The word heretic comes from the Greek, originally meaning choosing or chosen. Nixey's fascinating book details the multiple choices available in ancient religions, many bearing surprising commonalities with Christianity.
In fact, many of these "heretical" choices considered themselves Christian. But it was the Catholic Church that assumed the role of orthodoxy, ruthlessly suppressing other beliefs and choices, burning sacred texts and compelling "heretics" to join the one true religion. . . or else.
The book is full of interesting stories that have survived, in some form or another, centuries of censorship. I enjoyed it, having no particular religious faith to be challenged. For others it might be eye-opening and perhaps unsettling.
But as I read I kept thinking of the slippery slope our country finds itself on, as a madman and his followers attempt to impose their particular orthodoxy on our media and our schools, banning books, intimidating judges, and deporting dissidents.
It's happening here. So I guess I also found the book unsettling.
4 comments:
It’s interesting how beliefs got to be what they are. There were many versions of Christianity before it became orthodox.
It always fascinates me how much pagan beliefs are intertwined with what we think of as Christian. By the way, I love those trilliums in the lower photo.
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