Of Gods and Men by M. C.

Part I. Introduction


Part II. The Zeitgeist of the Times Before, After, and During the Rise of the Church
The Fall of Alexander and the Rise of the Seleucids
The Exposure of Jews to Hellenism


Part III. Religion in a Hellenistic World: The Mystery Cult
The Quest for Godliness
The Eleusinian Mysteries: The Cycle of the Seasons
The Cult of Dionysus: Birth, Death, Resurrection, and Raucousness
The Orphic Cult: Salvation in Purity


Part IV. What Judaism Had, What Greek Religion Had, and how Christianity Took the Best of Both Worlds
The Benefits and Problems of Greek Religion
What Judaism Offered, What Judaism Lacked
Christianity: The Best of Both Worlds?


Part V. Greek Influence on the Burgeoning Church
Logos
The Eucharist and Christianity as a Mystery Religion
WhoWas This Man Called the Christ?
The Rise of Pagan Gods in Christianity


Part VI. Caveats: Generic or Historical Myth?
How definitively was Christianity the Product of Greek and Jewish Thought?
Christs of the Old World
Christs of the New World


Part VII. Conclusions and Culminations

Author's note on the subject of procedure
A Note on Sources
Works Cited