The Evolution of the Afterlife: Orphism to Christianity

What happens after we die? It’s one of humanity’s oldest questions, and one we may never answer, but of course that didn’t stop ancient cultures from imagining what may be waiting for us on the other side. Ancient Greek myths around the afterlife have proven to be highly influential on the imagination of Christian Europe, and scholars throughout history have traced Christian ideas about the soul and afterlife back to not just Plato, but mythical figures like Orpheus. But as we’ll see, there are many issues with the traditional understanding of Orphism which we’ll have to untangle first if we want to get an authentic picture of this mysterious ancient cult. Sources: