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Schein’s theory of
culture and the early Christianity
Edgar H. Schein is one of the research workers in recent years, who have engaged thoroughly in the conception of culture. My point is, that although he is very profound in his analysis, he doesn’t catch the fundamental level, which is described in the figure. He doesn’t conceive culture as the factor, which creates development. In stead he focuses on the processes that takes place in the group. He searches for the group dynamics under the circumstances of an established group, or a group being established... Interference from outside, from a historical point of view, could be natural disasters, wars, and outrages. In my opinion interference could just as well be divine, searching for essential cultural reverberations... Elaine PagelsIt is a paradox in cultural development, that the early Christians left their families and sold everything to follow Jesus, while Christianity centuries later became the conservative power of society. Elaine Pagels describes the about-turn from Christians as fiery souls to Christians as those in power, using Augustine (354-430) as the philosophic mastermind of the later Christians. In the first centuries thousands of Christians were tortured and killed, being persecuted because of their belief. Even in front of the lions in Coliseum and similar places they were known to be calm, being used for Roman entertainment. They deeply believed in the words of Jesus who was also killed with great cruelty. A millennium later leaders of the Church persecuted people who thought differently. The Inquisition used the Bible as the words of God, which could not be questioned. Heretics were tortured, and some of them were burnt at the stake... It is part of the narrative art and the ability of articulating that is can be applied for certain hidden purposes. Hardly ever a wording expresses exactly what is formulated. Very often a hidden agenda and a long, private story lie behind. Very often the wording expresses impenetrable power. It is especially ... effective by the Christian terminology. Therefore it is highly creditable when Elaine Pagels in her books work her way through the intentions of the early Fathers of the Church, using sources from the authorized Bible, but also other contemporary sources... |
