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The content on this website is
maintained by Robert
Myallis, pastor at Zion's
Lutheran Church, of Jonestown, PA.
The photos were taken by Emily
Myallis, a diaconal minister in the ELCA who also serves at
Zion's Lutheran.
This website and travel to
Greece was made possible by a grant from the
Fund for Theological Education,
which provides grants to assist the education and formation of
Christian leaders from numerous denominations.
Bible quotes are taken from the New
Revised Standard Version, unless cites otherwise.
The above photo of Greece comes from
NASA; The icon of Saint Paul comes from George Mitrevski's website. |
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Demeter
Temple
 This
is the temple of Demeter, the Greco-Roman goddess of the
fertility. Her name originally meant "mother
earth."
Her daughter, Persephone, was abducted by Hades. Every spring however, he offered to let her
return and hence the warm spring that gives crops. This
abduction and return was celebrated in the spring. The
main celebration took place outside of Athens at Eleusis.
To this day we do not know what happened there.
How is the temple of Demeter
significant for understanding the world of Paul?
Although many of the traditional Greek gods had lost their
significance, worship of Demeter continues well past the death
of Christ. Her worshippers needed to be inducted. As
usual, it is interesting to ponder the connections between
Greco-Roman religious practices and those of the early
Christians. There was obviously cross-fertilization of
ideas, but finally, again and again we learn about how Christian
practices distinguished themselves over and against pagan
practices. See travel pages to Epidauros
for more information on this.
source:
info on Demeter: Placards at Delphi Museum, July 2006.
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