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As Christianity spread throughout the Hellenic world, an increasing number of church leaders were educated in Greek philosophy. The dominant philosophical traditions of the Greco-Roman world then were Stoicism , Platonism , Epicureanism , and, to a lesser extent, the skeptic traditions of Pyrrhonism and Academic Skepticism .
Thus, although most Christians believe that human nature is inherently "fallen" (see original sin) and cannot become perfected without divine grace, they do believe that the world can and will change for the better, either through human and divine action or through divine action alone.
Converts to Christianity brought with them such mental cultivation as they had received while pagans. They used their knowledge of mythology and ancient traditions as a means of attacking paganism. Tertullian forbade Christians to teach, but admitted that school attendance by Christian pupils was unavoidable. [4]
Early Christians adapted images of this kind as representations of Jesus in his role of as the "Good Shepherd". [138] Early Christians also identified Jesus with the Greek hero Orpheus, [139] who was said to have tamed wild beasts with the music of his lyre. [140]
Christian mysticism is the tradition of mystical practices and mystical theology within Christianity which "concerns the preparation [of the person] for, the consciousness of, and the effect of [...] a direct and transformative presence of God" [1] or divine love. [2]
Page from the Gospel of Judas Mandaean Beth Manda in Nasiriyah, southern Iraq, in 2016, a contemporary-style mandi. Gnosticism (from Ancient Greek: γνωστικός, romanized: gnōstikós, Koine Greek: [ɣnostiˈkos], 'having knowledge') is a collection of religious ideas and systems that coalesced in the late 1st century AD among early Christian sects.
Thus, the derogatory meaning of the word "myth" is the traditional Christian meaning, and the expression "Christian mythology", as used in academic discourse, [36] may offend Christians for this reason. In addition, this early Christian use of the term "myth" passed into popular usage. [37]
A folk-art allegorical map based on Matthew 7:13–14 Bible Gateway by the woodcutter Georgin François in 1825. The Hebrew phrase לא־תעזב נפשׁי לשׁאול ("you will not abandon my soul to Sheol") in Psalm 16:10 is quoted in the Koine Greek New Testament, Acts 2:27 as οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψεις τὴν ψυχήν μου εἰς ᾅδου ("you will not abandon my soul ...