The Enigma of Early Christianity

In this episode of The Secret History of Western Esotericism Podcast, Earl Fontainelle introduces the complex and mysterious origins of Christianity, emphasizing its importance as the matrix of Western Esotericism. He explains the difficulties in uncovering the true origins due to limited and subjective documentation, contrasting it with the well-documented history of the Roman Empire. The episode explores three scholarly stories about early Christianity: as a development of apocalyptic Judaism, as a Jewish messianic revolutionary movement, and as a Hellenistic religion influenced by pagan cults. Fontainelle also touches on the quest for the historical Jesus, setting it aside to focus on the broader movement centered on Jesus. He analyzes biblical and non-biblical sources, including the letters of St. Paul and the Gospels, and discusses the Jewish nature of the early Christian movement, its Hellenistic influences, and the trope of the Divine Man.