Conference lgp30::christian-perspective

939.0. "The ongoing unfolding word of God." by VNABRW::BUTTON (Another day older and deeper in debt) Mon Jun 20 1994 08:42

	Re: 938.27 Bob

	> Why should a myth be any less likely to be "an ongoing
	> unfolding revelation of God" than a story of an actual event.

	Although this is not what I said in my original note (938.20)
	it does reflect approximately my opinion.
	
	When I wrote my original comment, I used one of those long
	embedded opinions which, over time, acquire a dogmatic value
	as if they are self-evident.  Occasionally, a question such as
	Bob's bobs up (sorry Bob) and I am forced to reexamine the
	opinion. That's why I found the question interesting.

	I started by examining what I understand by the key words in the
	sentence.

	A MYTH is a story which arises out of the need to find an
	explanation for something which is otherwise difficult or impossible
	to understand. It is an attempt to explain how it might/must
	have been.  A myth will reflect, it its structure or content, the
	nature of the society out of which it arises.

	A myth differs from a legend in several essential ways. A legend
	is a "hand-me-down" story which originated as an eye-witness
	account of a factual event or circumstance. A myth can arise
	spontaneously at any time in history and cannot claim historical
	ancestry.

	A legend tends to grow in drama but may become simpler in its
	telling. A myth tends to become more complex in its telling (as
	the society in which it flourishes changes and embroiders new
	patterns onto old material) although its actual content remains
	fairly stable.

	An important difference is that a legend arises only once and is
	directly related to a specific event/time/place.  The need to
	explain a specific phenomena can, and does, give rise to separate
	myths in different places at different times.

	Non-contraversial examples of myths are the stories of the Greek
	heroes and the "just so" stories of Rudyard Kipling.  Legends and
	myths are intertwined in the Jesse James stories.  Legend
	pervades the life histories of many British Kings.

	An ACTUAL EVENT requires no deeper analysis for this discussion.
	Any single circumstance which has been incontravertably recorded
	would be acceptable to me as an actual event. It is important
	to note that, even though an event may occur more than once, each
	event is, in and of itself, separate. The separate events cannot
	be described specifically, only generically, since they are *at
	least* separated in space or time or both.

	ONGOING UNFOLDING REVELATION OF GOD. "Ongoing" is clear enough to
	most, I guess.

	"Unfolding revelation" may require examination. I imagine it as a
	Jigsaw puzzle.  The whole picture forms the words "Whole Truth"
	in big, cut-out letters (not a rectangular puzzle but one shaped
	like joined letters). Each induvidual piece of the puzzle has a
	"partial truth" printed on it.  In unfolding the puzzle, my task
	is to absorb each partial truth into the whole until I get the
	"Whole Truth"  This analogy makes it clear that partial truths
	can be found in any sequence and that, only when I have sorted
	and located all partial truths can I fully appreciate the whole
	truth.
	
	Another important factors in this view of things are: that, at
	no time, is there any piece which is unneeded; all of the pieces
	fit inside the whole truth framework and they each contain a
	truth; and that each partial truth is designed to fit into the
	whole.
	
	Now, I think Bob's question is answered; at least on my terms.
	The myth cannot play a role in the ongoing unfolding revelation
	of God because: a) any truth that the myth may contain is pure
	coincidence (no design) and, b) pieces of the puzzle containing
	mythological truths wouls be surplus and would fit outside of
	the whole truth framework.

	With regard to Jesus' use of stories, I would say that the piece
	of the puzzle with the partial truth was wrapped in a sociably
	acceptable wrapping to help his listeners to locate the piece into
	the whole truth framework. The wrapping was disposable. I would
	not class the stories as myths since the myth is content, not
	wrapping. 
	
	Bob worded it: > (How many wonder whether a parable "really
	> happened" -- yes, I know sme do.)

	I wonder how many people confuse wrapping with content.

	Greetings, Derek.

	PS. I'm going back into hospital tonight so it may be a little
	while before I can take up on any replies.