Spiritual Archives

Superiority Complex Examples: Sometimes Helping Can Hurt

What are examples of a superiority complex? How do superiority complexes hurt mission trips? The key to cultivating the right mindset for effective poverty alleviation is to see the poor as equals. They are humans who you want to work with for mutual good, not inferior beings who you need to save from themselves. Below, we’ll look at superiority complex examples that Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert explain in their book When Helping Hurts.

Proto-Christianity and the Death of Paganism

What is “proto-Christianity”? How did Christianity replace paganism and other mystical traditions? Christianity arrived in Greece in AD 49 with Saint Paul, but it didn’t become the official religion of the Greco-Roman world until AD 392. Before that, the polytheistic pagan and Christian traditions existed simultaneously throughout the region. Brian Muraresku refers to the Christian practices during this time period as “proto-Christianity.” In this article, we’ll discuss the characteristics, beliefs, and practices of proto-Christianity that were likely to have appealed to a polytheistic pagan community with a rich mystical tradition.

Pre-Christianity: What Was the Primary Religion?

What was the religion practiced before Christianity as we know it today? How does Christianity relate to paganism? According to Brian Muraresku, the author of The Immortality Key, Christianity was born from ancient Greek mystical traditions. More specifically, it was an outgrowth of paganism that was practiced in ancient Greece at the time of the rise of early Christianity. Keep reading to learn about the link between pre-Christianity and Greek paganism.

Dionysus & Jesus: What Is the Connection?

Was Jesus a renamed Greek god Dionysus? What is the connection between the two? According to Brian Muraresku, Jesus was a Christian form of the Greek god Dionysus. He argues that the indisputable parallels between Dionysus and Jesus were one of the key factors that facilitated the adoption of Christianity by the ancient Greeks, who initially practiced polytheistic paganism. Keep reading to learn about the connection between the Greek god Dionysus and the Christian prophet Jesus.

What Is Material Poverty & Why Is It Hard to Escape?

Why Socioeconomic Status and Depression Are Linked

What is material poverty? Why is material poverty so hard to overcome? In When Helping Hurts, Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert assert that people get trapped in material poverty because they develop a negative worldview that leads to bad decisions. Broken systems also don’t help them escape this cycle. Keep reading to learn why this type of poverty attracts the most vulnerable people.

What Is a Refrigerium? The Origin of the Eucharist

What is a “refrigerium”? What was the meaning behind the rituals performed during the refrigerium ceremony? The refrigerium was an ancient Roman custom conducted by female priestesses and centered on the consumption of wine. The function of these rituals was originally the commemoration of the dead, but over time, it evolved into remembering the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Keep reading to learn about the refrigerium, its meaning and function, and its connection to the Christian Eucharist.

What Are the Main Causes of Poverty? A Christian View

What are the main causes of poverty? How do your relationships affect your financial mindset? Despite poverty’s complexity, Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert (the authors of When Helping Hurts) argue that we can trace all of its components back to one source. This source is a breakdown of a person’s relationships with God, self, others, and the rest of creation. Let’s look at how these four relationships can cause poverty, according to Corbett and Fikkert.

The Eleusinian Mysteries: Inside the Secret Rituals

What was the purpose of the Eleusinian Mysteries? What happened during the secret rites of the Mysteries? The Eleusinian Mysteries was a secret cult practice that existed for almost 2,000 continuous years. Yet, despite the enormous timespan and the profound importance of the Mysteries, there is no detailed record of what exactly happened during these rituals. Keep reading to learn about the Eleusinian Mysteries, according to Brian Muraresku.

The Pagan Origins of Christianity: It Began as a Cult?

What religion did Christianity originate from? How did Christianity replace paganism? According to Brian Muraresku, Christianity began as a female-led pagan cult that used psychedelics to induce transcendental states to connect with the divine. Psychedelic brews induced the direct experience of God, but this kind of experience was eventually suppressed by the Christian “establishment.” Keep reading to learn about the pagan origins of Christianity.

The Religious Use of Psychedelics: Accessing the Divine

The Folly in the Hero's Quest for Physical Immortality

Can psychedelics induce a direct experience of the Divine? How did ancient religions use psychedelics to induce spiritual states? Many religions have a history of performing rituals that involved the consumption of hallucinogenic beverages to induce mystical or transcendental experiences. The descriptions of these experiences feature themes of death, rebirth, and immortality, acting as a gateway to a direct experience of the Divine. Keep reading to learn about the religious use of psychedelics.