The study of pagan influences on the formation of Christian theology is an intriguing and controversial topic that explores the interconnectedness of different religious ideologies throughout history. It delves into how elements and ideas from pagan beliefs found their way into Christian theology, shaping the development and understanding of the faith. One prominent aspect to consider is the influence of Greek philosophy on early Christian thought. Early Christian theologians, such as Origen and Augustine, incorporated philosophical concepts from Plato and Aristotle into their understanding of Christian doctrine. The concept of the soul, for example, drew heavily from Plato's ideas of the immortal soul. Likewise, Augustine's emphasis on reason and logic can be traced back to Aristotle's teachings.
Alright, maybe I have a weakness for fantasy B-movies. I really enjoyed the film, it was fun, it didn’t take itself too seriously and it is a good adventure for those who love a good fantasy flick. That being said, it is occasionally let down by instances such as a door which is strangely wobbly, or a window which looks far too modern to be on a house of that era. A few of the fight scenes are a bit too wooden to be realistic, coming off a bit cringe worthy, but you have to give credit to the film makers for trying to look as bad ass as possible, even if they didn’t quite achieve it. Overall, the film isn’t blockbuster quality, but it delivers enough to entertain and excite.
He meets up with Nemyt when she winds up in a city dungeon turns out that the tattoo on her wrist is well-known by everyone as a mark of the Shadow, and she gets locked up after a brief struggle. Hunt must overcome their differences and work together if they are going to stop the Shadow s curse from spreading across the land and dooming them all.
Likewise, Augustine's emphasis on reason and logic can be traced back to Aristotle's teachings. Additionally, the incorporation of pagan religious practices and traditions into Christian rituals is another significant area of study. For instance, the celebration of Christmas on December 25th mirrors the Roman holiday of Saturnalia, which was part of the pagan Winter Solstice celebrations.
Dungeons & D-Listers: Curse of the Dragon Slayer (2013)
Life can be challenging as a fantasy fan. Sure, we’ve got the best games, sure we’ve got the best books, and we’ve even reared our heads in the film industry with celebrated movies like Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. But, outside those few blockbusters, seeking out a really excellent sword and sorcery movie can be… well, hard. When I log in to Netflix to see if the fantasy section will actually offer something new and exciting, I don’t actually expect to find something. A few things will pop up with the word “dragon” in the name, they’ll inevitably feature some washed-up side character from Battlestar Galactica, and most importantly, they will be terrible.
This is what I was expecting when I came across Curse of the Dragon Slayer on Netflix’s instant watch. I didn’t instantly recognize anyone from Battlestar Galactica but it was safe to assume they’d be there, the synopsis mentioned something about an elf and a cult and blah blah blah. I was pretty certain it was gonna suck.
I was wrong. It was awesome.
I’d like to first address that this film has at least four different titles. If you see a film with any of these titles:
- Curse of the Dragon Slayer
- SAGA: Curse of the Shadow
- SAGA: The Shadow Cabal
- Dragon Lore: Curse of the Shadow
Then it is the same movie. Considering that the film does not prominently contain any actual dragons, I find that the second title is the most accurate. As such, from here out I shall be referring to this movie as Saga.
Note for the confused and curious: Despite a similarity in names, starring the same actor, and having been released two years later, Curse of the Dragon Slayer is not a sequel to the film Dawn of the Dragon Slayer and is in no way related. How about that?
This brings me to the movie itself. Saga was a breath of fresh air – an independent fantasy film with a budget that, amazingly, exceeds “shoestring.” All of the major characters have subplots that tie together into a significant story. The characters are distinct and multi-layered. The morality is complex. The sets are beautiful. And the world itself is an imaginative blend of fantasy genres that leaves the entire thing both familiar and satisfying.
But that’s speaking in broad terms. Let me back up.
Saga gives us three central characters. Each of them is enjoyable in different ways, each has their own motivations and storyline that ties in together with the rest of the movie as a whole. Let’s take a look at them one by one.
The first character introduced is Nemyt Akaia ( Danielle Chuchran ), a young high elf bounty hunter. To my estimation, she is Chaotic Neutral. While she portrays herself as a renegade with a justified vendetta, Nemyt is a greedy, sociopathic, racist murderer. Weren’t expecting that in a main character, were you? In her youth, Nemyt’s homeland was wiped out by the invading orc tribes – they killed the men and the women, but they spared the children. Now a grown woman, Nemyt becomes a bounty hunter, determined to slaughter every orc she encounters. She does not consider them worth sparing or worth honor. It is in her hunt for orcs that the story begins – the orc she encounters is a shaman, and a disciple of the Shadow, a death-worshipping cult. When she kills him, he passes on the “mark,” a mysterious black tattoo that appears on her wrist. This will end up being quite significant.
Next we have Keltus the Wanderer ( Richard McWilliams ), a human zealot. He is described as a “cleric” at one point, though he uses a sword and is more of an interrogator/inquisitor/crusader than anything else. Keltus is Lawful Neutral (though moves towards Lawful Good by the film’s climax) and follows the orders of “The Prophetess,” a mysterious woman that he visits in a strange dreamscape when he meditates upon her. The Prophetess wants Keltus to bring down the Shadow, and she doesn’t care how he does it. In fact, her advice is usually awful – Keltus is not encouraged to hold any loyalties or treat anyone with respect or honor. He will kill, torture, and betray as he sees fit to continue his quest in destroying the evil of the Shadow. He meets up with Nemyt when she winds up in a city dungeon – turns out that the tattoo on her wrist is well-known by everyone as a mark of the Shadow, and she gets locked up after a brief struggle. He plans to use her as an infiltrator to seek out the cult, in exchange for freeing her from the dungeon and having the Prophetess remove the mark on her arm.
The third, last, and best central character that Saga offers is Kullimon the Black ( Paul D. Hunt ), an orcish ex-warchief. Before I go into further detail on him specifically, I need to briefly mention some developments on the orcs themselves in this setting.
Saga‘s orcs resemble, visually, the orcs in Lord of the Rings (Actually, a lot of things do. Nemyt’s sword is an exact replica of Arwen’s, and a later antagonist has a replica of the Witch-King’s sword – I recognize them from catalogs. Yes, I’m a dork.), though they’re slightly larger and slightly greener. The interesting bit is that they actually take a glance at the orcs’ culture in this, and it finds a sort of strange balance between the savage, psychotic “classic” orcs and the more shamanic, honorable “Klingon-style” orcs that we saw later on in settings like Warcraft and Warhammer. The shift is done cleanly, being expressed with a clash between two leaders – the peaceful, honorable one is Kullimon, whereas his rival, who ends up betraying and usurping him, is warlike and brutal. Whether this was done accidentally as a way to make the orcs seem more interesting, or was done specifically as a sort of study on the orc culture, I’m unsure. But either way, it’s appreciated.
Anyway, back to Kullimon. He is Neutral Good and is absolutely fantastic, standing out strongly as my favorite character of the bunch. He’s boisterous, funny, noble, and determined – after he is betrayed and loses leadership over his tribe, he is beaten, exiled, and crucified. When Keltus and Nemyt find him (and after Keltus prevents Nemyt from slaughtering him where he kneels, unarmed) he insists that he travel with them… after all, the relic they’re seeking (what, you didn’t think they’d be seeking a relic? It may be a good fantasy flick but it’s still a fantasy flick) lays with his old tribe, who are turning towards evil and falling into the clutches of the Shadow.
And so, our merry band forms. Each seeks out the Shadow for their own reasons, and after Nemyt has some secret plans explained to her by a kooked-out Shadow cultist (he saw the tattoo on her arm) they have to find some items and do various things with them. The exact nature of their little quest is entertaining but doesn’t stand out, but the story is entirely character-driven. Each character has their own motivations and different plans on how to best carry them out – Nemyt holds no loyalty to either of them (and in fact wants to kill Kullimon by virtue of being an orc at all), Keltus plans to use Nemyt as an infiltrator and then dispose of her (in his defense, she is kind of a freak), and Kullimon himself, well… actually he’s just a pretty cool guy about the whole thing. While he isn’t beholden to his new comrades, he is grateful and loyal to them, treats them with respect, doesn’t try to get in their way, and is all-around helpful. This is reflected at one point – when the sub-Baddie of the film uses an area of effect to put the mark of the Shadow on everyone nearby, the only person it doesn’t effect is Kullimon. While he’s violent and tribal, he’s so good-natured that the death god (Goth Azul) can’t get a hold on him. He remains untainted.
So, what else is there to say? The action’s good, the costumes are good, the acting is solid enough to support the strong characters and dialogue, and the film’s three (!) villains are all exciting and worthwhile, ranging from personal (the other chief), to globally significant (Goth Azul and the dark rider), to just random and awesome (the dwarf maniac). The ending is satisfying, and, perhaps most importantly…
…It contains a zombie Minotaur.
A zombie Minotaur.
A Minotaur that’s also a zombie.
I can die happy now.
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John: Um, I’m not sure because the first one we did, Katniss and Rue, we found out they were doing the Hunger Games films so the first one was actually an audition piece for Danielle Chuchran. A friend of mine had a contact at Lionsgate. So I just shot that video in one day and I wanted her to have a chance to speak with the casting director. My friend, I asked him to show it to people at Lionsgate but he lost the contact. So I put it online and what happened was it became an online hit with all the Hunger Games fans since the (movies) weren’t out yet, and from that the casting director saw it and ended up having Danielle go out and meet with Gary Ross for Katniss.
Similarly, the concept of the Trinity in Christian theology has parallels in ancient pagan triads, such as the Egyptian trinity of Osiris, Isis, and Horus. Furthermore, the incorporation of pagan deities into Christian iconography is an interesting area of investigation. Pagan gods and goddesses were often assimilated into the Christian pantheon as saints or angels. This syncretism allowed for the conversion of pagan populations, as they were able to relate to familiar figures and traditions within the newly adopted faith. It is important to note, however, that the incorporation of pagan influences should not be interpreted as a dilution or corruption of Christian theology. Rather, it reflects the adaptability and inclusiveness of the early Christian Church as it sought to spread its message to diverse populations. The process of assimilating and reinterpreting pagan ideas and practices within the framework of Christianity helped to create a more relatable and accessible religious experience for converts. In conclusion, the study of pagan influences on the formation of Christian theology provides valuable insights into the historical development and evolution of the faith. It highlights the interconnectedness of different belief systems and the adaptability of Christianity in integrating elements from pagan traditions. This exploration not only sheds light on the process of religious evolution but also deepens our understanding of the rich tapestry of human spirituality..
Reviews for "Comparative Analysis of Pagan and Christian Beliefs about the Divine"
1. John Doe - 1 star - This book was a complete disappointment. As someone who was interested in learning about the pagan influences on Christian theology, I found the author's perspective to be biased and lacking in depth. The content was shallow and failed to provide any substantial evidence or analysis. Furthermore, the writing style was confusing and convoluted, making it difficult to follow the author's arguments. Overall, I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a comprehensive study on the topic.
2. Jane Smith - 2 stars - While the topic of pagan influences on Christian theology is intriguing, this book fell short of my expectations. The author's approach seemed to be more focused on criticizing Christianity rather than providing a balanced analysis of the pagan influences. The arguments presented were often one-sided and lacked supporting evidence. Additionally, the writing style was dry and dense, making it difficult to engage with the content. I would caution readers to seek out alternative sources for a more objective and comprehensive exploration of this topic.
3. David Johnson - 1 star - I found this book to be a total waste of time and money. The author's biased perspective was evident from the beginning, and it undermined any credibility the book may have had. Rather than presenting a well-researched study on the pagan influences on Christian theology, the author seemed intent on pushing their own agenda. The lack of objective analysis and substantial evidence made it difficult to take the book seriously. I would strongly advise against reading this book if you are looking for an unbiased exploration of the topic.
4. Samantha Davis - 2 stars - As someone with a background in theology, I was excited to read this book and gain a deeper understanding of the pagan influences on Christian theology. However, I was disappointed by the lack of scholarly rigor and factual accuracy. The book relied heavily on speculation and assumptions rather than providing concrete evidence. The author's biased perspective was also evident throughout the text, which made it difficult to trust the information presented. Overall, I would recommend seeking out more reputable sources for a thorough exploration of this topic.
5. Michael Thompson - 1 star - This book was a letdown. The author's lack of objectivity and clear agenda hindered any potential value the book may have had. The arguments presented were weak and failed to provide convincing evidence of the pagan influences on Christian theology. Furthermore, the writing style was dry and monotonous, which made it a struggle to get through the book. I would not recommend wasting your time with this poorly executed study.