Trinity And Pagan Influence
Trinity And Pagan Influence
1. "The trinity was a major preoccupation of Egyptian theologians .... Three gods are combined and treated as a single being, addressed in the singular. In this way the spiritual force of Egyptian religion shows a direct link with Christian theology." - Egyptian Religion.
2. "The Egyptians believed in a resurrection and future life, as well as in a state of rewards and punishments dependent on our conduct in this world. The judge of the dead was Osiris, who had been slain by Set, the representative of evil, and afterwards restored to life. His death was avenged by his son Horus, whom the Egyptians invoked as their "Redeemer." Osiris and Horus, along with Isis, formed a trinity, who were regarded as representing the sun-God under different forms." - Trinitarian scholar Dr. M.G. Easton; Easton's Bible Dictionary, Thomas Nelson Publ.
3. "This triad of Abydos [Horus, Isis, and Osiris] is apparently much older than even the earliest records .... These 3 main gods were skillfully incorporated into the Great Ennead or State religion of Egypt .... particularly during the first 5 [3110-2342 B.C.] or 6 dynasties when the worship of this triad was prominent." - The Ancient Myths, A Mentor Book, Goodrich, p. 25, 1960.
4. Alexandria, Egypt, had even developed a trinity doctrine of its very own long before Christian times. It appears to have been a blend (not surprisingly) of Egyptian, Hindu, and Greek philosophy/mystery religions.
"This fusing of one god with another is called theocrasia, and nowhere was it more vigorously going on than in Alexandria. Only two peoples resisted it in this period: The Jews, who already had their faith in the one God of heaven and earth, Jehovah, and the Persians, who had a monotheistic sun worship [Mithras]. It was Ptolemy I [who died in 283 B. C.] who set up not only the Museum in Alexandria, but the Serapeum, devoted to the worship of a trinity of gods which represented the result of a process of theocrasia applied more particularly to the gods of Greece and Egypt [with a distinct Hindu flavor].
"This trinity consisted of the god Serapis (= Osiris + Apis), the goddess Isis (= Hathor, the cow-moon goddess), and the child-god Horus. In one way or another almost every god was identified with one or other of these three aspects of the one god, even the sun god Mithras of the Persians. and they were each other; THEY WERE THREE, BUT THEY WERE ALSO ONE." - The Outline of History, Wells, vol. 1, p. 307, 1956 ed.
5. The book The Symbolism of Hindu Gods and Rituals admits, regarding the ancient Hindu trinity that was taught centuries before the first Christians:
"Siva is one of the gods of the Trinity. He is said to be the god of destruction. The other two gods are Brahma, the god of creation and Vishnu, the god of maintenance.... To indicate that these three processes are one and the same the three gods are combined in one form." - Published by A. Parthasarathy, Bombay. (As quoted in ti-E, p. 12.)
6. The Encyclopedia Americana tells of the fully developed "Hindu Trinity" existing "from about 300 B. C.," p. 197, v. 14, 1957. Brahmana writings, probably from 800 B. C. or before, frequently include the Vedic triad concept. - Encyclopedia Britannica, 14th ed., v. 3, pp. 1014-1016, and 34, also see The Portable World Bible, The Viking Press, pp. 23, 25.
7. "Vishnu, Brahma, and Siva together form the trinity of the Hindu Religion. At one time these were distinct Hindu deities. Their rival claims for recognition were finally met by making them three forms of the one supreme god. This was, however, a creation of the priests and ecclesiastical students." - Encyclopedia Americana, 1957 ed., v. 28, p. 134.
8. "There is a tendency in [pagan] religious history for the gods to be grouped in threes .... Even in Christianity, the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost reflects the underlying tendency. In India, the great Triad included Brahma, the Creator, Vishnu, the Preserver, and Shiva, the Destroyer. These represent the cycle of existence, just as the Babylonian triad of Anu, Enlil and Ea represent the materials of existence: air, water, earth." - An Encyclopedia of Religion, Ferm, p. 794, 1945.
9. Not only did the ancient Babylonians have the major trinity of Anu, Enlil, and Ea, but they worshiped more than one trinity of gods. - Babylonian Life and History, Sir E. A. Wallis Budge, 1925 ed., pp. 146, 147.
10. "On the basis of Pythagorean and gnostic theories, each number [in the Medieval Number Method] was assigned a root meaning and diversified representations. Some root meanings were: 1 = UNITY OF GOD, ... 3 = TRINITY, extension of Godhead, ... 10 = extension of Unity, Perfect Completeness." - An Encyclopedia of Religion, Ferm, 1945, p. 755.
11. "... the doctrine of the Trinity was of gradual and comparatively late formation; that it had its origin in a source entirely foreign from that of the Jewish and Christian scriptures; that it grew up, and was ingrafted on Christianity, through the hands of the Platonizing Fathers."– p. 34, The Church of the First Three Centuries, Alvan Lamson, D.D. (see WT 15 Oct. 1978, p. 32.)
"All things are three, and thrice is all: and let us use this number in the worship of the gods. For as the Pythagoreans say, everything and all things are bound by threes, for the end, the middle, and the beginning have this number in everything, and these compose the number of the trinity." - Aristotle, as quoted in Paganism in our Christianity, Arthur Weigall, p. 198, Putnam, NY. (Weigall is quoting from On the Heavens, Bk I, ch. i., by Aristotle who died 322 B.C.)
So it appears that this "holy" number three used to "worship the gods" in unity came down from the extremely influential Pythagoras to the ancient Greek philosophy/mystery religions and even to Plato himself.
"NEO-PYTHAGOREANISM...appeared during the first century B. C. [the faithful Jews were still clinging to their faith in a single one-person God, Jehovah the Father] in Rome, whence it traveled to Alexandria (the sect's chief center) where it flourished until Neo-Platonism absorbed it in the 3rd century A. D." - Encyclopedia Americana, p. 98, v. 20, 1982 ed.
12. Weigall relates many instances of the trinity concept in pre-Christian pagan religions and then states: "The early Christians, however, did not at first think of applying the idea to their own faith." And, "Jesus Christ never mentioned such a phenomenon, and nowhere in the New Testament does the word `trinity' appear. The idea was only adopted by the Church three hundred years after the death of our Lord; and the origin of the conception is entirely pagan." - The Paganism in our Christianity, pp. 197,198, Arthur Weigall.
13. "If Paganism was conquered by Christianity, it is equally true that Christianity was corrupted by paganism. The pure Deism of the first Christians (who differed from their fellow Jews only in the belief that Jesus was the promised Messiah) was changed by the Church at Rome, into the incomprehensible dogma of the trinity. Many of the pagan tenets, invented by the Egyptians and idealized by Plato, were retained as being worthy of belief." - The History of Christianity, (Preface by Eckler).
14. "Christianity did not destroy Paganism; it adopted it .... From Egypt came the ideas of a divine trinity, …. the adoration of the Mother and Child…." – p. 595, The Story of Civilization: vol. 3, Simon & Schuster Inc., by noted author and historian Will Durant.
15. The Trinity "is a corruption borrowed from the heathen religions, and ingrafted on the Christian faith." - A Dictionary of Religious Knowledge
16. "When Newton was made a fellow of the College, along with an agreement to embrace the Anglican faith, the Trinity fellowship also required ordination within 8 years. During his studies Newton had come to believe that the central doctrine of the church, the Holy and Undivided Trinity was a pagan corruption imposed on Christianity in the fourth century by Athanasius." -Sir Isaac Newton And The Ocean of Truth; "Theology and the word of God"
Trinity And Pagan Influence
1. "The trinity was a major preoccupation of Egyptian theologians .... Three gods are combined and treated as a single being, addressed in the singular. In this way the spiritual force of Egyptian religion shows a direct link with Christian theology." - Egyptian Religion.
2. "The Egyptians believed in a resurrection and future life, as well as in a state of rewards and punishments dependent on our conduct in this world. The judge of the dead was Osiris, who had been slain by Set, the representative of evil, and afterwards restored to life. His death was avenged by his son Horus, whom the Egyptians invoked as their "Redeemer." Osiris and Horus, along with Isis, formed a trinity, who were regarded as representing the sun-God under different forms." - Trinitarian scholar Dr. M.G. Easton; Easton's Bible Dictionary, Thomas Nelson Publ.
3. "This triad of Abydos [Horus, Isis, and Osiris] is apparently much older than even the earliest records .... These 3 main gods were skillfully incorporated into the Great Ennead or State religion of Egypt .... particularly during the first 5 [3110-2342 B.C.] or 6 dynasties when the worship of this triad was prominent." - The Ancient Myths, A Mentor Book, Goodrich, p. 25, 1960.
4. Alexandria, Egypt, had even developed a trinity doctrine of its very own long before Christian times. It appears to have been a blend (not surprisingly) of Egyptian, Hindu, and Greek philosophy/mystery religions.
"This fusing of one god with another is called theocrasia, and nowhere was it more vigorously going on than in Alexandria. Only two peoples resisted it in this period: The Jews, who already had their faith in the one God of heaven and earth, Jehovah, and the Persians, who had a monotheistic sun worship [Mithras]. It was Ptolemy I [who died in 283 B. C.] who set up not only the Museum in Alexandria, but the Serapeum, devoted to the worship of a trinity of gods which represented the result of a process of theocrasia applied more particularly to the gods of Greece and Egypt [with a distinct Hindu flavor].
"This trinity consisted of the god Serapis (= Osiris + Apis), the goddess Isis (= Hathor, the cow-moon goddess), and the child-god Horus. In one way or another almost every god was identified with one or other of these three aspects of the one god, even the sun god Mithras of the Persians. and they were each other; THEY WERE THREE, BUT THEY WERE ALSO ONE." - The Outline of History, Wells, vol. 1, p. 307, 1956 ed.
5. The book The Symbolism of Hindu Gods and Rituals admits, regarding the ancient Hindu trinity that was taught centuries before the first Christians:
"Siva is one of the gods of the Trinity. He is said to be the god of destruction. The other two gods are Brahma, the god of creation and Vishnu, the god of maintenance.... To indicate that these three processes are one and the same the three gods are combined in one form." - Published by A. Parthasarathy, Bombay. (As quoted in ti-E, p. 12.)
6. The Encyclopedia Americana tells of the fully developed "Hindu Trinity" existing "from about 300 B. C.," p. 197, v. 14, 1957. Brahmana writings, probably from 800 B. C. or before, frequently include the Vedic triad concept. - Encyclopedia Britannica, 14th ed., v. 3, pp. 1014-1016, and 34, also see The Portable World Bible, The Viking Press, pp. 23, 25.
7. "Vishnu, Brahma, and Siva together form the trinity of the Hindu Religion. At one time these were distinct Hindu deities. Their rival claims for recognition were finally met by making them three forms of the one supreme god. This was, however, a creation of the priests and ecclesiastical students." - Encyclopedia Americana, 1957 ed., v. 28, p. 134.
8. "There is a tendency in [pagan] religious history for the gods to be grouped in threes .... Even in Christianity, the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost reflects the underlying tendency. In India, the great Triad included Brahma, the Creator, Vishnu, the Preserver, and Shiva, the Destroyer. These represent the cycle of existence, just as the Babylonian triad of Anu, Enlil and Ea represent the materials of existence: air, water, earth." - An Encyclopedia of Religion, Ferm, p. 794, 1945.
9. Not only did the ancient Babylonians have the major trinity of Anu, Enlil, and Ea, but they worshiped more than one trinity of gods. - Babylonian Life and History, Sir E. A. Wallis Budge, 1925 ed., pp. 146, 147.
10. "On the basis of Pythagorean and gnostic theories, each number [in the Medieval Number Method] was assigned a root meaning and diversified representations. Some root meanings were: 1 = UNITY OF GOD, ... 3 = TRINITY, extension of Godhead, ... 10 = extension of Unity, Perfect Completeness." - An Encyclopedia of Religion, Ferm, 1945, p. 755.
11. "... the doctrine of the Trinity was of gradual and comparatively late formation; that it had its origin in a source entirely foreign from that of the Jewish and Christian scriptures; that it grew up, and was ingrafted on Christianity, through the hands of the Platonizing Fathers."– p. 34, The Church of the First Three Centuries, Alvan Lamson, D.D. (see WT 15 Oct. 1978, p. 32.)
"All things are three, and thrice is all: and let us use this number in the worship of the gods. For as the Pythagoreans say, everything and all things are bound by threes, for the end, the middle, and the beginning have this number in everything, and these compose the number of the trinity." - Aristotle, as quoted in Paganism in our Christianity, Arthur Weigall, p. 198, Putnam, NY. (Weigall is quoting from On the Heavens, Bk I, ch. i., by Aristotle who died 322 B.C.)
So it appears that this "holy" number three used to "worship the gods" in unity came down from the extremely influential Pythagoras to the ancient Greek philosophy/mystery religions and even to Plato himself.
"NEO-PYTHAGOREANISM...appeared during the first century B. C. [the faithful Jews were still clinging to their faith in a single one-person God, Jehovah the Father] in Rome, whence it traveled to Alexandria (the sect's chief center) where it flourished until Neo-Platonism absorbed it in the 3rd century A. D." - Encyclopedia Americana, p. 98, v. 20, 1982 ed.
12. Weigall relates many instances of the trinity concept in pre-Christian pagan religions and then states: "The early Christians, however, did not at first think of applying the idea to their own faith." And, "Jesus Christ never mentioned such a phenomenon, and nowhere in the New Testament does the word `trinity' appear. The idea was only adopted by the Church three hundred years after the death of our Lord; and the origin of the conception is entirely pagan." - The Paganism in our Christianity, pp. 197,198, Arthur Weigall.
13. "If Paganism was conquered by Christianity, it is equally true that Christianity was corrupted by paganism. The pure Deism of the first Christians (who differed from their fellow Jews only in the belief that Jesus was the promised Messiah) was changed by the Church at Rome, into the incomprehensible dogma of the trinity. Many of the pagan tenets, invented by the Egyptians and idealized by Plato, were retained as being worthy of belief." - The History of Christianity, (Preface by Eckler).
14. "Christianity did not destroy Paganism; it adopted it .... From Egypt came the ideas of a divine trinity, …. the adoration of the Mother and Child…." – p. 595, The Story of Civilization: vol. 3, Simon & Schuster Inc., by noted author and historian Will Durant.
15. The Trinity "is a corruption borrowed from the heathen religions, and ingrafted on the Christian faith." - A Dictionary of Religious Knowledge
16. "When Newton was made a fellow of the College, along with an agreement to embrace the Anglican faith, the Trinity fellowship also required ordination within 8 years. During his studies Newton had come to believe that the central doctrine of the church, the Holy and Undivided Trinity was a pagan corruption imposed on Christianity in the fourth century by Athanasius." -Sir Isaac Newton And The Ocean of Truth; "Theology and the word of God"
Posted by Elijah Daniels
The core misunderstanding stems from a superficial comparison between Christian Trinitarian theology and various pagan triads or triune concepts. While some ancient religions grouped deities into triads, these triads fundamentally differ from the Christian understanding of the Trinity. In pagan systems, the gods in a triad were typically distinct entities, each with separate wills, personalities, and domains. They were polytheistic in nature, representing three different gods united in function or purpose but not in being. In contrast, the Christian Trinity articulates a monotheistic belief in one God existing in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who are co-equal, co-eternal, and of the same essence.
ReplyDeleteThe Egyptian "trinity" of Osiris, Isis, and Horus is often cited as a precursor to the Christian Trinity. However, this comparison is flawed. Osiris, Isis, and Horus represent distinct deities with their own narratives and functions within Egyptian mythology. For example, Osiris is the god of the afterlife, Isis is a goddess associated with motherhood and magic, and Horus is a god of kingship and the sky. They are not three persons of one divine essence but separate gods with unique roles, reflecting the fundamentally polytheistic worldview of Egyptian religion.
The Hindu trimurti—Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva—is another example often used to argue for a pagan origin of the Trinity. While the trimurti may seem similar on the surface, it is rooted in the pantheistic framework of Hinduism, where these three gods are manifestations of a single, impersonal ultimate reality (Brahman). This differs radically from the Christian conception of a personal, relational God. Furthermore, the trimurti did not emerge until centuries after the formulation of Trinitarian doctrine in Christian theology, making it historically implausible as a source of influence.
Assertions that Pythagorean or Platonic philosophy influenced the Trinity also fail under scrutiny. Early Christian theologians like Tertullian and Athanasius developed Trinitarian doctrine directly from the scriptural texts of the New Testament, not from Greek philosophy. The foundational texts for Trinitarian belief include passages like Matthew 28:19, where Jesus commands his disciples to baptize "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," and John 1:1, which describes the Word as both distinct from and fully God. These texts predate the councils that formally articulated Trinitarian theology and provide a uniquely biblical basis for the doctrine.
The argument that the Trinity was introduced only in the fourth century, particularly at the Council of Nicaea, is another common misconception. While the terminology and formal definitions were clarified at Nicaea in 325 AD, Trinitarian belief was evident in early Christian writings long before this council. Church fathers such as Ignatius of Antioch, Justin Martyr, and Irenaeus, writing in the second century, articulated beliefs consistent with the Trinity. These early Christian thinkers grounded their theology in the biblical witness and the lived experience of the Christian community, not in pagan traditions.
Claims like those of Sir Isaac Newton, that the Trinity was a later corruption, reflect individual interpretations rather than a consensus of historical or theological scholarship. Newton’s anti-Trinitarian views were influenced by his own theological speculations and should not be taken as definitive evidence against the Trinity’s biblical roots.
Finally, accusations that the Trinity represents a "pagan corruption" overlook the rigorous efforts of early Christians to distinguish their faith from pagan religions. Far from borrowing from surrounding pagan cultures, the early Church often faced persecution for its refusal to syncretize with polytheistic practices. The doctrine of the Trinity was carefully formulated to uphold the monotheism central to both Jewish and Christian belief, even as it embraced the revelation of God in Christ and the Holy Spirit.
The assertion that the Christian doctrine of the Trinity was “borrowed” from pagan religions rests on a combination of historical misunderstandings, logical fallacies, and selective or misleading use of evidence. A closer analysis reveals not only the weakness of these claims but also their reliance on the genetic fallacy, the idea that the origin or source of a belief inherently invalidates it. The genetic fallacy occurs when the origin or perceived origin of a concept is used to discredit it, rather than engaging with its actual merits or truth. Many of the arguments asserting that the Trinity is "pagan" fall into this trap. Even if certain concepts in pagan religions bear superficial similarities to Christian teachings, this does not inherently prove borrowing or invalidity. To claim otherwise ignores the possibility of independent development, shared human cognition, or even divine revelation reflected imperfectly in other traditions.
ReplyDeleteFor example, if ancient Egyptians, Hindus, or Babylonians grouped deities into triads, this does not mean Christians borrowed their concept of the Trinity from these traditions. Similar ideas can arise independently within different cultural and religious frameworks. Additionally, shared numerical symbolism, such as the reverence for the number three, could stem from universal human experience or the symbolic importance of threeness in nature and logic (e.g., beginning, middle, end). The existence of triads in pagan religions does not undermine the biblical foundation of the Trinity.
1. Egyptian Religion (Osiris-Isis-Horus): The Egyptian triad represents three distinct deities with separate wills and domains, united in mythological narrative rather than essence. By contrast, the Christian Trinity affirms one God in three persons of the same substance, with a unity of will, being, and essence. The differences are fundamental, not merely semantic. The original argument cites Egyptian Religion to claim a "direct link" between the Egyptian triad and Christian theology. However, this assertion oversimplifies and distorts both systems. The Egyptian triad reflects polytheism, whereas the Trinity arises from Jewish monotheism, as developed in a biblical context.
2. Hindu Trimurti (Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva): The Trimurti represents three manifestations of an impersonal ultimate reality (Brahman), which aligns with Hindu pantheism, not monotheism. In Christianity, the Trinity is a relationship of three distinct persons within one Godhead, reflecting a personal and relational deity. Citing The Symbolism of Hindu Gods and Rituals and Encyclopedia Americana, the argument conflates surface-level numerical similarity with theological equivalence. Moreover, the fully developed Trimurti appeared centuries after the formulation of Christian Trinitarian doctrine, making direct influence historically implausible.
3. Babylonian Triads (e.g. Anu, Enlil-Ea): Like the Egyptian and Hindu examples, Babylonian triads reflect polytheism, with each god embodying distinct powers and functions. The Christian Trinity maintains a single, unified essence, which is incompatible with Babylonian polytheism. Babylonian Life and History is cited to suggest multiple Babylonian triads. However, no evidence connects these triads to early Christian thought, and the source fails to account for the stark differences in theological foundations.
4. Greek Philosophy (Plato, Aristotle, Pythagoras): While Greek philosophers valued the number three as symbolically significant, there is no evidence that Christian Trinitarian doctrine directly derives from their ideas. Early Christian writings rooted in Jewish monotheism, such as the Gospels and Paul's epistles, explicitly describe the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in relational and divine terms (e.g., Matthew 28:19, John 1:1, 2 Corinthians 13:14). The argument quotes Aristotle’s On the Heavens (via Weigall) to suggest continuity between Greek numerology and the Trinity. However, Aristotle’s metaphysics is utterly different from Christian theology, which depends on revelation rather than abstract speculation.
DeleteEarly Christian writings, such as those of Ignatius of Antioch (c. 110 AD) and Justin Martyr (c. 150 AD), contain clear affirmations of Christ’s divinity and references to Trinitarian belief. The Council of Nicaea (325 AD) did not introduce the Trinity but clarified its biblical basis in response to Arian heresies. Weigall, a modernist who rejects biblical authority, is cited as an expert. His broader views dismiss not only the Trinity but also most core Christian doctrines, making his credibility highly suspect for both Trinitarians and anti-Trinitarians.
While triadic patterns appear in many cultures, their significance varies widely. The Christian Trinity is unique in combining monotheism with relational distinctions within God. The cited sources acknowledge such patterns but do not support the claim that the Trinity was “borrowed” from these systems. Selective quoting obscures the context in which these encyclopedias describe the Trinity as rooted in biblical revelation rather than pagan influence.
The development of Trinitarian doctrine is grounded in Scripture and the lived experience of the early Christian community. The New Testament provides the basis for the Trinity, describing Jesus as divine (John 1:1, Colossians 2:9) and the Holy Spirit as a distinct, personal presence (Acts 5:3-4). The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19) explicitly names the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in a unified formula. Writers like Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Origen articulated Trinitarian ideas long before the Council of Nicaea. Their works reflect continuity with Jewish monotheism and scriptural exegesis, not pagan adaptation.
In conclusion, the claim that the Christian Trinity was derived from pagan sources collapses under scrutiny. It relies on the genetic fallacy, conflates superficial numerical similarities with theological substance, and distorts both Christian and pagan beliefs. The Trinity's roots are firmly planted in the unique monotheism of biblical revelation and the early Church's efforts to understand God as revealed in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Assertions to the contrary misrepresent history, theology, and logic, serving as little more than a polemical attempt to undermine a central tenet of Christian faith.