new church life: march / april 2014
RESOURCES FROM THE RETREAT
which we get our word piety – was
all about duty, loyalty and devotion.
It let people know what they should
do for the gods, the state and their
families.
Animal sacrifice, with ornate
ritual, was central in both cultures.
• Handouts from Dr. Jim de Maine on:
It was their way of making
Making your own health care choices;
connections with their many gods.
an article on Choices by the Rev. Daniel
It did not survive into Christianity.
Goodenough; On Helixes from the
There were many gods in both
Writings; the Placebo Phenomenon;
cultures – and they were always
and Language Clarifying a Living Will
adding more. Gods multiplied
• PowerPoint presentations by Dr.
through their own families. And
de Maine on: Advance Planning
and End-of-Life Choices; Medical
they were all about exerting power,
Ethics; and Ethical Wills
not setting moral examples through
their behavior. Nevertheless, they
asked for moral behavior from
humans. Zeus, for instance, was a notorious philanderer, but also oversaw
justice and oath-keeping.
The gods communicated through prophecies and oracles. At Delphi, the
oracle was always a woman.
The Greeks and Romans sought guidance from the gods for their lives on
earth – not for the afterlife. Whatever the afterlife held in store, it was usually
considered a bleak, forbidding place. What mattered was life of the moment
and they believed their communication with the gods helped things go better
in their daily lives.
The Romans, for example, felt their empire was so successful because
they were good at the traditions that were their religion. They even deified
emperors – if these rulers were deemed to have been good – after their deaths.
The notorious Caligula was one who tried to proclaim himself a god in his
lifetime, but that was too much for the people to accept.
Tremendously valuable to historians was a Roman garrison town – Dura
Europas – in the eastern empire. It was defeated by enemies in the third century
A.D. and abandoned intact. This has been a gold mine for archeologists,
including its temples and synagogue, and the first archaeologically identifiable
Christian house-church.
As Christianity was taking root, its followers were persecuted by the
Romans because they did not sacrifice. This was threatening to the pagan
point of view. What Christians believed wasn’t the problem. It was what they
did – or didn’t do – that was seen as undermining the empire. Paganism, with
Handouts from the presenters are posted at
www.newchurchboyntonbeach.org. Click on
“Resources,” then “Boynton Beach Retreat.”
Included are:
• A handout from Dr. Wendy Closterman
on Greek and Roman Religion
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