Christianity has long been a debated religion, and one topic of debate is whether it is connected to pagan practices. While there are some similarities between certain Christian traditions and pagan rituals, it is important to distinguish between influence and connection. **Christianity incorporates various elements from pagan practices through assimilation rather than direct association.** Throughout history, different cultures and religions have often borrowed and adapted customs, beliefs, and practices from one another. In the case of Christianity, this is particularly evident in the celebration of Christmas and Easter, two of the most important events on the Christian calendar. The timing of these holidays coincides with pagan festivals such as the winter solstice and the spring equinox, which were widely celebrated in ancient times.
Washuta works with Theresa Warburton as co-editors of the anthology Shapes of Native Nonfiction: Collected Essays by Contemporary Writers, forthcoming from University of Washington Press. She has received fellowships and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, Artist Trust, 4Culture, Potlatch Fund, and Hugo House. Washuta is an assistant professor of English at the Ohio State University.
Washuta works with Theresa Warburton as co-editors of the anthology Shapes of Native Nonfiction Collected Essays by Contemporary Writers , forthcoming from University of Washington Press. Elissa Washuta is a member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe whose personal essays and memoir examine the effect of trauma, disorders, and popular culture on her body and identity.
The timing of these holidays coincides with pagan festivals such as the winter solstice and the spring equinox, which were widely celebrated in ancient times. Over the years, Christian leaders sought to Christianize these pagan festivals by replacing the original practices with Christian ones. For example, Christmas replaced pagan winter solstice celebrations by marking the birth of Jesus Christ.
White Magic Quotes
“Sometimes I think I'm near the end of my energy for living. I plot to travel to another world because this one seems too decimated by the white men who wanted money and skin, too dangerous to navigate because of the sentinels still roaming, raping, and gouging out the earth to maintain power.”
― Elissa Washuta, White Magic
“Maybe wanting to be special is an American condition, the swamp of entitlement from which the American dream is supposed to be able to grow.”
― Elissa Washuta, White Magic
“A place can't be so wild and so densely built, so desolate and so populous. Living in contradictions, we learn to want the strange and nonsensical. We covet and hoard rare things--rare bogs, rare rocks, rare lakes.”
― Elissa Washuta, White Magic
“A witch needs only the right look, the right stuff, the right feelings. I look at the part: like a Hollywood witch, dark-haired and pale-skinned (because of my European ancestry). And I'm into the Instagram-witch lifestyle: black dresses, lavender baths, affirmations about being worthy of things. But I don't like calling myself a witch. I don't want to be seen as following a fad, and I don't want the white witches I resemble to take my presence in their spaces as permission for theft. Really, I just want a version of the occult that isn't built on plunder, but I suspect that if we could excise the stolen pieces, there would be nothing left.”
― Elissa Washuta, White Magic
“If I'm going to die, I want to fight. I've been fighting the colonizer's whispers that I am not wanted here, not worthy of protection, nothing but a body to be pummeled and played with and threatened into submission. I have not died yet. My whole body is a fire, lit back when the world was complete, never extinguished by anybody.”
― Elissa Washuta, White Magic
“I wanted this narrative -- this one, this story, this riddle, this experiment, this trick, this device -- to teach me to love right, but all I know is that I'm not sure I can love a man who wouldn't let me die. And maybe that means I can't love a man if I want to live.”
― Elissa Washuta, White Magic
“What do David Lynch & your ex have in common? Neither of them owe you closure.”
― Elissa Washuta, White Magic
“You've made it clear you're on a quest for freedom, but limits will save your life”
― Elissa Washuta, White Magic
“If I'm going to die, I want to fight. I've been fighting the colonizer's whispers that I am not wanted here, not worthy of protection, nothing but a body to be pummeled and played with and threatened into submission. I have not died yet. My whole body is a fire, lit back when the world was complete, never extinguished by anybody.”
― Elissa Washuta, White Magic
Similarly, Easter falls around the same time as many ancient fertility festivals, but it now commemorates the resurrection of Jesus. **While the timing may be similar, the intent and focus of these Christian celebrations are entirely different from their pagan predecessors.** Furthermore, Christianity promotes monotheism and worship of a single God, distinguishing it from the polytheistic nature of many pagan religions. The key tenet of Christianity is faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Savior of humanity. Pagan beliefs, on the other hand, often involve the worship of numerous deities associated with different aspects of life. It is also worth noting that Christianity emerged in a time and place where pagan religions were prevalent. As it spread throughout the Roman Empire, it encountered various traditions and practices that were already established. To gain acceptance and facilitate the conversion of pagans to Christianity, some customs and symbols were incorporated into the new religion, resulting in a certain level of assimilation. In conclusion, while there are some connections between Christianity and pagan practices, it is important to note that these connections are a result of assimilation rather than direct association. Christianity incorporated certain elements from pagan customs and rituals through adapting and Christianizing pre-existing celebrations. However, the core beliefs and focus of Christianity differ significantly from pagan religions, particularly in terms of monotheism and the worship of Jesus Christ as the central figure..
Reviews for "The Role of Pagan Festivals in the Christian Liturgical Calendar"
1. John - 2 stars - I was really disappointed by the book "Is Christianity Connected to Pagan Practices." The author seemed to be going out of their way to discredit Christianity rather than truly exploring the topic. The arguments presented were weak and lacked substantial evidence. Overall, I found the book to be biased and unconvincing.
2. Sarah - 1 star - I found "Is Christianity Connected to Pagan Practices" to be a complete waste of time. The author's arguments were based on cherry-picked historical references without proper contextualization. It felt like a conspiracy theory rather than a well-researched analysis. I would not recommend this book to anyone seeking a fair and unbiased examination of the topic.
3. Michael - 2 stars - I was initially intrigued by the topic of the book, but I was disappointed by the overall content. The author seemed to have a clear agenda and selectively chose evidence that supported their viewpoint while ignoring opposing arguments. This resulted in a highly biased presentation of the topic. It would have been more valuable if the author had approached the subject matter with an open mind and presented a balanced perspective.
4. Emily - 1 star - "Is Christianity Connected to Pagan Practices" was a frustrating read. The author's arguments lacked logical coherence, and many of the claims were based on conjecture rather than concrete evidence. It felt like a personal attack on Christianity rather than an academic examination of the topic. I would not recommend this book to anyone interested in a serious discussion about the connection between Christianity and pagan practices.