A full synthesis of Christianity and Paganism

I was recently asked the following question:

"Do you think it is possible to have a full synthesis of Christianity and Paganism, where they are integrated without either being dominant, or one being subsumed into the other? All the expressions of Christo-Paganism I have seen, to date, seem to lean one way or the other. I don't have an answer to this - just asking in case you have any thoughts."

I think an individual’s approach is an important factor as to how their “ChristoPaganism” manifests itself, and this approach is probably based on their assumed spiritual need. In the case of Shadwyn, author of The Crafted Cup, the approach is clearly Wiccan with a dose of Christianity. In the case of + Laura Grimes she is a fairly orthodox Christian who has incorporated some Goddess imagery and terminology. In both examples one path is dominant over the other, even to the point of overshadowing. In the case of Shadwyn the Wiccan ceremonial is used, but a need to connect with the antiquity of Christianity seems to be the case as well as a desire to tap into the ceremonial nature of Christianity while keeping a Wiccan framework. In the case of + Laura it seems that there is a desire to connect with the Divine Feminine while maintaining a strong connection to Trinitarian Christianity. In both cases it seems that balance between the Christo-Pagan continuum is not desired.

Now if the Christian side of a Christo-Pagan path is being presented in a pseudo-orthodox Christian package then it is difficult for there to be balance. Likewise, if the path is presented as primarily Wiccan then balance seems difficult to obtain as well. As a Gnostic Christian I am able to maintain a balance at least in my own mind; that balance may not fully manifest itself for all I am aware. The viewpoint of God seems to me to be the deciding factor as to how the balance can manifest itself. Without pulling The Crafted Cup off the shelf, and if memory serves me correctly, Shadwyn’s view of God is fairly standard Wiccan God and Goddess, while + Laura’s theology seems Trinitarian with God being both Father and Mother – this is how I understand her theology. It would seem that Shadwyn utilizes the theory of “All Gods are one God and all Goddesses are one Goddess.” My approach to God is radically different from both of these theologies.

What I subscribe to is the Gnostic concept of the Monad or incomprehensible and unknowable Divine, and it is from this Monad that all other Divinities and life itself emanates or is made manifest. The collection of Divinity is known as the Pleroma, or Fullness, and it is this Fullness that is synonymous with God in the sense that God is a “Supreme Being.” Whether an individual God or Goddess is an aspect of another God or Goddess is irrelevant, since they reside in the Fullness they are “God.” If an individual God or Goddess is a separate entity it doesn’t matter because as a Divinity they reside in the Fullness and are “God.” If the Fullness is an ocean then each Divinity within the Fullness is a part of that ocean. If a Divinity leaves the ocean (Fullness) then they may only be a drop of water from the ocean or the equivalent of a lake, they are still Divinity working in the world and are a part of a large collective of Divinities. What we have is both a Divine Unity (the Fullness itself) as well as a Divine Multitude (the parts that make up the Fullness).

When I make offerings to the Goddess Pomona I am not making offerings to an anonymous “Great Goddess” but to the Goddess Pomona who resides in the Fullness. Likewise, when I am praying to Jesus it is to the Logos who resides in the Fullness that is the target of my prayers. I often use a Trinitarian formula in Liturgy, a formula of Father, Mother, and Child (or Father, Mother, and Son). This formula doesn’t mean that I believe in a modified trinity replacing Holy Spirit with Mother. On the contrary I use Father, Mother, and Child imagery as a metaphor for a complete “Family Unit,” a symbol for the Fullness.

The balance within my spiritual path is important to me, and is something I work to accomplish. Being mindful of the balance is important in maintaining it, and in helping to articulate a theology that encourages said balance. As I grow spiritually my philosophy will also grow and hopefully harmony will be the bond that forms the synthesis.