Folkish Christianity

[Anlef]

Notice: The purpose of this text is to lay the foundations of Folkish Christianity. Sympathisers are encouraged to contribute. People hostile to the ideas herein are kindly asked to go elsewhere and leave the sympathisers in peace. This is not intended as a multilateral discussion but as a workgroup.

-

What is Folkish Christianity?
Folkish Christanity is not a new Christian denomination. It is not a revolutionary re-interpretation of the Bible. It is not a ‘creative’ effort to prove the Germanic people are the chosen people. It does not conflict with general Christian doctrine. It is best understood as a philosophical and artistic movement within the general Christian-Germanic population. One can be a folkish catholic, a folkish protestant or a folkish orthodox christian.

The aim of Folkish Christianity is to restrengthen ethnic identity under the banner of Christianity, i.e. to re-establish the integral and cohesive Christian-Germanic nation.

Christianity was never here to replace or abolish ethnic, native culture. On the contrary, Christianity assumes existing ethnic, native culture. It is like the crown upon it and the cloak around it. It is the bridge between the particulars of place, time and blood on the one hand, and the universal truth and love of God on the other hand. There is mere Christianity, i.e. the gospel, yet there is no such thing as a mere Christian. We are christianised Germanics, we are sanctified heathens.

What is needed for Folkish Christianity?
It is essential that we write a Christian narrative covering the time between the beginning of creation and the present from the perspective of the Germanic peoples and their Indo-European predecessors. We might for example mention the original Proto-Indo-European pantheon, which according to our ancestors was presided by *Diḗus Ph2tḗr, whose name literally and remarkably meant ‘God the Father’ or ‘Sky-Father’, and whom we find demoted in North-Germanic tradition to a status of secondary importance, in the form of Týr. We might say how Woden was imputed with qualities that were originally and verily those of *Diḗus Ph2tḗr, such as the title ‘Allfather’ and his self-sacrifice to the betterment of man. Thus we might imagine the following course:

1. Creation
2. The Fall
3. Idolatry begins
4. The Flood
5. God the Father is perceived as just one of many gods
6. The Rise of Woden
7. God the Father sends His only Son.
8. The Germanic peoples are reconciled with God the Father
9. The Shadow of Modernity

Editorially, this narrative will be achieved in the following manner. First we collect and discuss all the details and elements. Then we invite from our midst several souls to draft their version of the narrative. Scrutiny of these will follow, as will rewrites inevitably. In the end one narrative will be chosen and distributed, perhaps accompanied by a manifest or oath of Folkish Christianity.

Other essential efforts in the establishment of Folkish Christianity

• To create and uphold strong Christian-Germanic icons and timeless imagery. E.g. the warrior with the inverted sword raised as a cross, the cross decorated with runes, the maid who is pure like Mary, whom was known by Germanics as 'the Beloved' in heathen times, etc.
• To germanise Christian phrases and literature. E.g. titles for God, names for angels, stories rewritten in alliterative verse (think of the Old Saxon Heliand), etc. Luckily the missionaries already used a lot of native Germanic words to describe Christian concepts. E.g. God, sin, heaven, hell, etc.
• To see if we can further fit elements of ancient Germanic mythology into a Christian framework. E.g.: Where do the elves fit in? Is there a Christian case for the sacred forest?
• To exhibit past Germanic influences on Christianity. E.g. Western praying style, important Christian Germanics, Germanic church-architecture, etc.
• To present a biblically sound case for ethnic nationalism.
• To work in harmony with neopagan Germanics.
• Etcetera.

The bottom line
Folkish Christianity is Christianity in the cool, Northern mists of place and time.

[Schattenjäger]

Not a bad idea, and I'd say it sounds more clever than artificial asatru.

You should build a pictures library of early-medieval iconography and perhaps take a look into old ahnenerbe books about germanic folk culture.

Good luck.

[MountainGuardian]

To see if we can further fit elements of ancient Germanic mythology into a Christian framework. E.g.: Where do the elves fit in? Is there a Christian case for the sacred forest?

........................................ ........................................ ...................
I find that a very interesting topic.......

The elven people were originally "Albinja" meaning the same as modern word Albino, they were purported in two articles I read on the myth, to be known to the Germanic people as ..."the sons of god". The description of them is being tall, white haired, white skinned and very beautiful. They were also claimed to have cross bred with humans and the resultant offspring were great heros, not all of these people were reported to be friendly or benign to humans although some were. They are described as having great knowleage and beauty.

I find the correlation of this myth with the biblical myth of "the sons of God" to be interesting. The biblical "sons of God" are also described as albino and of great knowleage and beuty. They are also there purported to have crossed with humans creating what the bible terms "Nephilim" also described as being like "the men of old, the men of great renkown". (Has always made me wonder.. what great men of old? this is at the beginning of the bible)

The two ancient indian epics Ramayana, and the Mahabaratta both desribe "the sons of God" as being albino and having crossed with humans creating demi Gods, and heroes. In these epics the sons of God basically destroy each other in a series of great battles, including what is described as being amazingly akin to nuclear warfare. (interesting note, Oppenheimer was notably disturbed when he saw the effects of the first above ground nuclear detonation for he had seen this before....When he was asked by the media if this was the first nuclear detonation in history he replied... "This is the first nuclear detonation in *modern* history"...)

There are many more exaples of this same story in many many other cultures including ancient American cultures.

If I were to have to make a guess I would say "Elven" is the same term as "the sons of God" and that elven/human hybrids are the same as biblical Nephilim.

Just another note, you mention other Gods, the Hebrew anyway, call anything that comes down from the sky God, the books of Enoch call all the angels in heaven God's. I only find that interesting because, if there were no other God's why would the commandments have...."Thou shalt have no other God before me".

I have always found it interesting that christians consider the God's of the Germanic peoples to be heathen, but the description of Woden is not really any different than the description of the christian God. They are both the creators of existence, all knowing and all seeing with all else being subserviant before them, even the other God's. If you first and foremost honor the father "God" and secondly honor the other God's are you not in compliance with the commandment.

[Hilderinc]

• To create and uphold strong Christian-Germanic icons and timeless imagery.

Do you mean like Nordic Jesus?

[Ralf]

If I were to have to make a guess I would say "Elven" is the same term as "the sons of God" and that elven/human hybrids are the same as biblical Nephilim.

Just another note, you mention other Gods, the Hebrew anyway, call anything that comes down from the sky God, the books of Enoch call all the angels in heaven God's. I only find that interesting because, if there were no other God's why would the commandments have...."Thou shalt have no other God before me".

I have always found it interesting that christians consider the God's of the Germanic peoples to be heathen, but the description of Woden is not really any different than the description of the christian God. They are both the creators of existence, all knowing and all seeing with all else being subserviant before them, even the other God's. If you first and foremost honor the father "God" and secondly honor the other God's are you not in compliance with the commandment.

Iam sure you know of the war that is to take place between Michael and his angels, and the Dragon, (Satan), and his Angels.
The Nephalim who were seen as and worshipped as gods, where the fallen Angels who followed Satan and are in opposition to the God of Abraham and his son, Jesus.
The commandment to have no other Gods before me, isnt to say there are no other gods, only that if you worship the God of the Bible, you must remain faithfull to him, all the mention of "fornication" in the Bible relates to followers of God having "relations" with the lessor rebeliious gods. "You cannot be drinking from the cup of demons and the cup of God" says one scripture.
Or as Jesus said, those who are not with me, are against me", there is to be a huge battle for rulership of the Earth when Gods kingdom comes, you have to decide which side to be on, you cannot be on both sides.

[Forestfrost]

Excellent idea. I can add from the Mormon perspective. The basic doctrine from Christianity might vary but I don't think enough to be a problem with what you want to accomplish.

Where do the elves fit in?

I remember reading once that elves were a perfected man. There might be a couple of fits for Mormonism. Mormon doctrine says that all men are to work towards perfection, so that they can be gods in the hereafter. Also Mormon doctrine has angels as resurrected personages, translated beings, and spirits of just men made perfect. So perhaps angels, as a perfected man, could be similar to elves.

Also MountainGuardian said that elves are the same as the biblical 'sons of God', well again in Mormonism 'son's of God' is along the same lines. In Mormonism all people are son's of God in a spiritual sense but the term is often used more specifically for those who receive the higher priesthood, magnify their callings, enter into the new and everlasting covenant of marriage, and endure in righteousness. These 'son's of God' are the ones who will be the gods in eternity.

Anyway, interesting topic!

[Ralf]

Where do the elves fit in?

I remember reading once that elves were a perfected man. There might be a couple of fits for Mormonism. Mormon doctrine says that all men are to work towards perfection, so that they can be gods in the hereafter. Also Mormon doctrine has angels as resurrected personages, translated beings, and spirits of just men made perfect. So perhaps angels, as a perfected man, could be similar to elves.

Also MountainGuardian said that elves are the same as the biblical 'sons of God',

Funny enough, Iam actually reading a book at the moment about Faerie legends in the British Isles.

Now though I would like to think Fairies and the like are spirit beings doing the work of God, looking after nature and its mechanisms, I do find the tales about them suggesting they are just another manifestation of the fallen sons of God, the Demons and thier Nephalim children.
The main theme running through this book of Fairy legends concerns stealing Human children in order to strengthen thier bloodstock, and to entice Humans to "marry" them using such methods as "glamour" to appear attactive.
Now, being familier with the fallen sons of God who left God in order to have sexual relations with Humans, I think this may give a clue as to the real identity of such as Elves.

Now, Fairae manifestations are rarely reported these days, instead we have UFOs and "Aliens" who seem to be doing the exact same thing as the Fairies, namely, abducting people, performing sexual experiments and extracting DNA, a lot of people consider "Aliens" are just a modern manifestation of the same deciept as the Fairiae folk and that the DNA interest is about finding the any remaining seed of thier original hybrid offspring.

[Hrogar]

First off, I must say that I am not a christian, but a Germanic pagan. But the idea of a folkish christianity is nevertheless an interesting idea.

Do I understand it correctly that a folkish christianity denounces universalistic claims and instead embraces the idea that it is culturally, historically and theologically bound to a specific people? And that each people would have their own, different version of Folkish christianity? Or does it focus entirely on the northern people?

Am I correct to assume that folkish christianity will not be based on the somewhat rigid structures of the existing church, but more oriented towards a system that cherishes the personal bond between a person and god? Or is it too early in the process for such big decisions?

Anyhow, good luck with your work.

[alexross]

I view this as an attempt to make Christianity a non-culturual entity, and then into a Germanic religion. In actuality, Christianity is essentially non-cultural. We aren't supposed to adhere to certain practices like staying Kosher, wearing different clothes, etc.
It's a spirituality more than anything. There is a Jesus in every language and culture, because Jesus is cultureless.

If you look at my religion, it says Christian, but it also says secular pagan. I adhere to the traditions of my Old folks, while I also have the religion from afar. There isn't really a contradiction.

But I think you are right about some things. There needs to be a consensus about such things, and what we would accept as part of the truth. After all, the Jews have their story handed down from them, and it's true, so I believe that there may be truth in our old ways also.

I personally think that the story of Woden had been handed down so many times through ignorant people, that their lives became deitized. In reality, Woden could be our ancestor, one of many ancestors of the Japhetic branch of peoples. I also believe the story of beowulf, to the extent that Grendel was a demon.

[Plantagenet]

I'd say another essential element of creating a folkish and revitalized Christianity would be to present the religion as more than just a religion of faith, but a complete spiritual system aimed at inner transformation and experiencing/understanding of higher realities. In my opinion it seems many Christians today just rely on faith and true morals, and if they feel intellectually up to it, enter into Christian philosophy and apologetics. There is nothing inherently wrong with the former practices, in fact they should be encouraged. However, I think if we could incorporate a more mystical approach, preferably that appeals to the aesthetic and spiritual palate of the Germanic people, especially in the realm of traditional Christian music, would be highly beneficial.

I feel the incorporation of various Orthodox mystical doctrines and practices into a revitalized Christianity aimed at Germanics would be valuable for those seeking a spiritual satisfaction or spiritual knowledge. Some examples of these doctrines I speak of can be investigated further here--

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesychasm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theoria
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theosis...hodox_theology)

Or if one wished to explore and venerate some specifically German mystics, one should investigate these three figures--

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildegard_of_Bingen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meister_Eckhart
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jakob_Böhme

And for a general view of mysticism in the Christian tradition--

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_mysticism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_meditation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contemplative_prayer