The Implausible Copycat Candidate: Mithraism
Proponents of the so-called "copycat" theory of Christian origins allege that Christianity is a myth based on the appropriation of various pagan beliefs. The most common source of beliefs supposedly borrowed is Mithraism. The alleged similarities between Christianity and Mithraism are usually overblown or distorted, but perhaps an even bigger weakness of the theory is timing. Simply put, Mithraism cannot be a source for Christianity if it came later. Origins As an initial matter, it can be difficult to establish parallels because of the fundamental differences between Christianity and Mithraism. Christianity was an open evangelistic religion whereas Mithraism was a secret, mystery cult. Christians announced their core beliefs whereas Mithraism hid them. Christianity left behind a wealth of manuscript evidence, whereas Mithrasm left very little. One implication of this is that given the paucity of evidence about Mithraic beliefs, commentators are able to read into Mi...