myth

Question 1

what are myths?

Answer 1

they are considered by many to be source of moral and spiritual truths about the meaning or purpose of human existence

Question 2

what type of theory is myth?

Answer 2

non cognitive as they do not convey facts about the empirical world

Question 3

what is sitz im liben?

Answer 3

the situation in life, which helps to understand the ultimate concern of the author and interpret the myth

Question 4

what can myths speak about?

Answer 4

• the meaning of human existence
• significance or meaning of empirical events or recurring problems
• the nature of god and relationship with him
• the ultimate destiny of humanity

Question 5

what are creation myths?

Answer 5

speak of a time before historical record and human experience

Question 6

what are the elements of creation myths?

Answer 6

ex nihlio: signifies chaos, the unknown and creative power of the divine
water: represents mystery, life sustaining and destructive power
land: represents order, stability and control
human life: represents purpose, uniqueness and relationship to the divine

Question 7

what are myths of good and evil?

Answer 7

they relate to human experience of the seasons e.g

good: represented by light, order and warmth
evil: represented by darkness, chaos and cold

Question 8

what are heroic myths?

Answer 8

links to good and evil and take clear pattern

1. characters suffer adversity
2. hero takes a risk
3. there is triumph and resolution

Question 9

what is an example of a hero myth in christianity?

Answer 9

ideal: a perfect relationship with god and humanity
problem: Jesus is persecuted for his message
salvation: suffers and dies for humanities sin and rises again

Question 10

what are the purpose of myths?

Answer 10

• overcoming fears of the unknown

* transmitting religious, social and ethical values

Question 11

how do myths overcome fears of the unknown?

Answer 11

in each myth there is a lack of control and mystery

in the torah Noah is the saviour and the action that saves the world is building a giant boat

Question 12

how do myths transmit religious, social and ethical values?

Answer 12

MacIntyre proposes that rather than questioning if myths are true or false we should question whether they are living or dead
do myths contain a purpose or relevance to how people live, do they:
bind communities together, shape human behaviour, provide purpose

Question 13

what are the different ways myths can be understood?

Answer 13

• as just fairy tales
• intended to be factual
• they declare our place in society, our relationship with god and purpose of our lives

Question 14

what does the approach of declaring a place in society show?

Answer 14

that myths can be non cognitive and still have meaning.

they provide the function of ordering our Experiences, inform us about ourselves

Question 15

what is the challenge of contrasting ideals?

Answer 15

myths from different cultures may offer contrasting ideas about meaning of life. e.g
genesis: humans are created through divine will
Japanese Ainu creation myths: humans evolved from a. polar bear god

Question 16

what is the challenge of the sitz im liben changing?

Answer 16

it changes the meaning of many myths and becomes unclear what the basis of faith is. e.g John 21: the miraculous catch of a fish, it is
A) call to christians to evangelise
B) message of Jesus’ humanity and understanding of the human struggle

Question 17

what is the challenge of science?

Answer 17

the meaning of myth may conflict with science, even if its not understood literally. e.g creation myths may convey gods creative power, but conflict with the idea of evolution