Christianity as the Recovery of First Temple Tradition: First Temple Tradition and Mythos

Course Introduction and Foundational Requirements

• The lecture serves as the audio discussion for Christianity within the Intro to World Religions course at Sacred Heart University, Summer Session 2, 2022.

• Prerequisite Requirement: Students must listen to the previously posted audio on the Hebrew tradition before proceeding. Understanding the current material on Christianity relies heavily on the work and concepts established in the earlier part of the week regarding the Israelites and the shift to Judaism.

Contextualizing Western Monotheism

• Geographic and Cultural Shift: The course has transitioned from the study of Asian religions to Western civilization.

• The Semitic Tribes: The monotheistic traditions of the West developed from Semitic tribes, specifically the Canaanites and the Hebrews.

  • Ethnolinguistic Clarification: The term "Semitic" applies to both Jewish people and Arabs. Both trace their lineage back to these ancient ancient tribes.

  • Anti-Semitism: The speaker notes that hatred toward Jewish people is termed "anti-Semitic" because they are a Semitic tribe, though it is a broader tribal categorization.

• Christianity's Origins: Christianity grew out of the Hebrew tribes/Jewish tradition. This week focuses on the three major monotheisms of the West.

The Nature of Religious Studies vs. Theology

• Academic Approach: This is an Intro to Religion class, not a theology class. It is the academic study of religion (Religious Studies).

• Multidisciplinary Perspectives: Religion can be examined through various academic lenses, including:

  • Psychology of religion.

  • Economics of religion.

  • Art of religion.

  • Medical backgrounds of religion.

  • Sociology, anthropology, and biology of religion.

Logos Thinking vs. Mythos Thinking

• Logos (Greek for word, idea, or systematic study):

  • This represents logical, scientific, and systematic thinking.

  • It involves schoolwork, technology, and understanding the world through evidence, proof, and formulas.

  • It is a "controlling" mode of thought where one does "Step X to get Result Y."

• Mythos (Ancient perspective, pre-1500 CE):

  • Ancient cultures viewed human awareness and thinking differently than the modern world.

  • Mythos focuses on how the mind works beyond logic; it involves being present in the world through the body.

  • It utilizes stories, relationships, metaphors, and symbolism.

• The Blind Spot of Modernity: The modern world assumes thinking is a natural, singular process. However, ancient philosophies (like those in the axial age) recognized that consciousness can shift.

The Buddha’s Critique of Thinking

• The Buddha is cited as a prime example of someone who recognized the limits of Logos.

• The Limits of Formulas: Life is not a problem to be solved with a template or a formula.

• Critique of Self-Help: The lecture dismisses modern "self-help hacks" (e.g., "12 rules for a happy life" or "Top 10 ways to be happy") as ridiculous because every human being is unique. What brings joy to one (like jazz) might irritate another.

• Constant Change: The mind seeks permanent solutions, but human beings are in a state of constant manipulation, growth, and shifting.

• Training Consciousness: The goal in traditions like Buddhism, the Upanishads, Confucianism, and Taoism is to train the mind to find peace, joy, compassion, mercy, and love rather than just solving logical problems.

Hunter-Gatherers and Shifting Consciousness

• Natural Settings and Awareness: Being in nature activates a particular way of noticing the world that is different from logical thought.

• The Survival Function of Awareness: For a hunter-gatherer, being "caught in thought" or daydreaming is dangerous. Failing to pay attention means missing the bear, the cliff, or the rattlesnake.

• The Purpose of Labs/Meditation: The course "labs" are not intended merely for relaxation (which would be a Logos-based goal). They are intended to help students notice a shift in awareness and energy. Some students reported feeling "lighter" in their bodies, while others struggled with their "logical egoic mind" (Logos) telling them to stop the "touchy-feely nonsense" and go make money or do homework.

The Invisible Realm and First Temple Theology

• The Five Aspects of Myth: Referring to Karen Armstrong, one aspect is the belief in an invisible realm that exists beneath or behind the visible world.

• Scientific Parallel: The invisible realm is not "hocus pocus"; it is comparable to subatomic particles, electricity, or gravity—forces that are real but invisible to the naked eye.

• The Shamanic/High Priest Role:

  • In the First Temple tradition, religion began with shamans chanting and being in touch with nature.

  • The Tabernacle: A "tent of meeting" structured as a square within a square within a square.

  • The Holiest of Holies: The center square where the shaman/high priest sees God "face to face."

  • In this space, the human spirit is superseded by the divine spirit; the shaman becomes the "Son of God."

The Name of God: Yahweh as Breath

• Linguistic Analysis of YHWH: In ancient Hebrew, only consonants were written.

• Vowels and Consonants: Vowels represent the manipulation of air (breath) through the vocal cords ($Ah, Oh, Ee$). Consonants ($c, d, t, g$) are the stopping of air.

• Yahweh ($YHWH$): These consonants are the closest to vowels, representing the sound of breathing ($Yee-Hee-Wuh-Huh$).

• Implication: The name of God is literally the sound of breath. The first sound a person makes at birth and the last sound at death is the name of God. This signifies a life force rather than an "invisible man in the sky."

The Emergence of Christianity: Two Interpretations

• Interpretation A (Logos/Academic): Christianity is a byproduct of the Roman Empire. Take a "little bit of Jewish stuff," combine it with Roman religion and Greek philosophy, and stir it together into a new religion.

• Interpretation B (Mythos/First Temple Recovery): Christianity is a recovery of the First Temple tradition that was suppressed during the transition to the Second Temple.

• The Second Temple Shift: Kings eventually moved away from shamanic visions toward rules and regulations. Those who wanted to keep the old way were often killed or fled into the desert.

Jesus and the First Temple Connection

• Yeshua Ben Yosef: The Hebrew name for Jesus (Jesus of Nazareth). He lived, died, and practiced as a Jew.

• Christ as a Title: "Christ" (from the Greek) means "The Anointed One." This is a title, not a last name.

• Anointing Rituals: In the ancient temple, high priests were anointed with holy oil on the forehead before seeing God.

• The Sign of Yahweh: The high priest wore the sign of Yahweh on their forehead, which was a diagonal cross (shaped between an $X$ and a $T$).

• The Baptism of Jesus: According to scripture, at his baptism, Jesus heard a voice saying, "I begot you" or "You are my beloved son." This mirrors the First Temple language of the spirit making someone holy in the Holiest of Holies.

The Four Sects of Judaism and the Essenes

• Burke’s Textbook context: During the Roman occupation, four main groups argued over what it meant to be Jewish:

  1. Sadducees: Priests focused on temple sacrifice and prayer.

  2. Pharisees: Focused on studying the law and teaching holiness.

  3. Zealots: Political revolutionaries wanting to fight the Romans.

  4. Essenes: Lived in the desert, claimed the temple had become evil, and practiced baptism to return to the "true/old ways."

• The Hypothesis: The Essenes were First Temple Jews. John the Baptist was a desert preacher (likely Essene-influenced) who taught Jesus. Jesus’s 40 days in the desert may have been for study with this group.

Internalizing the Temple

• The Axial Age Shift: Similar to the Buddha, Jesus moved religion from external rituals to internal practice.

• Matthew 6:6: Jesus instructs followers to go into their "inner room" or "secret chamber" (the heart) to pray.

• The Heart as the Holiest of Holies: Jesus taught that every human being—not just a high priest—has access to the divine within their own body/heart.

• Practical Application: By accessing this internal "Holiest of Holies," individuals can practice mercy, compassion, healing, and service to the world.

Questions & Discussion

• Next Steps: Students are directed to watch a 17-minute video featuring scholar Margaret Barker, a Christian theologian/thinker from Europe (Ireland), who discusses the First Temple evidence.

• Journal Exercise: After listening to this lecture, watching the Barker video, and reading the Burke textbook, students are to complete their journal exercise.

• Support: The instructor invites questions from students as they process this new research and historical hypothesis.