The Greatest Myth

What is a myth? Myths are stories that a particular culture

believes to be true. Myths may use the supernatural to interpret natural events, explain the nature of the universe, and humanity.

What is a myth? Continued Myths are universal, occurring in almost all

cultures. They typically date from a time before any

written language. They were passed orally from one generation to

the next. Myths deal with basic questions about the nature

of the world and human experience.

Examples of Christian Myths (To

non-believers of course…)

Sin Demons and Angels The Story of Creation The Virgin Birth Jesus’ miracles Moses parting the red sea

                                                                      

Examples of Christian Myths (To

non-believers of course…) Continued

“God helps those who help themselves.”

What about legends, and fairy tales (Folklore)?

Even though a myth can includethem, they are not the same thing.

A legend is a fictional storyassociated with a historical personor place. An Example of a legendwould be the story of youngGeorge Washington and thecherry tree.

What about legends and fairy tales(folklore)? Continued

Fairy tales are stories for children about fairies or other imaginary beings and events, often containing a moral message

Fairy tales are a third variety of traditional tales. They are usually simple narratives of an adventure built around elements of a character and plot. An example would be Cinderella.

Why is myth important to C.S.Lewis? Quotes taken from “Myth Became Fact”

“To be truly Christian we must both assent to the historical fact and also receive the myth with the same imaginative embrace which we accord to all myths.”

“If God choose to be mythopoeic– shall we refuse to be mythopathic?”

Resources http://www.biblegateway.com http://encarta.msn.com/artcenter_/browse.h

tml “Myth Became Fact” by C.S.Lewis