Talisman St. Paul is a legendary statue located in the city of Saint-Paul-de-Vence in the south of France. This statue is famous for its unique history and the magical powers it is believed to possess. The statue is made of bronze and depicts a religious figure believed to be Saint Paul. It stands about two meters tall and is placed on a pedestal in the heart of the city. People from all over the world visit this statue to seek good luck, protection, and healing.
Back in the hey-day of the so-called History of Religions school, scholars in comparative religion collected parallels to Christian beliefs in other religious movements, and some thought to explain those beliefs (including belief in Jesus' resurrection) as the result of the influence of such myths. Today, however, scarcely any scholar thinks of myth as an important interpretive category for the Gospels. Scholars came to realize that pagan mythology is simply the wrong interpretive context for understanding Jesus of Nazareth.
Today the consensus of scholarship holds that miracle-working and exorcisms bracketing the question of their supernatural character most assuredly do belong to any historically acceptable reconstruction of Jesus ministry. It is a Jewish reworking of ancient Pagan myths of the dying and resurrecting Godman Osiris-Dionysus, which had been popular for centuries throughout the ancient Mediterranean.
People from all over the world visit this statue to seek good luck, protection, and healing. Legend has it that touching or kissing the statue's hand can bring good fortune in various aspects of life, such as love, health, and wealth. Many people have reported experiencing positive changes in their lives after interacting with the Talisman St.
The Pagan Roots of Christianity
One of the most common accusations leveled against me by my favorite Twitter atheist, whom I only know by the pseudonym “Thomas Doubtmoore”, is that I am not qualified to determine the veracity of my own faith. Mr. Doubtmoore has sent me several dozen tweets in which he points to the history of religion and pagan mythology that predates Jesus by millennia as the true source of the Christian faith, claiming mankind made it all up. To wit:
I would, of course, be a fool to deny the similarities between man-made myths and the claims of the Christian faith. Even revered Christian author C.S. Lewis admits that Christian Theology “certainly contains elements similar to those which we find in many early, and even savage religions.” While the similarities are not in dispute, the nature of those similarities is a bit more complicated. And beyond that, their value as evidence in Mr. Doutbmoore’s anti-Christian line of argument turns out to be surprisingly low.
I say this for two reasons.
First, because of the biased inference on which Mr. Doubtmoore’s argument is based. Namely, the inference that, because some early human beliefs have been determined to be mythology, all early human beliefs must be mythological. For example, consider the Norse god Baldur who, like Jesus, died and came back from the dead. The story of Baldur pre-dates Christ by 700+ years and is now understood to be ancient mythology. Because of this fact Mr. Doubtmoore wants to infer that the death and resurrection of Christ must also be ancient mythology. The problem with this inference is that he starts with the presupposition “both are mythological” and from there argues, “therefore both are false”. However, the mythological categorization now given to the story of Baldur is due to mankind coming to disbelieve in him, while the opposite is true of Jesus. Modern mankind retains its belief in Christ, and in fact, is coming to believe in Him in record numbers. Thus, I would submit that personal disbelief is the real starting point of Mr. Doubtmoore’s argument, rather than perceived mythological similarities.
But let’s move on to my second reason and tackle the larger question of whether or not Christianity can be proven false by the occurrence of similar ideas in pre-Christian myths and religions. I believe when we look at the similarities we will find they are ultimately ineffectual when claimed as evidence either for or against the truth of Christianity.
In order for any belief system to be true, is it necessary for it to avoid all similarity and coincidence with every other belief system? Of course not! Under that reasoning, the only way for Christianity to be true would be for every other religion to be 100% false, which is not something Christianity claims, nor logic dictates. In the words of Professor H. H. Price, “From these resemblances you may conclude not ‘so much the worse for Christians’ but ‘so much the better for the Pagans.’”
If we look at the similarities between Christianity and pre-Christian mythology by starting with Mr. Doubtmoore’s assumption that Christianity is false we find that, in fact, the resemblances are quite consistent with his assumption. It stands to reason that ancient, pre-scientific man, spanning across multiple cultures and civilizations, all interfacing with the same universe, would arrive at similar stories to explain it’s origins and meaning.
However, if we look at those same similarities by starting with the assumption that Christianity is true, they fit equally well. Christianity teaches that there is a divine awareness given to all men. (Ecclesiastes 3:11, Romans 1:20, John 1:9). In fact, if Christianity were true we would expect to find evidence of a common divine awareness in the minds of ancient myth-makers, and we’d certainly not be surprised to find a recurring dying-and-rising religious motif running through human history. After all, the ideas of incarnation, death and rebirth are part of the transcendent theme we Christians believe to be at the very foundation of the universe.
The pre-Christian myths are about someone dying and rising, either annually (Ishtar, Persephone, etc.) or in places and times unknown (Osiris, Adonis, etc.). The Christian story is about a specific historical person, Jesus of Nazareth, whose execution happened sometime between 30–33 AD under the fifth prefect of the Roman province of Judaea. Yet, unlike the gods of mythology, the society founded by Jesus has been in a continuous relationship with Him from His death 2,000 years ago through today. So the similarities between ancient myths and the Christian story do not equate to a difference between falsehood and truth. They are more like the difference between vague intuitions of a story and an actual story that unfolded in the reality of human history.
Here C.S. Lewis explains it beautifully. “It is like watching something come gradually into focus; first it hangs in the clouds of myth and ritual, vast and vague, then it condenses, grows hard and in a sense small, as a historical event in first century Palestine. This gradual focusing goes on even inside the Christian tradition itself. The earliest stratum of the Old Testament contains many truths in a form which I take to be legendary, or even mythical—hanging in the clouds, but gradually the truth condenses, becomes more and more historical. From things like Noah’s Ark or the sun standing still upon Ajalon, you come down to the court memoirs of King David. Finally you reach the New Testament and history reigns supreme, and the Truth is incarnate.”
Imagine a cosmic entity that is everywhere and has always been, the Creator of all things, infinite and celestial, becoming dimensional and finite, reduced to the size of a human man hanging from a tree on a mount called Golgatha. This is what Lewis referred to as the “humiliation of myth into fact, of God into Man.”
Therefore, in summary, arguments based on similarities between Christian stories and pagan mythology can be used with equal success either for or against the truth of Christianity. As such, Mr. Doubtmoore may be chagrined to learn they are ultimately unsalable as evidence in support of his claims.
P.S. I need to acknowledge a generous debt to C.S. Lewis. All the big concepts expressed in this article came from his mind, not mine, and can be found in a lecture he gave called “Is Theology Poetry?”.
Heaven, hell, prophecy, demon possession, sacrifice, initiation through baptism, fellowship with God through the holy meal, the Holy Spirit, monotheism, immortality of the soul and much more "Christian" ideas all belonged to earlier, older Pagan faiths. They were simply part of ancient Mediterranean culture. Along with miracle working sons of God, born of a mortal woman, they were common elements of pre-Christian Pagan religion. Mithras had 'em. So did Dionysus, Attis, Osiris, and Orpheus. And more.
Paul. The origins of this statue are somewhat mysterious. It is said to have been created by an anonymous sculptor years ago, and there are no official records of its creation. However, it is believed to have been in the city of Saint-Paul-de-Vence for centuries, becoming an integral part of the local culture and attracting tourists and believers alike. Today, Talisman St. Paul continues to be a major attraction and a symbol of hope and faith for many. Visitors from different walks of life come to the statue to make wishes, seek blessings, and pray for their desires to come true. The statue has become a spiritual site where people connect with their inner selves and seek solace in times of need. The magical reputation of Talisman St. Paul has spread far and wide. It is believed by many that the statue possesses the power to grant wishes and protect those who believe in its magic. Some stories claim that people have experienced miraculous healings or sudden changes in their lives after visiting the statue. Whether one believes in the supernatural powers of Talisman St. Paul or not, there is no denying the sense of peace and tranquility that envelops those who come into its presence. The statue is a symbol of hope and a reminder that there is something greater than ourselves out there. It serves as a place of solace and refuge for those seeking guidance and comfort. In conclusion, Talisman St. Paul is a mystical statue located in Saint-Paul-de-Vence that is believed to possess magical powers. People come from all corners of the globe to seek blessings, make wishes, and find solace in its presence. The statue's mysterious history and its ability to bring good fortune have turned it into an iconic symbol of hope and faith..
Reviews for "Embracing the Talisman St Paal for Inner Harmony and Balance"
1. Emma - 2/5 stars - I was really disappointed with Talisman st paal. The writing was mediocre at best and the plot was all over the place. The characters were not well-developed and I found it hard to connect with any of them. The pacing was extremely slow and I struggled to stay engaged throughout the entire book. Overall, I found it to be a tedious and unenjoyable read.
2. Mark - 1/5 stars - Talisman st paal was a complete waste of time for me. The story lacked any originality and it felt like a rehashed version of other fantasy novels I've read before. The world-building was weak and I was left with so many questions that were never answered. The dialogue was cringe-worthy and the interactions between the characters felt forced. I couldn't wait for it to be over and I would not recommend this book to anyone.
3. Sarah - 2/5 stars - I had high hopes for Talisman st paal based on the reviews I had read, but it ultimately fell flat for me. The writing style was difficult to follow and I often found myself confused about what was happening. The plot was convoluted and lacked cohesiveness. Additionally, the characters were unlikable and their motivations were unclear. I struggled to find anything redeeming about this book and I wouldn't recommend it to others.