Christ and Other Masters: an Historical Inquiry Into Some of the Chief Parallelisms and Contrasts Between Christianity and the Religious Systems of the Ancient World. With Special Reference to Prevailing Difficulties and Objections: Volume 3

Christ And Other Masters: An Historical Inquiry Into Some Of The Chief Parallelisms And Contrasts Between Christianity And The Religious Systems Of The Ancient World. With Special Reference To Prevailing Difficulties And Objections — Charles Hardwick In this three-part historical survey, Charles Hardwick examines how Christianity compares with major religious systems of the ancient world, with a focus on difficulties Christians face when engaging with rival beliefs. The work, published in 1858, surveys India’s religious landscape, then turns to China, America, and Oceania. In China, he analyzes Confucianism, Taoism, and Fo-ism (Chinese Buddhism), contrasting their conceptions of God, humanity, and destiny with Christian revelation; he discusses the imperial state religion, metaphysical dualisms, and the place of ancestors and spirits in Chinese thought. In America, he surveys the indigenous, demi-civilised, and Mexican religions, detailing spirit-worship, fetishes, the Great Spirit, and the Aztec pantheon, including Quetzalcoatl, Tezcatlipoca, and Huitzilopochtli. In Oceanica, he traces Papuan beliefs and Malayo-Polynesian migrations, with attention to Maori tapu and the atua, and the role of priesthood and ritual. Across regions, Hardwick argues for the distinct supernatural origin of Christianity rather than an outgrowth of pagan systems, and he aims to defend Christian claims against prevalent objections through careful comparative analysis.