible verbal, ritual and doctrinal influences of the pagan Mysteries on emerging Christianity. It will be argued that the Mysteries exerted little influence in the very first stage of emerging Christianity, but from the middle of the second century onwards we can see a growing influence of the Mysteries on Late Antique religion and philosophy. This development led to two reactions from the Christian side. The Christians first started to combat the Mysteries by trying to expose them and to ascribe their contents to the Devil. Yet, as time went on, mainstream Christianity could not escape the high prestige of the Mysteries, and in the course of Late Antiquity we do notice an influence of the Mystery cults on the already existing and well developed Christian rituals. At the same time, we have to keep an open eye to Christian influence on the pagan Mysteries. It is this mutual influence that is one of the more interesting developments of recent decades.

There will be a reception folowing the event.

This is a public event.

To RSVP, please email isaw@nyu.edu.