A History of Religious Ideas, Volume 3, by Mircea Eliade: A Review

The Myth of the Innocents, Faith vs. Reason, Judaism vs. Plato, and the Reformation — Tackling Jordan Peterson’s Reading List

My aim is not to outline every religious idea Eliade presents. Each volume is way too dense to do that and that’s why the book exists. We can just read it. I’ll highlight some thoughts I had particular to a couple of the religious ideas and some ideas I had that were inspired by this intellectual trip.

The Myth of the Innocents

In modern times we have witnessed a strange desire by some to follow the lead of children. Greta Thunberg is the most stark example of this. Why is it that a child who knows little if anything about the complex sciences and world development literature necessary to understand climate change and its impact leading the charge? And why are so many people paying attention to her? Well, in a civilization heavily influenced by the Christian religion, it makes sense.

Because of the shift to towards the weak, the poor and the innocent, Christianity has in it a mythology around children leading the way.

“It is simultaneously the myth of the Innocents, the exaltation of the child by Jesus, and…