Modern Christianity More Relative In Modern Day – Theology Essay

Modern Christianity More Relative In Modern Day – Theology Essay
Modern Christianity is different from Ancient religion because it has evolved to suit what’s comfortable and relative in modern day. Today, in Christian religion,

we know there to be only “one true god,” but the common view of ancient religion was polytheistic – having many gods. An example of multiple gods in Hebrew scripture is the evidence of “YAWEH” the god of war and “El” the god of high places (Deut. 26:8-9).

Another difference between modern Christianity and ancient religion are the views on an afterlife. The belief in an afterlife in Christianity is derived from the Greeks. Jews are not concerned with an afterlife and don’t believe in a heaven or hell. Christians believe that god is far, far above them but for the ancients, there was a hierarchy in which there was not just one level between us and god, but multiple levels in-between. For Christians, religion is a matter of constant attention, but for the Jews, religion is practiced out of need. Unlike the emphasis Judaism has on orthopraxi or practice, Christians know religion to be a matter of faith and belief – without the significant emphasis on practice of ancient tradition.

It is important to see the differences between Christian assumptions about religion and the original practice of ancient religion. Understanding this context is important in studying Hebrew scripture because it allows us to see into the past without screened vision that comes from growing up in a modern Christian society. If the attitude is one of “There is only one way to look at these two religions – right and wrong” then the capacity to learn and gain knowledge of both is diminished greatly. However, opening one’s mind to see the customs of ancient religion opens a door to understanding not only the practices of ancient religion but also a further understanding of the Christian religion and its roots.