Common Claims That Lent Is Pagan and Why They Are Incorrect

The claim that Lent is pagan is usually presented through a small number of repeated arguments. When examined carefully, these claims rely on assumption rather than evidence and collapse under biblical, historical, and logical scrutiny. Lent is not pagan in origin or meaning. It is rooted in Scripture, shaped by the life of Jesus Christ, and consistent with biblical patterns of repentance and preparation.

One common claim is that Lent comes from pagan spring or fertility festivals because it occurs in late winter or early spring. This argument assumes that shared timing implies shared origin. Timing alone does not establish source or meaning. Easter is dated according to the resurrection of Jesus Christ and its historical connection to Jewish Passover, which follows a lunar calendar rather than seasonal agriculture (John 19:14; 1 Corinthians 5:7). Lent exists only because Easter exists. There is no historical evidence that early Christians borrowed pagan spring festivals and reshaped them into Lent. The earliest Christian fasting practices are explicitly tied to preparation for Easter and baptism, not fertility or agricultural cycles. Similar placement on the calendar does not equal shared origin.

Another claim argues that the forty days of Lent come from pagan numerology rather than Scripture. This assertion ignores the overwhelming biblical use of the number forty. Scripture repeatedly presents forty as a divinely ordered period of testing and preparation. Rain fell for forty days during the flood before renewal began (Genesis 7:12). Moses fasted for forty days on Mount Sinai before receiving the Law (Exodus 34:28). Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years before entering the Promised Land (Numbers 14:33–34). Elijah traveled forty days to Mount Horeb to encounter God (1 Kings 19:8). Nineveh was given forty days to repent (Jonah 3:4–10). Jesus Christ fasted for forty days in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–2), and after the resurrection He taught His disciples for forty days before the ascension (Acts 1:3). Scripture itself defines the meaning of forty, leaving no need for pagan explanation.

Some claim that fasting and self-denial reflect pagan or philosophical asceticism rather than biblical faith. Scripture directly contradicts this view. Fasting is commanded, assumed, and modeled throughout the Bible. Jesus Himself fasted and expected His followers to fast, pray, and give to the poor, while warning against hypocrisy rather than the practices themselves (Matthew 6:16–18). Biblical fasting is relational and directed toward repentance, humility, and dependence on God (Joel 2:12–13). Pagan asceticism seeks mastery over the body for spiritual power, while biblical fasting seeks submission to God (Isaiah 58:6–7). External similarities do not mean shared meaning.

Another argument claims that Lent was invented centuries later when Christianity absorbed pagan culture. Historical evidence shows otherwise. Extended fasting and preparation before Easter existed in the early Church long before Christianity became culturally dominant. Early Christians fasted communally, prepared converts for baptism, and centered worship on Scripture and the resurrection (Acts 2:42; Acts 13:2–3). Lent developed organically from these biblical practices, not from pagan religion. There is no historical record of Church leaders borrowing pagan festivals and renaming them Lent.

In many cases, the accusation of paganism is not historical but denominational. Because Lent is strongly associated with Catholic practice, it is dismissed without biblical examination. This approach replaces careful study with suspicion. Catholic theology insists that practices align with Scripture and apostolic tradition, and Lent reflects biblical fasting, repentance, prayer, and almsgiving, all explicitly affirmed in Scripture (Matthew 6:1–18). Ironically, many who reject Lent still practice these disciplines individually while rejecting the idea of setting aside a season for them.

In conclusion, claims that Lent is pagan rely on coincidence, assumption, and reaction rather than evidence. Lent is rooted in Scripture, shaped by the life of Jesus Christ, and consistent with biblical patterns of preparation and repentance. When examined historically, biblically, and logically, the accusation of paganism collapses. Lent does not imitate paganism; it imitates Christ.