All pagan religions. What's happened

Paganism is a religion based on the belief in several gods at the same time, and not in one creator God, as, for example, in Christianity.

The concept of paganism

The term “paganism” itself is not entirely accurate, since it includes several concepts. Today, paganism is understood not so much as a religion, but as a set of religious and cultural beliefs, and belief in several gods is designated as “totemism,” “polytheism,” or “ethnic religion.”

The paganism of the ancient Slavs is a term that is used to designate a complex of religious and cultural views on the life of the ancient Slavic tribes before they adopted Christianity and converted to a new faith. There is an opinion that the term itself in relation to the ancient religious and ritual culture of the Slavs did not come from the concept of polytheism (many deities), but from the fact that the ancient tribes, although they lived separately, had a single language. Thus, Nestor the Chronicler in his notes speaks of these tribes as pagans, that is, having the same language and common roots. Later, this term gradually began to be attributed to Slavic religious views and used to designate religion.

The emergence and development of paganism in Rus'

Slavic paganism began to take shape around the 2nd-1st millennium BC. under the influence of Indo-European culture, when the Slavs began to separate from it into independent tribes. Moving and occupying new territories, the Slavs became acquainted with the culture of their neighbors and adopted certain traits from them. Thus, it was the Indo-European culture that brought into Slavic mythology the images of the thunder god, the god of cattle and the image of mother earth. The Celts also had a significant influence on the Slavic tribes, who also enriched the Slavic pantheon and, in addition, brought the very concept of “god” to the Slavs, which had not previously been used. Slavic paganism has much in common with German-Scandinavian culture; from there the Slavs took the image of the world tree, dragons and many other deities, which were later transformed depending on living conditions and the characteristics of Slavic culture.

After the Slavic tribes formed and began to actively populate new territories, leave each other and separate, paganism also transformed, each tribe had its own special rituals, its own names for the gods and the deities themselves. So, by the 6th-7th centuries. The religion of the Eastern Slavs was quite noticeably different from the religion of the Western Slavs.

It should be noted that often the beliefs of the top of society were very different from the beliefs of the lower strata, and what was believed in large cities and settlements did not always coincide with the beliefs of small villages.

From the moment the Slavic tribes began to unite, began to form, external relations between the Slavs and Byzantium began to develop, gradually paganism began to be persecuted, old beliefs began to be doubted, even teachings against paganism appeared. As a result, after the Baptism of Rus' in 988, when Christianity became the official religion, the Slavs began to gradually move away from the old traditions, although the relationship between paganism and Christianity was not easy. According to some information, paganism is still preserved in many territories, and in Rus' it existed for quite a long time, until the 12th century.

The essence of Slavic paganism

Although there are a sufficient number of sources by which one can judge the beliefs of the Slavs, it is difficult to form a unified picture of the world of the East Slavic pagans. It is generally accepted that the essence of Slavic paganism was faith in the forces of nature, which determined human life, controlled it and decided destinies. This is where the gods come from - the lords of the elements and natural phenomena, mother earth. In addition to the highest pantheon of gods, the Slavs also had smaller deities - brownies, mermaids, etc. Small deities and demons did not have a serious influence on human life, but actively participated in it. The Slavs believed in the existence of a human soul, in the heavenly and underground kingdoms, in life after death.

Slavic paganism has many rituals that are associated with the interaction of gods and people. The gods were worshiped, they were asked for protection, patronage, sacrifices were made to them - most often it was cattle. There is no exact information about the presence of human sacrifices among the pagan Slavs.

List of Slavic gods

Common Slavic gods:

• Mother - Cheese Earth - the main female image, the goddess of fertility, she was worshiped and asked for a good harvest, a good offspring;
• Perun is the thunder god, the main god of the pantheon.

Other gods of the Eastern Slavs (also called the Vladimir pantheon):

• Veles is the patron of storytellers and poetry;
• Volos is the patron saint of livestock;
• Dazhdbog is a solar deity, considered the ancestor of all Russian people;
• Mokosh is the patroness of spinning and weaving;
• The clan and women in labor are deities personifying fate;
• Svarog - god-blacksmith;
• Svarozhich is the personification of fire;
• Simargl is a messenger between heaven and earth;
• Stribog is a deity associated with the winds;
• Horse is the personification of the sun.

The Slavic pagans also had various images that personified certain natural phenomena, but were not deities. These include Maslenitsa, Kolyada, Kupala, etc. Effigies of these images were burned during holidays and rituals.

Persecution of pagans and the end of paganism

The more Rus' united, the more it increased its political power and expanded contacts with other, more developed states, the more the pagans were persecuted by adherents of Christianity. After the Baptism of Rus' took place, Christianity became not just a new religion, but a new way of thinking and began to play a huge political and social role. Pagans who did not want to accept the new religion (and there were a lot of them) entered into open confrontation with Christians, but the latter did everything to bring the “barbarians” to reason. Paganism survived until the 12th century, but then began to gradually fade away.

Paganism is a religion or complex of religions that are not Christian. However, they had nothing to do with Islam or Judaism. The term was simply coined by Christians. Typically, paganism refers to any polytheistic religion. The name “paganism” itself appeared much later. And the belief itself arose before the new era. Then man had no knowledge other than what he could observe in nature. All occurring phenomena were explained by divine forces. It is difficult to remember which peoples were not pagans. Almost the entire population living at that time went through this stage of development of beliefs and religious views. And only a few centuries after the beginning of the new era, paganism was replaced by modern world religions.

The question remains controversial and interesting whether paganism is a religion. Here opinions are divided. Some consider paganism to be a combination of many polytheistic religions. Some say this is the world's first religion. For others, paganism includes not only the concept of religion, but also other aspects of human life. This point of view is closer to us. But for simplicity, we will say that paganism is a religion.

Paganism, having common features and basic concepts, differed among different peoples. That’s why we talk about Slavic paganism, Roman paganism, Scandinavian paganism and others. What did they have in common?

Paganism is the ancient religion of the Slavs. However, religion is too narrow a concept, as has already been said. After all, paganism for our ancestors was a whole worldview system, a unique culture with its own characteristics. The religion of Slavic paganism appeared and achieved its development and independence at the dawn of the first millennium of the new era. Before this, there was a common religion for all Indo-European tribes.

Slavic religion (paganism) was a combination of the following main features:

Like all pagan religions, Slavic paganism was polytheistic. For whom the terms polytheism and paganism are the same thing, synonyms. However, this is not quite true. Paganism is a larger, more comprehensive concept. This is not only belief in many gods.

But let's return to Slavic polytheism. Each of the “participants” of the pagan pantheon was responsible for one or another natural phenomenon or aspect of human life. For example, Perun is the god of thunder, Lada is the goddess of love, and so on. Each god was represented in a certain image, with his characteristic appearance and attributes.

Why did the pagans need gods? They, in fact, were peculiar representatives of nature, higher powers. Gods were not worshiped, gods were glorified. The Slavs did not ask them for forgiveness. They were asked for a good harvest, health, success in war, in love. Moreover, you had to ask the corresponding deity. For the most revered and important, pagan temples were built - temples, sanctuaries. Some kind of worship services were held there. But the mediators between gods and people were magicians and priests. They had extraordinary wisdom. Also, sacrifices or demands were made to the gods. Do not think that the victims were human and bloody. Not at all. They brought food, grain, and flowers as gifts to the gods. Holidays were held in honor of the gods.

The Slavs had a unique idea of ​​the existing world. The god Rod was considered the One Creator. It was he who created the three worlds. Rule - the Higher world, the divine, the world of wisdom and laws. Nav is the world of the past, the world of fundamentals. Reality is the world in which people live, real, real, visible. They all pursue the goal of procreation and constant improvement.

The disappearance of paganism

At the very beginning of the new era, when global land development was taking place, all the tribes of modern Europe and Asia were pagan. However, some time later (around the eighth century), paganism began to be gradually supplanted. The peoples adhered to Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.

Why was paganism supplanted by world religions? There were several reasons for this:

• It was becoming too primitive for developing peoples. People began to understand many natural phenomena. That is, now it was impossible to explain the existence of the simplest natural phenomena by saying that “God got angry” or “the spirits wanted it.” After all, the real physical substrates of all occurring phenomena became known and understood.
• Tribes began to form states. And in any state there is always some kind of social stratification. For paganism, all people were equal before nature. This is how contradictions arose between reality and religion.
• Paganism as a religion was not suitable for state power. It did not submit to a single ruler, a monarch.
• A monotheistic religion was needed. And the world ones were just like that.

That is why the choice was made between paganism and world religions in favor of the latter. Christianity, of course, became the most widespread. Of course, the transition from paganism to other religions took quite a long time, sometimes very difficult. Particularly interesting is the phenomenon of dual faith that existed at the beginning of the second millennium in Kievan Rus.

However, we cannot say that paganism has completely disappeared from our lives. This is not true at all. Not many people know that even after the strengthening of the Christian religion in Rus', pagan traditions, customs, and signs continue to exist today. Therefore, it is sometimes said that the world religions that replaced the pagan ones were forced to partially unite with them.

Paganism is the oldest religion on Earth. It has absorbed thousands of years of wisdom, knowledge, history, and culture. In our time, pagans are those who profess the old faith before the advent of Christianity.

And, for example, among the ancient Jews all beliefs that did not recognize Yahweh or refused to follow his law were considered pagan religions. The ancient Roman legions conquered the peoples of the Middle East, Europe and North Africa. At the same time, these were victories over local beliefs. These religions of other peoples, “languages” were called pagan. They were given the right to exist in accordance with the interests of the Roman state.

But with the emergence of Christianity, the very religion of Ancient Rome with the cult of Jupiter was recognized as pagan. As for ancient Russian polytheism, the attitude towards it after the adoption of Christianity was militant. The new religion was contrasted with the old one as true - untrue, as useful - harmful. This attitude excluded tolerance and assumed the eradication of pre-Christian traditions, customs, and rituals. Christians did not want their descendants to remain signs of the error to which they had hitherto indulged. Everything that was in one way or another connected with Russian beliefs was persecuted: “demonic games”, “evil spirits”, sorcery. Even the image of an ascetic “non-fighter” arose, who dedicated his life not to feats of arms on the battlefield, but to the persecution and destruction of “dark forces.” New Christians in all countries were distinguished by such zeal. But if in Greece or Italy time saved at least a small number of ancient marble sculptures, then Ancient Rus' stood among forests. And the Tsar Fire, raging, did not spare anything: neither human dwellings, nor temples, nor wooden images of gods, nor information about them written in Slavic carvings on wooden tablets.

And only quiet echoes have reached our days from the depths of the pagan world. And it is beautiful, this world! Among the amazing deities that our ancestors glorified, there are no repulsive, ugly, disgusting ones. There are furious, terrible, incomprehensible ones, but there are much more beautiful, mysterious, kind ones. The Slavic gods were formidable, but fair and kind. Perun struck villains with lightning. Lada patronized lovers. Chur protected the boundaries of his possessions. Veles was the personification of the master's wisdom, and was also the patron of hunting prey.

The religion of the ancient Slavs was the deification of the forces of nature. The pantheon of gods was associated with the performance of certain economic functions: agriculture, cattle breeding, beekeeping, crafts, trade, hunting, etc.
And one should not assume that paganism is just the worship of idols. After all, even Muslims continue to bow to the black stone of the Kaaba - the shrine of Islam. For Christians, this is represented by countless crosses, icons and relics of saints. And who counted how much blood was shed and lives given for the liberation of the Holy Sepulcher in the Crusades? Here is a real Christian idol, along with bloody sacrifices. And burning incense and lighting a candle is the same sacrifice, only taking on a beautiful appearance.

The popular idea of ​​the extremely low level of cultural development of “barbarians” is not confirmed by historical facts. The products of ancient Russian stone and wood carvers, tools, jewelry, epics and songs could only appear on the basis of a highly developed cultural tradition. The beliefs of the ancient Slavs were not a “delusion” of our ancestors, reflecting the “primitivism” of their thinking. Polytheism is the religious belief of not only the Slavs, but also of most peoples. It was typical of Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, whose culture could not be called barbaric. The beliefs of the ancient Slavs were not much different from the beliefs of other peoples, and these differences were determined by the specifics of their way of life and economic activity.

At the end of the 80s of the last century, the Soviet government, living its last days, decided to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of the baptism of Rus'. How many shouts of welcome were heard: “1000th anniversary of Russian writing!”, “1000th anniversary of Russian culture!”, “1000th anniversary of Russian statehood!” But the Russian state existed even before the adoption of Christianity! It is not for nothing that the Scandinavian name of Rus' sounds like Gardarika - the country of cities. Arab historians also write about the same thing, numbering Russian cities in the hundreds. At the same time, claiming that in Byzantium itself there are only five cities, the rest are “fortified fortresses.” And the Arab chronicles called the Russian princes Khakans, “Khakan-Rus”. Hakan is an imperial title! “Ar-Rus is the name of a state, not a people or a city,” writes the Arabic author. Western chroniclers called the Russian princes “kings of the people of Ros.” Only the arrogant Byzantium did not recognize the royal dignity of the rulers of Rus', but it did not recognize it either for the Orthodox kings of Bulgaria, or for the Christian emperor of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation, Otto, or for the emir of Muslim Egypt. The inhabitants of Eastern Rome knew only one king - their emperor. But even the Russian squads nailed a shield to the gates of Constantinople. And, by the way, Persian and Arab chronicles testify that the Rus make “excellent swords” and import them into the lands of the caliphs. That is, the Rus sold not only furs, honey, wax, but also the products of their artisans. And they found demand even in the land of damask blades.

Another export item was chain mail. They were called “wonderful” and “excellent.” Technology, therefore, in pagan Rus' was no lower than the world level. Some blades from that era have survived to this day. They bear the names of Russian blacksmiths - “Lyudota” and “Slavimir”. And this is worth paying attention to. This means that the pagan blacksmiths were literate! This is the level of culture.

Next point. The calculation of the formula for the world's rotation (Kolo) allowed the pagans to build ring-shaped metal sanctuaries, where they created the most ancient astronomical calendars. And in the commentary to the Vedas, the location of the constellations is mentioned, which is attributed by modern astronomy to 10,000 years before the birth of Christ. According to biblical chronology, even Adam was not created at this time. The cosmic knowledge of the pagans has advanced quite far. Evidence of this is the myth of the cosmic vortex Stribog. And this is consistent with the theory of the origin of life on Earth - the panspermia hypothesis. Its essence boils down to the fact that life did not arise on Earth on its own, but was brought in by a purposeful stream with spores, from which the diversity of the living world later developed.

It is these facts that are the indicators by which the level of culture and education of the pagan Slavs should be judged. And no matter what adherents of Orthodoxy claim, Christianity is an alien, foreign religion that paved its way in Rus' with fire and sword. Much has been written about the violent nature of the baptism of Rus', not by militant atheists, but by church historians. And one should not assume that the population of Russian lands resignedly accepted the command of Vladimir the apostate. People refused to come to the river bank, left the cities, and started uprisings. And the pagans were by no means hiding in distant forests - a century after the baptism, the Magi appeared in large cities. But the population did not experience any hostility towards them, and either listened to them with interest (Kyiv), or completely willingly followed them (Novgorod and the Upper Volga region).

There is no doubt - over ten centuries, Orthodoxy has had a huge influence on history, culture, art, but Vladimir the Baptist would have accepted the Catholic faith or Islam, and the current apostles of the “Russian primordial faith” would have shouted about the “revival of Russian Catholicism...”, or “... Russia - a stronghold of world Islam!..” It’s good that they didn’t send ambassadors to the priests of the Voodoo cult. But the old faith of the ancient Russians will still remain the Russian faith.

In the beginning there was a word. And the word was “goyim.” In Hebrew, the word means "other nations." In the sense that they are not Jews.

This word is not abusive or contemptuous, as can sometimes be read from various “experts”. Just a statement of fact: those who are called that are not Jews.

Since in those ancient distant years, three to four thousand years ago, the main difference between Jews and other peoples was the belief in one God, the word “goyim” began to mean those who practiced polytheism and worshiped various idols or natural objects.

Once again, this did not mean that idolaters were bad and deserved to be destroyed. Judaism very early abandoned proselytism, that is, the conversion of other people to one's faith, non-violently or violently. Moreover, acceptance into Judaism is always individual and quite difficult. The task of the rabbis is not to convince, but to dissuade the proselyte from accepting Judaism, to say that one can become a righteous person by observing only 7 commandments, the so-called commandments of the sons of Noah. These commandments include belief in the existence of a single Creator and his veneration, the prohibition of murder, adultery and theft.

Christianity, like Judaism, accepts faith in one God and rejects polytheism. In the Greek language, peoples professing polytheism were called “ethnos”. This word is familiar to us from the name of the science of “ethnography” (descriptions of peoples) or “ethnic” (folk). In Church Slavonic the word “ethnos” corresponded to the word “pagans”. Therefore, in the Russian language, those who profess pre-Christian or non-Christian religions began to be called “pagans.” Based on this, many church authorities called both monotheistic Muslims, polytheistic Cheremis (Mari), and followers of Hinduism pagans.

From the point of view of scientists (the same ethnographers), “paganism” is too broad and vague a concept. Different terms are used to describe polytheistic and ancient religions. In particular, the pre-Christian beliefs of various peoples (Slavs, Germans, Celts, Finno-Ugrians) are called “ethnic” or “traditional” religions. Have you noticed that the word “ethnicity” is also included here?

It is interesting that in Latin the word “paganism” corresponds to the word “paganismus”. In Latin, the word "paganus" means "rustic". This is due to the fact that Christianity in the Roman Empire was, so to speak, the religion of the townspeople. In the countryside, the original Roman polytheism with a whole brood of gods, some nice and some not so nice, survived longer. Therefore, until the 4th century, paganism in the territory of the Roman Empire was called “religia pagana” (“village faith”). By the way, this word has taken root in both Greece and Palestine. In modern Greek and Hebrew, paganism is called "paganism." The Russian word “pogany” goes back to the same Latin root. Why? Think for yourself.

It has already been said that the word “paganism” is very broad and vague. Usually, when they talk about paganism, they mean one of the following meanings:

1. In general, polytheistic religions. In this sense, pagans are all ancient peoples who professed polytheism: the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, Zoroastrians. Today's Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Shinto are also pagan religions.

In this case, “pagan” does not mean “backward” at all. Polytheistic religions are spread over a vast territory from India to Mongolia, China and Japan. In Thailand, the state religion is Hinduism. In educational institutions you can find figurines of the wise god Ganesha with the head of an elephant, and on the signs of military bases or military enterprises the magical warrior bird Garuda is depicted.

In general, in the Christian understanding, paganism is the worship of creation, not the Creator. And here “paganism” is a synonym for idolatry. Moreover, completely modern fetishes can act as idols: computers, rock stars, the Internet. Well, and of course, fame and money.

2. Traditional religious beliefs, holidays and rituals of primitive peoples. For example, the cult of ancestors, animism (belief in the transmigration of souls), totemism and shamanism. This should also include the beliefs of the cultural peoples of the ancient world, as well as the Celts, Germans, Slavs, Scandinavians, and Turks. The Mari people living in the Volga region, along with Orthodoxy, profess a traditional folk pagan religion. Or, as one Russian proverb says, “they live in the forest, pray to the wheel.” A wheel is not a wheel, but the veneration of trees in this traditional religion is very developed.

3. All religions except Abrahamic (Christianity, Islam and Judaism). In this sense, such modern religions as Hinduism, Brahmanism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintoism, and Taoism are considered pagan. Which, for example, does not prevent Japanese Shintoists and Buddhists from living well in Singapore and Hong Kong.

4. New religious movements that are trying to revive the pre-Christian beliefs and rituals of various peoples (for example, Rodnoverie, an attempt to recreate the beliefs of the ancient Slavs).

5. Any other faith. In this sense, Christians consider monotheistic Islam to be paganism.

6. Folk religions.

In principle, if a person is a serious follower of one of the monotheistic religions, he should not be interested in pagan cults and legends. For him, for example, ancient Greek or Roman mythology will not exist. And with it comes a large part of art. On the other hand, competent scientists involved in the history of religion and religious studies can immediately name many pagan remnants in any of the monotheistic religions. Here you have a Christmas tree, and Maslenitsa (and for some - a carnival), and Ivan Kupala Day. Sacred to Muslims, the Kaaba in Mecca has been an object of worship since pagan times.

What is the conclusion from this? You should not be too zealous about anything, even religion. Don't make an idol out of your own faith. Smile, gentlemen! An intelligent face is not yet a sign of intelligence. After all, all stupid things on earth are done with just such a facial expression.

Paganism in form the deification of created objects, in essence - pleasing to demons.

In a broad sense, paganism can be not only a type of religious worldview, but also a level of moral life, a quality of attitude towards the spiritual world. A person can declare himself a Christian, but in practical life be an actual pagan, for example, by resorting to, believing in astrology. Paganism also becomes simply the recognition of the primary values ​​of the blessings of this world, earthly success, and sensual pleasures.
We can say that paganism is a state of soul deprived.

“The main difference between Christianity and paganism is that Christianity tells the world and man: “you are sick,” and paganism assures you, “you are healthy.” No difference? But what if I have appendicitis, and instead of a painful operation they tell me: “take sleeping pills or aspirin and everything will go away”? Christianity says: go through the pain of repentance and strive for God. Paganism assures us that we don’t need either one or the other, but only need to “expand our consciousness.” And if you need to meet with someone, then not with God, but simply with some of the space inhabitants...”
Deacon Andrey. From the book “Satanism for the Intelligentsia”

“Often, the ways of venerating the same god in different cities of the empire differed significantly from each other and went back to different myths and beliefs. For example, he noted that in different cities three different Zeuses, five Athens, six Apollos are worshiped, while Asclepias and Hermes are innumerable. At the same time, the pagans were not embarrassed by the fact that their myths often contradicted each other. Paganism was a religion of worship, play, theater and folk festivals par excellence. Paganism knew neither a sacred history, nor a holy book, nor a rule of faith.”
Pavel Gavrilyuk

From book " "

The term "paganism" comes from the Church Slavonic word "language", meaning, specifically, "people". In the Old Testament era, Jews called all other peoples pagans, putting into this word a negative assessment of these peoples themselves, and the entirety of their religious beliefs, customs, morals, culture, etc. From the Jews the term “paganism” passed into the Christian lexicon. However, it no longer includes anything related to nation or race. It denotes non-Christian religious teachings and worldviews that have a number of specific characteristics (see below).

There are many types of paganism (all polytheistic religions, magic, Satanism, shamanism, atheism, materialism, etc.). They are characterized by various features, the main of which are: naturalism, idolatry, magic, mysticism.

§1.Naturalism

Naturalism (from the Latin natura - nature, nature) in this case means a life principle according to which the purpose of life is the maximum satisfaction of all so-called. natural human needs - what the Apostle John the Theologian defines as “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” (). Such a life attitude is usually associated with broad moral “freedom” of the individual. It comes from the understanding of man as a spiritually valuable being (“man – this sounds proudly”) and therefore in need only of appropriate material and social conditions of life. Therefore, the Christian teaching about the corruption of human nature (the so-called original sin) and the need for her healing from passions (“lusts”) in order to achieve a full life in God is alien to paganism. The pagan, on the contrary, is satisfied with himself, with his mind, he seeks only “bread and circuses.” However, the ideal of naturalistic paganism - maximum pleasure and minimum labor - is more than illusory. Not to mention its fleeting nature and unconditional end for each person, its dependence on many different kinds of circumstances throughout life, pleasure, which has become the goal of life, due to the very nature of man, cannot provide him with unconditional benefit. Passions, being satisfied, gradually corrupt the soul, making it selfish, proud, insensitive, incapable of selfless goodness, love, joy, much less spiritual experiences.

Not recognizing, for the most part, the immortality of the soul and denying the general resurrection, paganism, even religious, completely deprives a person of the real meaning of life. For meaning can only be in life, in personal assessment and experience of one’s actions, and not in the insensibility of death. And only fear of the voice of conscience and moral responsibility for one’s actions can explain the blind, persistent belief in one’s final death (i.e., impunity) that a pagan convinces himself of. Hence his desperate desire to “live”, to “take everything from life.” But a moment of life cannot be extended, and the meaningless tragedy of death in paganism each time debunks its myopia, revealing the emptiness of those ghost-idols by which pagan man lives.

§2.Idolatry

Idolatry (from the Greek vision, ghost, appearance, dream, ideal, idol) is the worship of idols (literally or figuratively), that is, “lusts,” goals, ideas, idols that humiliate a person, making him unspiritual (according to the word Apostle: “These are people... of the soul, without spirit.” -), often immoral. Idolatry is a natural expression of naturalism. It has various forms in religious and non-religious paganism, expresses the spiritual aspiration of man and society and is embodied in various philosophical ideas, pseudo-religious beliefs, socio-political utopias and even material forms. In polytheistic, for example, religions, naturalistic ideals were expressed in the cult of various idols-gods (for example, in the Greek religion: Dionysus - the god of wine and fun, Aphrodite - the goddess of sensual love and beauty, etc.). Various sacrifices were made to these idols, including often human ones.

But idolatry is not necessarily associated with a religious worldview and cult sacrifices. Idolatry also has many non-religious forms, both social and individual. The idea of ​​world domination, the cult of business and moral permissiveness, the cult of arbitrariness under the guise of freedom and similar social idols serve as objects of sacrifices that are often gigantic in scale. The apostle calls idolatry, for example, the passion for wealth, “covetousness” (), gluttony (“their god is the belly.”). Any passion can become an idol for a person: physical, mental or spiritual. Therefore, idolaters, i.e. real pagans can be people of very different worldviews: from an agnostic and an atheist to an Orthodox Christian. The Lord warns: “You cannot serve God and mammon” (), testifying to this that loyalty to God is ultimately determined “not by word or tongue, but by deed and truth” ().

§ 3.Mysticism

Mysticism (from the Greek mysterious, mysterious) is a fairly broad concept. The famous modern Catholic theologian Hans Küng writes, for example, about him this way: “Mysticism”, “mystical” - these words, if we return to their literal meaning, come from the Greek verb to close (mouth). “Mysteries” are “sacraments”, “secret teachings”, “secret cults”, which are not supposed to be told to the uninitiated. Mystical, therefore, is a religion that “closes its lips,” that is, is silent about its innermost secrets in the presence of profane people and, moreover, turns away from the outside world, closes its eyes and ears in order to find salvation within itself. Mysticism, as F. Geiler defines it (1967), is “that form of communication with God in which the world and the Self are radically denied and the human personality dissolves, disappears, drowns in the single and endless element of the Divine” [ Kung G. Does God exist? 1982. P. 295]. But the very perception of God takes on a distorted character in mysticism. As the same F. Geiler, a major Western researcher of religion, writes in his monumental work “Prayer,” “consistent mysticism frees the idea of ​​God from all personal attributes, leaving “naked” and pure infinity” [Ibid. P. 297].

If we proceed from this understanding of mysticism (and it expresses its essence), then it becomes obvious that mysticism is far removed from Orthodoxy, in many ways even opposed to it (in the understanding of God, man, the world, and hence the goal and means of knowing the supernatural world) and , as a consequence of this, in contrast to true knowledge of God, leads a person to a false understanding of all spiritual life. Therefore, the “easy” use of the terms “mysticism” and “mystical experience” as applied to any phenomenon of “that” world, any experience of contact with it, regardless of their nature, is fraught with very serious consequences. The use of these terms in such a broad sense, covering good and evil, the desire for truth and primitive curiosity to find out what is “out there,” the search for the Kingdom of God and the thirst for new, unusual pleasures, holiness and Satanism, Christ and Belial (), - in which they entered into philosophical and theological literature, very effectively introduces into the subconscious and consciousness the destructive idea of ​​the essentially identical ascetic paths of all religions.

As a result, the very concept of Truth in religion is destroyed; Thus, a person is deprived of even the thought of the possibility of a fatal mistake in the most complex and responsible area of ​​life - the spiritual, and turns into a blind toy of his daydreaming, pride and often openly demonic forces.

Therefore, the confusion of concepts (“mystic”, “saint”, etc.) in this area is more dangerous than in any other, for the spiritual area of ​​life is the foundation of all others, the basis of human existence itself.

Mysticism is, in fact, present in all religions. But in paganism - as a “natural” phenomenon, corresponding to the teachings of a given religion, in Christianity - as a disease, abnormality, as a distortion of his faith and principles of life. The sources of mysticism are the same everywhere - this is the pride of man, his passionate desire to penetrate the secrets of spiritual existence and gain power over them, voluptuousness, the search for higher pleasures, ecstasy. The presence of these signs is always the best indicator that in this case we are dealing with mysticism, and not with true spirituality and holiness.

Mysticism has a lot varieties. However, they can all be divided into two main categories: natural and acquired. Of course, the division into these two branches is arbitrary, since they not only often intertwine, but sometimes completely merge with each other, as, for example, in non-Christian mysticism.

Natural mysticism is one that is found in a person as his natural ability, for example, foresight, healing, clairvoyance, telepathy, etc. Since extrasensory abilities are a rare phenomenon, they especially easily develop vanity, pride and other passions in their owner, which in turn makes its impact on humans dangerous. The danger lies in the fact that such a “natural mystic” is not at all a saint, that is, someone who has been cleansed of passions and, as a result, has received from God the gift of seeing the true state of the soul. He is, at best, an ordinary, sinful person. The nature of his “treatment” consists in influencing the patient’s soul (as opposed to conventional therapy) and through it on the body. Thus, a spiritually blind person, penetrating with his uncleaned “hands” into the soul of another, infects it, disrupts the subtle, intimate order of the soul and thereby often causes irreparable harm to the entire makeup of a person: spirit, soul and body. From here it becomes clear why it is forbidden to seek help from such healers.

Moreover, it is necessary in every possible way to avoid even accidental influences (for example, through television) of “professional” psychics, sorcerers, astrologers, etc., who, for the sake of glory and self-interest, consciously develop these abilities in themselves (thus entering into unity with the spirits of evil) and they cripple people to an incomparably greater extent than the first ones. (Television “experiments” of various modern psychics are an excellent illustration of this). This is already a category acquired mysticism, which is achieved with the help of special, artificial means and exercises. It, in turn, is divided into two main branches: occult and charming.

Occult[occultism (from Latin occultus - secret, hidden) is a doctrine that recognizes the presence of special hidden (occult) forces in man, nature and the cosmos, as well as the existence of the spiritual world, and calls on a person to master them in order to achieve his goals. There are many varieties of occultism] mysticism is associated with a person’s conscious desire to penetrate “that”, beyond the control of natural science, the mysterious world of man, nature and spirits in order to learn its secrets and use the forces hidden in it for their own purposes. It is extremely dangerous to take the path of occultism, because here, consciously or unconsciously, a person enters into communication only with rejected spirits, with all the ensuing disastrous consequences for him [See. Orthodox teaching on this issue from St. . Works: In 5 volumes, 3rd ed. St. Petersburg, 1905.T. 3].

Occultism includes: magic, Satanism, spiritualism, theosophy, anthroposophy, etc.

Hinduism and Buddhism are excellent illustrations of acquired mysticism. A few examples of them. Buddha (483 BC) inspires his followers: “Do not seek support in anything except in yourself: shine for yourself, relying on nothing but yourself” [ Buddhism in comparison with Christianity: In 2 volumes. Pg., 1916. T. 1. P. 175]. And this is what he says about himself: “I am omniscient, I have no teacher; no one is equal to me; in the world of men and gods, no creature is like me. I am sacred in this world, I am a teacher, I alone am the absolute Buddha Himself. I achieved peace (by extinguishing passions) and received nirvana..." [ Kochetov A.N. Buddhism. M., 1968. P. 84]. The ancient temptation “you will be like gods” () speaks here loudly, with all frankness.

We see the same thing in yoga and in the most authoritative modern Hindu system - Vedanta. In one of the Hindu hymns, “Song of the Sanyasin,” we find the following passionate exclamation on behalf of a person: “There is no more birth, no more “I”, no “you,” no mortal, no God! I will become everything, everything will become “I” and not clouded by bliss!” [ Vivekananda Suomi. Jnana yoga. St. Petersburg, 1914.S. 8]

The most authoritative preacher of Vedanta, Suomi (teacher) Vivekananda (1902), recommends such a spiritual attitude to his followers: “Reminding us of our weaknesses, says Vedanta, will not help; we need treatment. The treatment for weakness does not consist in making a person constantly think that he is weak, but in making him think about his strength. Tell him about the power that is already in him. Instead of telling people that they are sinners, Vedanta teaches the opposite: “You are pure and perfect, and whatever you call sin is not yours... Never say, “I cannot.” This cannot be, since you are infinite... You can do everything, you are omnipotent” [Ibid. P. 275]. Or this instruction: “The best person is the one who dares to say about himself: “I know everything about myself”... Listen day and night that you are the Soul. Repeat this to yourself day and night until this thought enters your blood, sounds with every beat of your heart... Let your whole body be filled with this one thought: “I am the unborn, immortal, blissful, omniscient, ever-beautiful Soul...” Master this thought and become imbued with the consciousness of your power, greatness and glory. May God grant that the opposite superstition never gets into your head. “Do you really consider yourself weak? It is not good to consider yourself a sinner, weak. Tell this to the world, tell yourself..." [Ibid. P. 277, 279]. And this must not only be known and realized, it must be deeply felt: “Feel like Christ, and you will be Christ; feel like Buddha, and you will be Buddha” [Ibid. P. 283].

“What else is there in religion that you need to learn? - Vivekananda exclaims and answers: The unity of the Universe and faith in yourself, that’s all you need to know” [Ibid. P. 278]. “Vedanta says that there is no God except man. It may surprise you at first, but little by little you will understand it. The living God is in you, and you build churches and temples and believe in all sorts of imaginary nonsense. The only God to be worshiped is the human soul or the human body” [Ibid. P. 299].

The above statements clearly show what Hindu Vedanta mysticism is. This is a cult of outright, satanic pride (“imbued with the consciousness of your power, greatness and glory”!), angrily rejecting the existence of the One God (“there is no God but man... and you believe in nonsense”!) and, naturally, leading to obvious madness ( “Feel like Christ, and you will be Christ!” Isn’t that the same path, by the way, for Francis of Assisi, who also “felt himself completely transformed into Jesus”?).

But perhaps it is especially important to note that mysticism, as false spirituality, being a determining factor in life and teaching in pagan and neo-pagan religions and systems of thought, is also possible in Christianity (the so-called prelest). A striking example of this are the Roman Catholic saints, for example, the most revered ones, such as Francis of Assisi (XIII century), Catharine of Siena (XIV century), Teresa of Avila (XVI century) (the last two were erected by Pope Paul VI (1978) even in the dignity of the teachers of the Church), Ignatius of Loyola (XVI century) [See Chapter VI: Revelation]; also so-called charismatic movements in various Christian churches, sects, communities (for example, Catholics, Pentecostals), certain charismatic preachers popular in the West or the “Virgin Center” in Moscow, the “white brotherhood”, etc.

Mysticism is also possible in the Orthodox environment, just as paganism is generally possible among believers who seek not God, but gracious pleasures from God and who live not according to the patristic teaching of the Church, but according to their own considerations and desires. The holy fathers call it prelest. This term is remarkable in that it accurately reveals the very essence of false spirituality: a proud opinion about oneself, one’s spiritual perfection, caused by a passionate (i.e., blind, enslaving the mind) desire for spiritual gifts, experiences, powers, knowledge and revelations.

Mysticism, thus, leads a person away from God, from the true goal of life and gives such a direction to the development of the spirit, in which refined pride unusually increases, making a person incapable of accepting Christ as the true God and the only Savior. The development of pride is facilitated by false asceticism, and often developed extrasensory abilities (for example, in yoga), as well as deep neuropsychic experiences, pleasures that lead to ecstasy. All this gradually leads a person to the conviction that he himself has the fullness of being and therefore, without God, is capable of becoming “like the gods.” This path often leads to mystical atheism (for example, Buddhism, Samkhya), to madness, hysteria, and suicide.

§ 4.Magism

Magism (from the Greek witchcraft, sorcery, sorcery) is the belief in a person’s ability to master supernatural and natural forces with the help of spells, rituals, etc. ON THE. Berdyaev (1948) wrote about magic like this: “Occultism, for example, is the sphere of magic par excellence, i.e. necessity, not freedom. Magic is domination over the world through knowledge of the necessity and patterns of the mysterious forces of the world. I have not seen freedom of spirit in people who are passionate about the occult. They did not possess occult powers, occult powers possessed them.

Magism, like mysticism, is completely unrelated to the recognition of the personal and, especially, the One God. The magical worldview views the world as something absolutely static and deterministic and leaves no room for freedom for either gods, spirits, or the forces of nature. Everyone and everything is subject to eternally existing occult laws. From here, the one who finds the “key” to them becomes the true ruler of the gods, people and the world. One of the Indian proverbs says: “The whole world is subject to the gods. The gods are subject to spells. Spells for brahmins. Our gods are brahmins."

Therefore, unlike religion, which sees the essence of a person’s life in the proper dispensation of his spirit in relation to God, magic pays its main attention to the correctness of the ritual. Its precise execution is of fundamental importance in magic. Hence, for her, the Orthodox teaching about the sacraments, the validity of which is determined by the spiritual state of the recipient, is completely unacceptable (for example, the Apostle Paul writes about communion: “Whoever eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks condemnation to himself” (1 Cor. II, 29) - and this is with the exact fulfillment of the entire external (ritual) side of the sacrament of the Eucharist and the rules of preparation for it).

Magic as a state of consciousness is possible everywhere. A striking example of magism in Christian practice is the baptism or communion of a person under duress, or for purely everyday reasons (for example, so as not to get sick), and not out of faith, as the Lord says about it (). The magical perception of the cult is generally one of the main reasons for the degeneration of the Christian religion, its distortions, and the reason for the growth of paganism, especially atheism, occultism and Satanism.

The greatest temptation for a person is to “thwart the secrets of existence” (gods, man, nature) and become “like God”, not subject to God, moreover, to try to subjugate God himself. Magic is an insane attempt to implement such an idea, a kind of psychological “revolution” of man against God.

According to the Holy Scriptures, the last step in the development of paganism should be the appearance of the ruler of the whole world - the Antichrist, the “man of sin”, the “lawless one” () in the highest and exclusive meaning of this word, “so that in the temple of God he will sit as God, pretending to be God" () and creating false miracles with the help of magic and other means.

§5.The origins of paganism

What gave birth and continues to give rise to paganism in man and society?

The main and root cause of the emergence of paganism is the false path of human self-determination. The Book of Genesis tells how the first people were seduced by illegally plucking fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil to become “like gods” and in such a destructive way to realize the inherent human desire for knowledge of God and endless perfection. Instead of gradual spiritual growth, changing oneself in the image of the all-holy God, and ever closer unity with Him, through which infinite perfections and powers would be revealed in a person and he would receive true knowledge of all things and eternal life, a person chooses an easier “path” - not requiring internal improvement, “pleasant to the eye and desired” (), promising to quickly, immediately give a person “knowledge of good and evil,” omniscience is the path of godless becoming “god.”

However, this external path of “tearing away” the secrets of existence in order to master its natural and supernatural forces is essentially flawed, for it separates man from the source of existence - God, and cultivates in man pride, the root of all human suffering. It is from here that magic appears as an attempt to unravel and use for selfish purposes the secrets of the world and God, even against His will. From here arises idolatry as a natural result of the perversion of the concept of the highest goal and the true meaning of life. Hence naturalism, since the loss of the spiritual ideal inevitably entails the cult of the material, the cult of the flesh. Pride, man’s attempt to take the place of God himself, the desire for superconsciousness and higher pleasures gives rise to the most refined paganism - mystical [See. Ch. II, §8: Diversity of religions].

§6.Paganism and history

In what direction is the general development of paganism going? Is it becoming more and more “pagan” or is there some positive process of returning to the “invisible God” ()?

It is undeniable that in paganism there have always been people who “sought God to see if they would feel Him and find Him” (). And in this sense, it is true that in paganism “a positive religious process took place” [ Non-Evening Light. Sergiev Posad, 1917. P. 323). For, as St. wrote. , “everyone has the seeds of Truth” [Apology. 1.7 // Monuments of ancient Christian writing: In 7 vols. T. 4. M "1860-67. P. 25] and “Christ is the Word, in whom the entire human race is involved. Those who lived in accordance with the Word are Christians, even if they were considered atheists - such among the Hellenes are Socrates, Heraclitus and the like" [Apology. 1.46. Right there. P. 85]. However, it is no less obvious that this universal participation in the Word and the sincere search for truth by individual pagans do not determine the general course of development of paganism in humanity. Paganism is not a search for God, but a departure from Him, and progress in paganism was and remains more a progress of sin and apostasy than of a disinterested search for truth. The idea of ​​the “Kingdom of God on earth”, i.e. the idea of ​​the universal deification of humanity in earthly history is absent in the patristic works and fundamentally contradicts the Revelation of the New Testament (for example, the Apocalypse, etc.). Divine Revelation proclaims that “in the last days difficult times will come, for people will be self-loving, money-loving, proud...” (), so that “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth” (). These can only be the consequences of the deep, all-encompassing development of paganism in humanity. The Lord reveals to the Church that the fulfillment of God’s creative plan for humanity is destined not in history, but in metahistory, when there will be “a new heaven and a new earth” ().

§7.Evaluation of Paganism

Assessing paganism as a whole, one can see that this concept in Christianity, first of all, expresses that “old”, hereditary principle in man, which, having arisen as a result of his falling away from God, then, in the process of history, is revealed and develops in various forms and types. According to Christian teaching, man in his present state does not represent a naturally normal being; on the contrary, his nature is deeply damaged and upset. In it, after the Fall, good is mixed with evil, “new” with “old”, Christian with pagan, and constant, conscious spiritual and moral work is required in order to become a full-fledged, “new” () person. Life without internal struggle with oneself, i.e. a spiritually passive life (), flowing along an inclined channel of satisfying the passions of the flesh and spirit, leads a person to final slavery to sin and to its cult - paganism.

Paganism, therefore, is a direction of life that is characterized by a person’s false attitude towards God, towards himself, towards the world. Paganism is therefore not covered within the framework of any one religion or a specific set of them (for example, Greco-Roman polytheism, Hinduism, etc.). It is much broader and includes both different religions of worldview, and the very character and spirit of life of all people, including many Christians who reject the Gospel standards of life. And a Christian, while remaining a completely orthodox, Orthodox person by formal belonging to the Church and by fulfilling its external rites and instructions, can at the same time be a real ungodly pagan. A striking example of such an unnatural state are the Pharisees, scribes, Jewish and Christian lawyers, who rejected and are rejecting Christ the Savior with their lives. There is a Christian and a pagan in every person by nature. And only the sincere election of Christ as the norm, the ideal of one’s life makes a person a Christian. Otherwise, even professing Orthodoxy (by custom, language), he remains a pagan: “Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord! God!" He who does the will of My Heavenly Father will enter the Kingdom of Heaven" ().

About the pagan worldview

Despite the fact that the term “paganism” itself was created as a concept reflecting the identity of the Jewish nation, opposing itself to all other peoples, it cannot be ignored in the history of religion. The term “paganism” is extremely important for understanding the essence of religious teachings that consistently reject the idea of ​​a Personal One God as the Creator of the world, and that is why it cannot be ignored. The peculiarity of this term is that it indicates anti-monotheistic views not directly, through the disclosure of the content of religious teachings, but indirectly, through the historical-genetic national moment. The concept of “paganism” reflects the long historical monopoly of the Jewish nation on the monotheistic idea, denotes the genetic ascent of theistic, creationist and providentialist views to the monotheistic Revelation given to the Jewish people. Revealing the genetic ascent of a worldview opposite to monotheism to the religious creativity of all other, “pagan” peoples, this concept gives Judeo-Christian monotheism the status of an exceptional, unique phenomenon in the history of religions, emphasizing the opposition of the Judeo-Christian monotheistic Revelation and all other religions.
The pagan worldview is the ultimate antithesis of monotheism, since it affirms the divine, absolute nature of impersonal natural being, declares its originlessness, infinity, uncreatability and indestructibility. It attributes the attributes of God to impersonal nature, and thereby reduces man to the level of a natural phenomenon. In the context of paganism, man is no longer the Image of God, not the crown of creation, called to union with his Uncreated Creator. In paganism, the human personality is only a secondary and derivative phenomenon of nature, generated by an impersonal natural substance. In paganism, a person turns into a hostage of spontaneous natural processes, into a manifestation of unintentional, unconscious natural self-movement. Such an interpretation assumes the complete depersonalization of a person, because here he acquires the properties of a natural phenomenon, equal in its properties with other natural phenomena, having lost freedom, incapable of independent activity, decomposed into impersonal natural components, capable of taking on other natural forms under the influence of spontaneous natural changes.
The pagan worldview denies the existence of a supernatural personal Absolute. That is why, in its essential ideological positions, paganism remains a legacy and continuation of the spiritual degradation of man. In paganism, a person does not seek and realize the ideal of the Kingdom of God, which invariably harmonizes the human personality and interpersonal human relationships, but puts into practice completely opposite ideas that contribute to absurd immoral self-affirmation. Such self-affirmation in paganism is virtually inevitable, since man is left alone with the impersonal natural world, and the latter does not contain any ethical imperatives, significantly lower than the godlike human being. In the process of such self-affirmation, a person deliberately avoids the transcendentally imposed moral discipline, shuns the absolute moral control imposed from the outside (for impersonal nature does not possess such control and discipline), and strives to realize only his own limited and transitory goals, which are in decisive contradiction with the similar goals of other people. Hence the pagan brings continuous conflicts, chaos and disharmony into his own existence and interpersonal relationships. That is why pagan religious consciousness reflects the destructive process of decomposition of human morality.
The moral development of man in paganism has always found a serious obstacle from polytheistic cults - the veneration of anthropomorphic elemental natural forces, the ethical requirements of which were as relative as they themselves. Polytheistic cults did not promote spiritual growth. The deification of transient natural phenomena could only relativize human morality, which always needs an absolute, supernatural ethical Ideal - a Personal God, external to temporary human existence. The veneration of polytheistic deities did not provide such an Ideal, but offered only surrogates in the form of creatures whose existence was endowed with those spatio-temporal characteristics that humans possess, creatures that could not give an absolute moral law precisely because of their limited, finite nature. Thus, the spatio-temporal localization of polytheistic deities, implying their autochthonous, local character, excluded the idea of ​​human unity, stimulating and directly sanctifying the constant strife between pagan tribes, when the extermination of members of another ethnic community was equated to satisfying the needs of the local deity. Extrapolation of the consummative characteristics of the human body to polytheistic deities gave rise to human sacrifices that satisfied the nutritional needs of anthropomorphic gods. The deification of the productive forces of nature justified depraved cults and temple prostitution, mystery orgies and frantic zeal, turning a person into a fanatic, reducing his behavior to the level of unconscious, impulsive instincts of an animal. Thus, pagan polytheistic practice, requiring the deification of relative natural phenomena, contributed to the moral decay of man.

prot. , " ":
Historians sometimes claim that, while fighting paganism, Christianity itself adopted many “pagan” elements and ceased to be evangelical worship of God “in spirit and truth.” Temple piety, the development and complexity of the cult, the veneration of saints and their relics, which blossomed so quickly in the fourth century, the ever-increasing interest in the “material” in religion: in holy places, objects, relics - all this directly traces back to pagan influence in the Church, and this is seen as a compromise with the world for the sake of a “mass” victory. But it is not at all required of a Christian historian that, in the name of defending Christianity, he simply rejects this accusation - that is, denies any “analogies” between Christianity and pagan “forms” of religion. On the contrary, he can safely accept it, because he does not see any “guilt” in these analogies. Christianity has adopted and made many “forms” of pagan religion its own, not only because these are eternal forms of religion in general, but also because the whole idea of ​​Christianity is not to replace all “forms” in this world with new ones, but to fill new and true content. Baptism with water, a religious meal, anointing with oil - she did not invent or create all these fundamental religious acts; they all already existed in the religious practice of mankind. And the Church never denied this connection with “natural” religion, only from the very first centuries gave it a meaning opposite to that which modern historians of religions see in it. For these latter, everything is explained by “borrowings” and “influences.” The Church, with its lips, has always asserted that the human soul is “by nature Christian,” and therefore even “natural” religion, even paganism itself, is only a perversion of something true and true by nature. good. Taking any “form”, the Church - in her consciousness - returned to God what rightfully belongs to Him, always and in everything restoring the “fallen image”.

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