Flashcards
Religious Language - Myth
Cards in this deck (19)
- 1What are myths?Symbolic narratives telling stories of God, gods, goddesses, heroes and heroines
- 2Why has the term myth had bad press?When taken literally, myth becomes synonymous with falsehood/rubbish
- 3How is myth used to explain God?Myth has been used to discuss and explain human origins and human natures.
Biblical writers use myth e.g. creation, the fall and the flood.
Long history of myth through Greek, Roman, Jewish, Christian traditions. - 4Why are stories in the bible not being taken literally before?In the 19th century there was a rise in rationalism
- 5What did F.D Strauss say about miracles?Suggested we need to shift the focus from 'the story of a miraculous occurrence to the story of a miraculous occurrence's'
- 6What did that mean?The first case suggests that an objectively true narrative about a miracle is being told
The second case suggests that a religious truth is being told in the form of a story - 7What did Rudolf Bultmann argue in 'the new testament and mythology'?1. The new testament worldview is mythological and out of date
2. To really understand the message of the NT it must be read as myth
3. We need a radical approach to the NT which eliminates unnecessary myth - 8Quote from: Bultmann'It is impossible to use electric light and the wireless [radio] and to avail ourselves in modern medical and surgical discoveries, and at the same time to believe in the NT world of demons and spirits'
- 9What is Kerygma and how do we access it according to Bultmann?Kerygma = the abiding truth
To access kerygma, he argued religious language has to be demythologised. - 10What does myth make it harder to do?For the modern mind to access the truth of the NT.
- 11How would Bultmann take Paul's account of Jesus's return?That it should not be understood literally as it is based on an ancient idea of heaven that is spatially 'above'
- 12What did Bultmann say about modern intelligent people?A modern, intelligent, literate person could not take seriously the supernatural elements of the Gospel stories but this does not mean the whole of Christianity should be rejected
o Visitations by angels, the virgin birth and miraculous events - 13What does MacQuarrie say about myth?Argues that we must understand myth in relation to our own existence for them to become meaningful
- 14What does Durkheim say about myth?They embody society's belief and values
- 15What does Bergson say about myth?That they help us to overcome fears
- 16Why do people not like myth?1. Accused of secularising the bible
2. Shows too little interest in the historical basis of Christianity
3. Too individualistic/subjective
4. Spiritualist churches believe in spirits and demonds - 17What did John Hick add to myth?1) Took up Bultmann’s ideas about demythologizing the New Testament
2) Ideas expressed as contributions to a book called ‘The Myth of God Incarnate’ - 18What was said in 'The myth of God incarnate'?1) Jesus was not literally God in human form but the idea of Jesus as God incarnate was a myth
2) Statements such as ‘God was in Christ’ were not literally true
3) Early Christians talked of the idea of God becoming human predating the N.T, using this mythology as an aid to expressing their own ideas - 19What did Hick argue?The way in which first-century Christians understood the world is inappropriate today
Mythological language used to convey their beliefs may be a hindrance to modern faith
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- a2 Religious Studies (Philosophy) Flashcards on Religious Language - Myth, created by Ella Foster on 17/02/2017.
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