Christian mythology

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Template:Myth box Christianity Christian mythology is the body of traditional narrative associated with Christianity. Many Christians believe that these stories are sacred and that they communicate profound truths. These traditional narratives include, but are not necessarily limited to, narrative portions of the Christian scriptures.

The Christian religion has diverged over the centuries into many denominations, and not all hold the same set of sacred traditional narratives. For instance, the Roman Catholic Bible contains a number of books that the Protestant Bible does not include.

In canonical scripture

Issues of academic terminology

There is no scholarly consensus about the proper definition of the word "myth". In its broadest academic sense, the word "myth" simply means a traditional story. However, many scholars restrict the term "myth" to sacred stories.[1] Professional folklorists often go farther: by the classic definition used by folklorists, myths are "tales believed as true, usually sacred, set in the distant past or other worlds or parts of the world, and with extra-human, inhuman, or heroic characters".[2]

If "myth", narrowly defined, must be both sacred and "believed as true", then the most clear-cut examples of Christian mythology come from Christian scripture. Most Christians consider Biblical stories not just sacred but also true, at least in some sense. (Whether all Biblical stories are literally true is a matter of disagreement among Christians. For a discussion of the debate, see Biblical literalism.)

Note that the term "mythology" does not encompass all of the Christian scriptures: non-narrative scriptures or portions of scripture (e.g., proverbs, theological writings) are not themselves "myths".

Note also that the term "myth" may not encompass all stories in Christian scripture, depending on how strictly one defines the word "myth". One's use of the word "myth" is largely a matter of one's academic discipline. Scholars in religious studies often restrict the term "myth" to stories whose main characters are gods or near-gods: this definition would actually exclude much of the Hebrew Bible, which may involve God but often does not feature him as the center of attention.[1] Some folklorists restrict the word "myth" to only those stories that deal with the creation of the world and of natural phenomena.[2][3] By this definition, "only the two creation stories (Genesis 1 and 2), the Garden of Eden story (Genesis 3), and the Noah story (Genesis 6-9) would thereby qualify as myths. All the other stories would instead constitute either legends or folk tales."[4]

Types of mythology in Christian scripture

Myths fall into many subcategories. These are a few of the types of myths found in Christian scriptures:

  • Cosmogonic myths describe the creation of the world. As noted above, the two creation stories in Genesis, the Garden of Eden story, and the Noah story are cosmogonic myths.
  • Origin myths (also called etiological myths) also describe how the world came to have its present form. However, while cosmogonic myths describe only the creation of the universe, origin myths build upon the cosmogonic myths, describing the origin of natural phenomena and human institutions within the universe.[5] The Book of Genesis is a major example of Christian origin mythology.
  • Eschatological myths describe the end of the world. The Apocalypse of John (Book of Revelation) is a popular example of Christian eschatology; other examples of eschatology (inherited from the Old Testament) appear in the Book of Isaiah and the Book of Ezekiel.[6] The last six chapters of the Book of Daniel also involve apocalyptic descriptions.

In the culture of the ancient Semitic and Mediterranean worlds in the context of which early Christianity and its literature arose — even up to the European Middle Ages when further traditions and legends were developed — there often did not exist the separation that exists for many societies in the modern period between fact and myth or between objective truth and speculation or elaboration.Template:June2007 Even in the modern period, Christians of many traditions (like those in many other religions) may also hold that the dividing line between "faith" and what is labeled "myth" is less than clear, when it comes to traditional beliefs and understanding.Template:June2007

In non-canonical tradition

Traditional Christian stories include many that do not come from canonical Christian texts and still do illustrate Christian themes. Other stories that are intended to foster Christian values, or address specifically Christian spiritual traditions, may be included in Christian mythology. These stories are considered by some Christian journalists, theologians, and academics (see citations below) to constitute a body of "Christian mythology". Examples include hagiographies such as the tale of Saint George or Saint Valentine.

A case in point is the historical and canonized Brendan of Clonfort, a 6th century Irish churchman and founder of abbeys. Round his authentic figure was woven a tissue that is arguably legendary rather than historical: the Navigatio or "Journey of Brendan". The legend discusses mythic events in the sense of supernatural encounters. In this narrative, Brendan and his shipmates encounter sea monsters, a paradisal island and a floating ice islands and a rock island inhabited by a holy hermit: literal-minded devotés still seek to identify "Brendan's islands" in actual geography. This voyage was recreated by Tim Severin, suggesting that whales, icebergs and Rockall were encountered.[7]

In other literature

Literary classics

Some novels and poems centered on Christian themes have come to be regarded as literary classics. In a broad sense, these may also fall within the category of Christian mythology. These classics include Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan and The Divine Comedy by Dante.

Modern "mythopoeia"

Some works of the Christian authors C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien have been described as "mythic" or "mythopoeic" ("myth-making") literature.[3] Tolkien actually described his own fantasy writing as an effort to create "myth and fairy-story".[4] (Tolkien here uses a different definition of "myth" than most modern-day scholars, who limit the term to traditional stories, thus excluding modern fantasy novels.) The Mythopoeic Society has been established to promote the production of, and research about, such modern "mythopoeic literature".

Lewis and Tolkien regarded their works as Christian. Many of Lewis's works borrowed extensively from Christian themes: one of the clearest examples is the Narnia series, which has been interpreted as an allegory for certain Biblical stories -- although, in the case of the Narnia series, Lewis denied that he was simply representing the Christian story in symbols.[8] Tolkien emphatically denied that his Middle-earth fantasy novels were in any sense "allegory",[5] but he admitted that they were "a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision".[6] These works of Christian "mythopoeia" may, along with the Christian literary classics, be classed as "Christian mythology" in a very broad sense.

See also: Mythopoeic literature

Academic view and subtopics

William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905) - Song of the Angels (1881). Illustrations showing Christian saints communicating with angels are prevalent throughout Europe.

Academic studies of mythology often define mythology as deeply held beliefs that explain a society's existence and world order: those stories of a society's creation, the society's origins, their God(s), their original heroes, mankind's connection to the "divine", and their narratives of eschatology (what happens in the "after-life"). Looking at each these academic topics for the first known society of Christian people: the Christian texts they wrote use the same creation story as Jewish mythology, the stories of the Old Testament, that the world was created out of a darkness and water in seven days. Christianity may include here the miracle of Jesus' birth. Christian mythology of their society's founding would start with Jesus and his many teachings, and include the stories of Christian disciples starting the Christian Church and congregations. The heroes of the first Christian society would start with those chosen by Jesus, the apostles Peter, John, James, Paul and Jesus, as well as Mary (mother of Jesus). Christianity eschatology stories of "after-life" would include the narratives of Jesus Christ rising from the dead and now acting as a saviour of all generations of Christians, the stories of heaven and a father in heaven waiting to meet them. Eschatological narratives would also include the prophesies of end of the world and a new millennium in the Book of Revelation, and the prophesy of Jesus will return to earth some day. The basic Christian narratives of heaven (according to tradition) might include a nice green pasture land, a new house (per Jesus he goes to prepare them a place in heaven), and meeting a benevolent God. Myths of hell differ according to the denomination. This is a very general and quick outline of Christian narratives.

Controversy surrounding the word "myth"

Although the academic use of the word "myth" is not supposed to imply falsehood, many Christians feel uncomfortable with the label "mythology" when it is applied to Christian tradition. This discomfort has its roots in Christian history. Early Christian theologians used the word "myth" to mean "falsehood", and it was with this meaning that the word passed into popular English usage.[9] Hence, some Christians take offense when their own sacred stories are designated as "myths": they believe that such a designation implies that the stories are false.

Some Christians have no problem with the use of the word "myth" to designate the narrative component of religion. For instance, C.S. Lewis used the expression "true myth" to describe the story of Jesus Christ, to emphasize it is perceived as both myth and truth: he wrote, "The story of Christ is simply a true myth: a myth working on us in the same way as the others, but with this tremendous difference that it really happened: and one must be content to accept it in the same way, remembering that it is God's myth where the others are men's myths."[7]

In such cases, Christian writers and theologians use the term "myth" without its popular implication of falsehood. The Catholic priest Father Andrew Greeley commented on this point:

"Many Christians have objected to my use of this word [myth] even when I define it specifically. They are terrified by a word which may even have a slight suggestion of fantasy. However, my usage is the one that is common among historians of religion, literary critics, and social scientists. It is a valuable and helpful usage; there is no other word which conveys what these scholarly traditions mean when they refer to myth. The Christian would be well advised to get over his fear of the word and appreciate how important a tool it can be for understanding the content of his faith."[10]

See also: religion and mythology

Selection of stories

A selection of stories with mythic content might include (according to the broad academic definition of a sacred narrative):

See also: Christian fiction

Mythology in secular Christmas stories

Thomas Nast immortalized Santa Claus with an illustration for the January 3, 1863 issue of Harper's Weekly. The first Santa Claus appeared as a small part of a large illustration titled "A Christmas Furlough" in which Nast set aside his regular news and political coverage to do a Santa Claus drawing. This Santa was a man dressed up handing out gifts to Union soldiers.

Christmas-themed popular music, television, and cinema:

Santa Claus is English name for the Christian Saint Nicholas (secularized in popular culture) as an old man with supernatural powers, much like magic and powerful characters in mythology: Santa Claus has supernatural powers and uses them to magnanimously deliver gifts to children around the world. Santa was based on the legends of Saint Nicholas. Santa was given an amplified mythological identity in the Clement Moore poem Twas The Night Before Christmas. Comparative mythologies have also noted the ancient Germanic myths of Thor driving a cart led by goats in the sky (which led to the folklore of the Yule Goat) is like Santa driving a sleigh led by reindeers in the sky.

In the 1950s, several Christmas cartoons emerged that deliberately adopt elements of Christian stories to convey the "true meaning of Christmas" in allegorical terms.

An early film, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV special) based on a Gene Autry song, involved a rejected and mocked reindeer that ends up leading the other reindeer through the help of a misfit elf and misfit toys.

Similarly, Frosty the Snowman contains several Christian motifs, is the story of a snowman who comes to life for a time, melts (dies) but also reassures his childlike followers that he will "be back again some day." The television special developed from this song invents the concept of Frosty being made from "Christmas snow" which entails that he can never completely melt away and thus has an eternal essence.

Following these early television Christmas specials, there have been countless other Christmas TV specials and movies produced for the "holiday season" that are not explicitly Christian but seek to describe "true spirit of Christmas" beliefs, such as "togetherness," "being with family," charitable acts, and belief that even bad people or situations can be redeemed. While many sundry examples of Christmas films exist, examples of films with Christian mythical elements include: How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (film), A Charlie Brown Christmas, and various adaptations of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. With the exception of A Charlie Brown Christmas, which features a reading from the Gospels by Linus, they have little to do with the biblical Christmas.

These conceptions of the "true meaning of Christmas" are also sung about in Christmas albums.

Western Legacy

From Roman Empire to Europe

After Christian theology was accepted by the Roman Empire, promoted by St. Augustine in the 5th century, Christian mythology began to predominate the Roman Empire. Later the theology was carried north by Charlemagne and the Frankish people, and Christian themes began to weave into the framework of European mythologies (Eliade 1963:162-181). The pre-Christian (Germanic and Celtic mythology that were native to the tribes of Northern Europe were denounced and submerged, while saint myths, Mary stories, Crusade myths, and other Christian myths took their place. However, pre-Christian myths never went entirely away, they mingled with the (Roman Catholic) Christian framework to form new stories, like myths of the mythological kings and saints and miracles, for example (Eliade 1963:162-181). Stories such as that of Beowulf and Icelandic, Norse, and Germanic sagas were reinterpreted somewhat, and given Christian meanings. The legend of King Arthur and the quest for the Holy Grail is a striking example (Treharne 1971). The thrust of incorporation took on one of two directions. When Christianity was on the advance, pagan myths were Christianized; when it was in retreat, Bible stories and Christian saints lost their mythological importance to the culture.

Since Enlightenment

Since the end of the eighteenth century, the biblical stories have lost some of their mythological basis to western society, owing to the scepticism of the Enlightenment, nineteenth-century freethinking, and twentieth century modernism. Most westerners no longer found Christianity to be their primary imaginative and mythological framework by which they understand the world. However other scholars believe mythology is in our psyche, and that mythical influences of Christianity are in many of our ideals, for example the Judeo-Christian idea of an after-life and heaven (Eliade 1963:184). The book Virtual Faith: The Irreverent Spiritual Quest of Generation X by Tom Beaudoin explores the premise that Christian mythology is present in the mythologies of pop-culture, such as Madonna's Like a Prayer or Soundgarden's Black Hole Sun. Modern myths are strong in comic book stories (as stories of culture heroes) and detective novels as myths of good versus evil (Eliade 1963:185).

Certain groups within Western society still retain a strong element of Christian mythology in their understanding of life. It is also true that Christian myths often inform law and the ideals within different Western societies, but the idea of a Christendom that permates all aspects of life is no longer applicable.

See also


External links

  • Louis A. Markos in Myth Matters, from Christianity Today magazine. Quote: "just as Christ came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it, so he came not to put an end to myth but to take all that is most essential in the myth up into himself and make it real."
  • Mark Filiatreau in A Master of Imaginative Fiction, from BreakPoint Online. Quote: "Classics of Christian Myth -- MacDonald’s key mythic works include five full-length books, which we’ll introduce here."
  • Abstract of the Collected Works of C. G. Jung, from The CG Jung page. Quote: "The astrological characteristics of the fish are seen to contain the essential components of the Christian myth."
  • James W. Marchand in Christian Parallels to Norse Myth, from the Center for Advanced Study, University of Illinois. Quote: "This reluctance to weigh fairly the possibility of the influence of Christian myth on Norse myth has had a number of unfortunate consequences. The most unfortunate is the resolute refusal on the part of most students of Norse myth to look at medieval Christian myth."

References

  1. ^ Segal, p. 5
  2. ^ Zong In-Sob
  3. ^ Segal, p. 5
  4. ^ Segal, p. 5
  5. ^ Eliade, Myth and Reality, p. 21
  6. ^ Eliade, Myth and Reality, p. 66.
  7. ^ Severin, Timothy (1982). The Brendan Voyage. McGraw-Hill. ISNB 0070563357. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  8. ^ A letter to a child fan named Patricia, printed in The Essential C. S. Lewis
  9. ^ Eliade, 1962, pp. 162; Eliade, 1967, pp. 23.
  10. ^ Greeley, Myths of Religion; quoted in Bierlein 1994, pp. 304-5.

Sources

  • Bierlein, J.F. Parallel Myths. New York: Ballantine, 1994.
  • Eliade, Mircea
    • Myth and Reality. New York: Harper & Row, 1968. (See esp. Section IX "Survivals and Camouflages of Myths - Christianity and Mythology" through "Myths and Mass Media")
    • Myths, Dreams and Mysteries. New York: Harper & Row, 1967.
  • Beaudoin, Tom. Virtual Faith: The Irreverent Spiritual Quest of Generation X.
  • Segal, Robert A. Myth: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2004.
  • Zong In-Sob. Folk Tales From Korea. Elizabeth: Hollym International, 1982.
  • Lewis, C. S. The Essential C. S. Lewis. Ed. Lyle W. Dorsett. NY: Simon & Schuster, 1996.
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