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PRE-CHRISTIAN RELIGIOUS MYSTERIES Religious Mysteries formed an important part of the worship of a number of pre- Christian religions, including Mithraism , the Cult of Isis , and the Cult of Sol Invictus . Dedicated devotees of the religion would be inducted into the mysteries by receiving special instruction. Due to the secrecy surrounding this special instruction, very little is now known about what was included in the Mithraic mysteries. From what little is known, the Mithraic mystery teachings were administered in Mithraist worship structures which sometimes featured a statue of Mithra sacrificing a bull, an act that was commemorated in the Mithraic ritual of the Taurobolium . Mithra and the bull were sometimes associated with the Constellation s of Orion and Taurus . Mystery traditions of Mithraism and other religions were popular for several centuries during the height of the Roman Empire , and may have influenced the introduction of sacred mysteries in Christianity. SACRAMENTS The term is used in the Eastern Christian Churches to refer to what the Western Christian Church calls Sacraments and Sacramentals . In the Early Church they were kept hidden from the Pagans , lest they become objects of ridicule. As the Age Of Persecution ended, the secrecy was gradually relaxed. But the term continued to be used. The terms ''Sacrament'' and ''Sacramental'' are terms, which the Western Church has carefully defined in Canon Law . Thus, for instance, the Council Of Trent declared there to be ''exactly'' seven Sacraments . The Eastern Churches , in contrast, have never defined the Mysteries in such precise terms. And, though the Western Church teaches that the Consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist are one Sacrament, the Divine Liturgy refers to the Eucharist as ''Mysteries'' in the plural. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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