FeelHappy Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 Maybe that's a good thing. I've got a neat scholarly book on Mithraism/Zoroastrianism that claims that there was a time when the worship of Mithras was a mystery religion more or less restricted to high-end nobility, and it eventually watered down and became a huge hit among rank-and-file soldiers. And shortly after this mission drift, apparently it died out right as Christianity got huge. Maybe it's time for Christianity to see some mission drift so we can make that next leap as a race. Once people see how far they must drift from those original concepts, maybe that's the time humanity wakes up and goes "oh shit, maybe we can be nice without all this extra crap!" What's the name of this book, it sounds worth reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akheia Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 I want to say it was "Origins of the Mithraic Mysteries". It's been a while though. I should re-read it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FeelHappy Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 I want to say it was "Origins of the Mithraic Mysteries". It's been a while though. I should re-read it. Sweet, I'll order that book today! (Although I didn't see any mention of Zoroastrianism in my quick scan of the table of contents) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akheia Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Hey, it's been like 3 years since I read it. I could be wrong. I'll re-read it soon and let you know before you spend money on it, ok? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FeelHappy Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 Ah its only like 150 pages and I got it used for $10 from amazon, in any case its worth reading a little about the Mithra cult. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator TrueFreedom Posted June 21, 2012 Moderator Share Posted June 21, 2012 I listened to a course on religions a few years ago in which the professor proposed Zoroastrianism as the front-runner of Hinduism, Judaism and most other ancient religions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akheia Posted June 21, 2012 Share Posted June 21, 2012 It's a mega-fast read. Between the post and now, I've just finished it. He only briefly discusses Zoroastrianism, namely that there was some pet theory circulating at one point that Zoroastrianism had led to Mithraism, and then he spends the rest of the book destroying that idea. So n/m that part. But he does touch on Mithraism's origins among the intelligentsia and talks a smidge its subsequent mission drift. So I feel better about my memory now. Outstanding bit of sleuth work, it sounds like; he makes a theory, tests it, and it fits pretty nicely. I think he lost a bit of steam near the end when he began drawing in comparisons to Phane etc. But it talks a lot more about the basic origins of the religion more than the end of it. Once you read it, tell me if you think it makes the Stoics sound like the Intelligent Design fanatics of their era. Also, Ulansey's idea really sounds like it dovetails with (what I remember of) Graham Hancock's precession = holyshitgod obsession. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts