What are the similarities between belief in Christ and Mithras?

Answer 1

During the first two centuries of the Roman Empire the cult of the Persian Sun God Mithras was very popular, especially in the Army. Mithraism was a pagan cult which involved clearly pagan rituals and beliefs - eg washing with bull's blood, the symbolism of iron etc etc - and was in competition with Christianity, emerging as a popular new religion amongst certain sectors of the Roman population at that time.

Mithraism did, however, have much in common with Christianity - a doctrine of dualism of dark and light; a belief in a Saviour who had risen from death to redeem humankind from the consequences of sin; a belief in the possibility of ecstatic union with the Deity; an imperative to resist/ renounce evil, and to live in a state of bodily and spiritual purity, and the notion that this life was a preparation for Eternity. Mithraists also stressed the equality of all believers.

Mithraists were secretive, as were, of necessity the early Christians. Initiates into the cult underwent a purifying "baptismal" ritual, and were thereafter expected to regard themselves as soldiers in the service of Light against ever encroaching Darkness/ Evil. Lastly, but not least, Mithraists celebrated the birthday of their Lord... on 25th December!

Mithraists were not, however, necessarily monotheist, and many of them probably continued to worship/ pay due respect to all or many of the Roman Pantheon, which is why they did not experience significant official disapproval, let alone persecution. Indeed, Mithraism enjoyed substantial unofficial sanction in the Army because it was seen as a useful form of group bonding which enhanced morale and small unit cohesion, and discouraged drunkenness and sexually incontinent bahaviour by troops.

It is tempting for some to see Mithraism as some form of proto-Christian belief system: anthropologically, there may be something in this in so far as there were many cults in the Ancient Mediterranean world which shared features of doctrine and practice with the early Christians, and it is possible that aspects of Mithraic belief were grafted onto/ adapted to early Christian ritual/ practice in order to attract converts from pagan Romans. However, there were distinct and unique Christian ideas/ doctrines which were not part of the "common currency" of many other religious beliefs of the time - the relentless commitment to the unique Jewish belief in the one God being the most obvious, plus the concept of Salvation by Faith alone, and for this reason Mithraism can not be regarded as a source of Christian belief.