It’s literally just the same thing every time, an ahistorical and incoherent apposition between Christianity and something called ‘paganism’ wherein ‘paganism’ is held to be ‘natural’ and ‘vital’ and Christianity is some enervating Jewish trick performed by slaves against the forces of masterhood represented by the writer. You can show them Jaroslav Pelikan, T. D. Barnes, Peter Brown, etc.; it makes no dent. They’ve read BAP and assorted Nietzsche passages- that’s the last word in the history and theology of the Church as far as they’re concerned.

At a certain point it just gets tiresome. You’re not really arguing with someone looking to make an academic point, but someone psychically damaged by his (it’s always a man) dealings with modern religion and an intense and all consuming terror of a manifest inner weakness- someone very much like Nietzsche.

Aug 29
at
9:12 PM