Influences of Ancient Hinduism on Early Christianity

Influences of Ancient Hinduism on Early Christianity

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Author: A L Herman
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass
Year: 2009
Language: English
Pages: 249
ISBN/UPC (if available): 9788120832954

Description

This is a work about influences and what "influences" means. It is also about the influence of one ancient Indian civilization's religious beliefs on the religious beliefs of two Mediterranean religionsa, one from the first centuries before and the other from the first centuries after, the Christian era.

Following an analysis of this elusive concept, A. L. Herman presents compelling evidence that the following hypothesis is testable, defendable, and probably true: that the Indus Valley religion with its Savior-God, Siva (2500-1800 B.C.E.), significantly influenced a Greek religion with its Savior-God, Jesus of Nazareth (50-300 C.E.), such that it can be meaningfully claimed that the religion of the Indus Valley civilization probably influenced early Christianity.

Contents

Preface
Introduction

CHAPTER ONE : ONFLUENCES AND INFLUENCING
SOMETHING ABOUT INFLUENCES
Thoreau, Tolstoi and Gandhi:The West Influences the East
Gautama the Buddha and Barlaam and Josaphat: The East Influences the West
Philosophic Intellectual Influences
Religious Intellectual Influences
Religious Absolutism and Religious Relativism
Conclusion

CHAPTER TWO: RELIGIONS AS GAMES
SOMETHING ABOUT ASSUMPTIONS
Philosophical Assumptions
Psychological Assumptions

SOMETHING ABOUT GAMES: THE PRESCRIPTION
FOR LIBERATION FROM SUFFERING
Game Questions and the Joy of Games
THE FIVE NOBLE TRUTHS OF BUDDHISM
SOMETHING ABOUT INTERPRETED PARADIGMS
Game Theory and Models
THE INFLUENCES OF VEDISM AND BRAHMANISM ON HINDUISM
Hinduism: Prescriptions, Games and Influences
About Influences, Again
CONCLUSION

CHAPTER THREE: THE HARAPPAN RELIGIOUS GAME
THE HARAPPAN RELIGIOUS
The Origin and History of the Indus Valley Civilization
Civicide: The Decline and Fall of the Harappans
The Worship of the Harappan God Siva
Something About Sacred Trees and Baths
Something About Mystery Religions, Plays, Games and Movies
The Blurring of the Secular and the Sacred
Votive Religions
Mystery Religions
A Harappan Mystery Religion: Three Interpretations
A Harappan Mystery Religion: A Philosophic Reconstruction
CONCLUSION

CHAPTER FOUR: THE DIONYSIAN RELIGIOUS GAME
THE DIONYSIAN RELIGION
The Origins and History of Dionysos
The Worship of the Greek Savior Dionysos
The Bacchae of Euripides
THE INFLUENCE OF THE HARAPPAN RELIGION ON THE DIONYSIAN RELIGION
Ten Crucial Similarities Between the Harappan Religion and the Dionysian Religion
CONCLUSION

CHAPTER FIVE: THE CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS GAME
THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION
Christians’ Beliefs through Pagan Eyes
The Christian Myth of the Second Century
On the True Doctrine of Celsus
Paul, Corinth and Dionysos
Paul Among the Corinthians: Magic and Mystery

THE INFLUENCE OF THE DIONYSIAN RELIGION ON THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION
Ten Crucial Similarities Between the Dionysian Religion and the Christian Religion
CONCLUSION

CHAPTER SIX: INFLUENCES, QUESTIONS, AND PROBLEMS
SOMETHING ABOUT TRANSITIVITY
Causally Transitive Influences
THREE PROBLEMS ABOUT RELIGIOUS INFLUENCES
The Problem that Similarity Does Not Imply Dependence: An Empirical Problem
The Problem of Causal Transitivity: A Logical Problem
The Problem of Who Cares: A Practical Problem
The Problem of Religious Relativism Revisited
CONCLUSION

TABLES AND FIGURES
TABLE I. The Rx for Liberation from Suffering: Early Buddhism
TABLE II. The Rx for Liberation from Suffering: Vedism and Brahmanism
TABLE III. Game Theory Questions and Two Paradigm Models
TABLE IV. The Rx for Liberation from Suffering: The Bhagavad Gita
TABLE V. Game theory Questions and the Hindu Model
TABLE VI. Ten Characteristics of the Harappan Religion (Pictographic Seals)
TABLE VII. The Rx for Liberation from Suffering: The Harappan Religion
TABLE VIII. Game Theory Questions and the Harappan Religion
TABLE IX. Ten Characteristics of the Dionysian Religion (Euripides)
TABLE X. The Rx for Liberation from Suffering: The Dionysian (Bacchae) Religion
TABLE XI. Game Theory Questions and the Dionysian Religion
TABLE XII. Ten Crucial Similarities between the Harappan Religion and the Dionysian Religion
TABLE XIII. Ten Characteristics of the Christian Religion (Celsus)
TABLE XIV. The Rx for Liberation from Suffering: The Christian Religion
TABLE ZV. Game Theory Questions and the Christian Religion
TABLE XVI. Ten Crucial Similarities between the Dionysian Religion and the Christian Religion

APPENDIX A: INDUS VALLEY (MOHENJODARO) AND MODERN MATERIALS
Figures -15: Indus Seals and Comparative Figures
Figure 9a: Sketch of Harappan Sacrifice
Figure 16: Harappan Masks
Figure 17: Dancing Male Figure (Harappa)
Figure 18: The Dance of Siva

APPENDIX B: GREEK DIONYSIAN MATERIALS
Figures 19-22: Dionysian Greek Vase Paintings and Pillar
Figures 23-26: Dionysian Greek Vase Paintings Depicting an Older Dionysos
Figures 27-28: The Younger Dionysos

APPENDIX C: CHRISTIAN MATERIALS
Figure29: Jesus Christ as the Tree of Life and Savior
Figure 30: The Sacred Tree in Christianity

Acknowledgements
Index