Christian Orgins Options

Ok so im searching for some knowledge here. I was wondering were the belief of christianity evolved from. I have heard something on the judeo belief but im not to sure on what this is any help on this would be great thanks just trying to get the history of christianity. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blablabla.gif)

Christian belief is probably derived from a mix of Essene Judaism (an extinct ascetic, mystical sect of Judaism), Pagan Gnosticism, Hermeticism, and mysticism and quasi-monotheism of Greco-Roman mystery cults. It was in the making at least a century before the legendary time given for Jesus's birth and didn't become more or less what it became (along with the censorship or destruction of thecompeting beliefs that it emerged from and with) until about the 3rd to 5th centuries of the Common Era.

The moral ideas espoused in the traditional gospels were not "new"; and moral religion as well as qualified monotheism was being bounced around and growing in popularity in the ancient world--long before the development of Christianity. The dying/resurrecting god motif --which the Gnostics regarded as metaphor--ties in with pagan motifs and afterlife/redemption theology of mystery cults. Mystical aspects--which were more part of the Gnostic tradition--also were concepts developed over time and also influenced by Pagan Gnosticism,Hermeticism, etc. (even Buddhism is said to have influenced Hermetic mysticism). ("Gnosticism" is a subset of Hermeticism, btw).

I'd direct you to an article published in the last issue of Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft, (an academic jrnl published by the University of Pennsylvania) but a friend has the issue and I can't remember the title of the article or name of the author . --But it basically discusses how pagan culture segued from polytheistic cultism to a kind of monotheism that then gave way to Christian cutlure.

For insight Read up/Web browse on "the historicity of Jesus," the Essenes," and read about or read the writings of folks like Simon Magus and Apollonius of Tyana. Also beware of all the conspiracy theories, cut-and-paste mis- and disinformation, and bad scholarship out there on this subject. A scholar named Tobias Churton is one of a number of experts on the history of Gnosticism, and his writing can supply some insight.