First a disclaimer: This post is my personal opinion. Very personal. Historical facts will combine with philosophical notes and stream of consciousness; this was researched but does not qualify as exclusively academic. Dogma and doctrine will be brought into question and I believe it is fair to let you know if this discussion may be taboo.
Regions of the Bible: Kinda Obv
I would say most people, Christian or no, are aware of the disconnect between visual depictions of Christ and the man himself.
A poor carpenter from 2000 years ago in the Middle East most likely does NOT look like a Jared Leto, no qualms there.
What I found after a couple years of studying art history, are that both image, and tradition from the regions of the Bible had been watered-down and manipulated as to create an increasingly European framing.
(This European framing also included the amalgamation of several Eastern and Western religious traditions into Christian dogma, most likely to the detriment of all.)
In other words, the Christian sects gathering shortly after Jesus got watered down. Combined. In some instances eradicated.
So what was before organized churches? What would “unrefined” Christianity look like?
Early Christian Mystic groups
To be perfectly frank, it looked like a 15 person desert-cult meeting in houses and restaurants. Outdoor philosophical sessions. It looked pretty weird, and BOY HOWDY I like me some weird.
After Christ’s Resurrection and Ascension, all these sects popped up. Some from the Apostles, some from their students or followers. They disagreed on like, every syllable.
What Jesus was made of.
Should Jewish tradition continue.
They wrote snarky and hilarious papers about each other’s philosophy, but more or less coexisted. They all shared a common enemy for a couple centuries, the Roman Empire.
Considered a small religion still, the content of these sect’s meetings was pretty much unregulated and free to expound on Christ’s teachings in diverse manners.
Rabbinical conversation, mystic utterances; a whole range of experience and discussion, sought out by the state.
First a disclaimer: This post is my personal opinion. Very personal. Historical facts will combine with philosophical notes and stream of consciousness; this was researched but does not qualify as exclusively academic. Dogma and doctrine will be brought into question and I believe it is fair to let you know if this discussion may be taboo.
Nicaea: Beginning of the End?
For me personally, the standardizing that was agreed upon at Nicaea was a huge step away from original, “fluid”, more mystic Christianity.
And so, anything considered by this group of 350 men to be untoward—heresy. Blasphemy, even.
And the new rules seemed to be agreed on mostly by the anti-Judaism crowd.
And somehow reflected the old state religion.
The not-so-slow coagulation of Christ’s teachings with ancient spiritual traditions, symbols, vestments, and Mysteries led to its forced dispersal and incredible material gain.
I’ve had a personal interest in how contemporary Christianity came to use so many symbols congruent with other ancient religions.
In Sunday school we learned it was to make the new religion easier for “the pagans” to adapt to.
Like their main concern was, “Oh, what’ll we do on December 25th if they outlaw our religion?” (No, I’m not kidding, it was like 1995).
But considering the diversity of thought in ancient Christianity, could I not assert it was the other way around?
Constantine oversaw the unified, some may say dogmatic, consolidation of those schools of the previous 3 centuries. In an attempt to unify Christendom, we got a version that was deemed correct out of many versions. By whom? The Empire; probably more akin to “The Conglomeration” nowadays.
Finding this out fairly late in life made me determined to explore those sects that were cast away.
I don’t necessarily think everyone who signed the Council were inherently correct; history is written by humans with distinct motives of all sort.
I suppose I don’t think those deemed heretics (of a barely organized religion, mind you) are inherently incorrect.
How would I even know when a gilded room full of men 1,695 years ago decided it was heretical?
Quick further info (via Wiki to avoid using any particular sect’s perspective):
Immediately Post-Christ, groups popped up and were considered dangerous cults:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_the_ante-Nicene_period
