3 ms·
Yes, the term is problematic: "pagan" was traditionally just a derogatory term: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paganism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paganism
by acqq 8y ago
Yes, the term is problematic: "pagan" was traditionally just a derogatory term:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paganism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paganism
"The notion of paganism, as it is generally understood today, was created by the early Christian Church. It was a label that Christians applied to others, one of the antitheses that were central to the process of Christian self-definition. As such, throughout history it was generally used in a derogatory sense. - Owen Davies, Paganism: A Very Short Introduction, 2011"
- acqq 8y agoAnd another quote from the same Wikipedia page: "The term pagan is not attested in the English language until the 17th century.[24] In addition to infidel and heretic, it was used as one of several pejorative Christian counterparts to gentile as used in Judaism and to kafir ('unbeliever') and mushrik ('idolater') as in Islam.[25]"