The worship of the sun and the moon, the ritual celebration of the forces of nature and the symbolism of the zodiac are all elements of an age old religion we call paganism. It has long been maintained that paganism gave expression to natural energies later suppressed by orthodox religion. But is this really true? In this fascinating work Edward Carpenter argues that this assumption ignores many elements that the two opposed systems of belief have in common.

The interdependence of pagan and Christian creeds has remained unexamined for far too long. This superb volume, first published in 1920, seeks to find traces of the 'old religion in the practices of the new. For example, the totemic sacraments found in paganism find their counterpart in the Christian Eucharist. The Savior God and the Virgin Mother can be found in both sources, as can the myth of The Golden Age before the Fall. Paganism, far from being surpassed by Christianity, appears to be enduring vigorously within it.