Mithras: Mysteries and Inititation Rediscovered

by D. Jason Cooper

Book Overview

Known as Mitra to the Indians, Mithra and Zarathustra (Zoroaster in Greek) to the Iranians, and Mithras to the Romans, this is the oldest of all living deities. Mithras was recognized as the greatest rival of Christianity, a greater threat even than the religion of Isis. If Rome had not become Christian, it would have become Mithrasian. Mithraisians had a sacrament that included wine as a symbol of sacrificial blood. Bread in wafers, or small loaves...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0877288658
• ISBN13: 9780877288657
• Release Date: June 1996
• Publisher: Weiser Books
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.4" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Reply to Geoff Puterbaugh

The reason I mention the Golden Dawn and the Freemasons (and the Knights Templar and Christianity) is given on page 28: "What we can do is look at other groups with similar interests to the Mithrasians and look for possible parallels. The means of organizing human affairs may be many, but they are not infinite. If we can find the parallels we may understand more about the nature of the Mithrasian religion." Hardly any mystery. And why the fact I emigrated to Australia and have a BA in politics should be relevant(both facts which have appeared in writing, so it's not releasing anything new to public gaze)is beyond me. Is there some guilt attached to moving to Australia?

Variety Has Marked Religious Practice From Early Times

Cooper's annotated bibliography identifies 29 works, and he indicates the way in which each assists readers in rediscovering the nature of early Christianity's most powerful rival religion. Episcopal priest Kenneth Sylvan Guthrie (1871-1940) asserted Mithrasism contributed more than Judaism to the story of Jesus--whose birth was fixed on the same date as that of Mithras, his predecessor. Guthrie is cited in this text (p. 160) for his contention that the classical world was not interested in codifying dogmatic unity into its systematic theologies. Cooper suggests early Mithrasism and Christianity were not monoliths of homogeneity, but just as diverse in their beliefs and practices as religions today.