Christianity's 'April' Saturnalia

When the Christian Church Swapped Holidays with Pagan Rome

from Google AI:

Saturnalia was an ancient Roman festival (Dec 17–23) honoring Saturn, characterized by a, intense, temporary inversion of social hierarchy that mirrored a mythical "Golden Age" of equality. Slaves were treated as equals, often served by masters, and allowed to wear the pileus (freedom cap) and act freely.

Key Social Inversions: 

Role Reversals: Slaves were permitted to eat with masters, speak freely, and were often served by them, effectively flipping the social order. 

Lord of Misrule: A household would choose a Saturnalicius princeps (mock king) by throwing dice to issue ridiculous, absolute commands (e.g., "sing," "dance," "don't wear a toga"). 

Dress Codes: Strict Roman clothing rules were abandoned, allowing slaves to wear the pileus (felt cap) of freedmen and for everyone to wear colorful casual clothes (synthesis) instead of official togas. 

Allowed Vice: Gambling, typically restricted in public, was widely permitted, transforming the city into a scene of wild revelry. 

Legal/Business Pause: Courts were closed, schools closed, and no business was conducted, focusing entirely on dining, drinking, and gift-giving. 

Purpose: 

This inversion served as a safety valve for society, allowing for "December liberty" to alleviate tensions from rigid social class constraints before reverting to normal, hierarchical life.

On Maundy Thursday

The Celebrity of Crowd Mimesis - Just Fake It 'til You Make IT, Peter!

Melville's Anti-Mimesis... Bartleby: Rejecting the Scapegoat...

Choosing the Lamb

Mocking the New Religion

 

from Google AI:

Apuleius' 2nd-century novel The Golden Ass (Metamorphoses) is sometimes interpreted by scholars as a pagan counter-narrative to rising Christianity, showcasing the mystery cult of Isis as a superior, rival saving religion. It features satire of "only God" worship, likely mocking early Christian practices, and highlights themes of divine transformation.

Connections to Christianity and Religion: 

• Anti-Christian Satire: Scholar Warren S. Smith proposes that Apuleius, a pagan intellectual, used the novel to mock Christianity, reflecting a, "contemptuous" view of the new, popular religion. 
• The "Only God" Mockery: A female character in the novel is portrayed negatively, rejecting traditional gods in favor of a "blasphemous" cult of a single "Only God," which some interpret as a dig at early Christians. 
• Rival Saviour Religion: The novel's conclusion features the protagonist Lucius being saved by the goddess Isis, presenting her cult as a direct, and arguably better, alternative to Christian salvation. 
• Themes of Redemption: Similar to Christianity, the narrative centers on a dramatic transformation from sinful, beastly life (as an ass) to a pure existence, redeemed through dedication to a divine being. 
• Academic Interpretation: While some see it as a straight religious conversion, others view the final conversion to the cult of Isis as satirical or a, "parody".

The Golden Ass is a unique source of info on 2nd-century religious experiences in the Roman empire, including, "the mysteries of Isis" and, "the cult of Isiac".