Myth & Christianity

from posts on my old blogger account:

Mythology and Christ.

Several years ago I read an article written by C.S. Lews, "Myth Became Fact." Lewi's article struck a chord, a melody, in my heart that I have not been able silence. It has set me on a path of discovery, self-discovery, and spiritual growth, which to modern conservative Christian appearance might seem at first glance to far afield from historic Christian roots; but is one, that I believe may actually be closer, upon more careful examination, to the mystical and contemplative Christian roots of the early Church.

Specifically, I've been drawn to reading and study of mythology, dream analysis and symbolism, the writings of Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, Morton T. Kelsey, John A. Sanford,(the latter two were Christian Priests who were also licensed Clinical Jungian Analysts), etc.

The path or chord struck is a meditation on mythology, dreams, and transcendence, albeit in Christ, which sheds light on the shadow side of our Self. Lewis said,

"Now as myth transcends thought, Incarnation transcends myth. The heart of Christianity is a myth which is also a fact. The old myth of the Dying God, without ceasing to be myth, comes down from the heaven of legend and imagination to the earth of history. It happens- at a particular date, in a particualr place, followed by definable historical consequences. We pass from a Balder or an Osiris, dying nobody knows when or where, to a historical Person crucified (it is all in order) under Pontius Pilate. By becoming fact it does not cease to be myth; that is the miracle. I suspect that men have sometimes derived more spiritual sustenance from myths they did not believe than from the religion they professed...A man who disbelieved the Christian story as fact but continually fed on it as myth would, perhaps, be more spiritully alive than the one who assented and did not think much about it."

Most of us assume that Myth refers to something which is not true or real; whereas, Myth deals with reality on a much higher or intuitive plain than so much of our theoligical diatribe and formulations. Myth is the Canon of Archetypal Symbols and Images of Man's Psychic (Gr: Psyche= soul) Content shared through the power of Story, Enactment, and Ritual. The fact that we Moderns and Modern Christians have lost through our scholastic, academic and theological De-Mythologizing the power of story, enactment, symbols, imagery, and ritual, is symptomatic of the fat that we have largely lost our soul.

The story of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy (whether read or watched) or Mel Gibson's rendition of the Passion of Christ strikes a chord in the heart, the psychic depths, which allows for participation and association with the myth through identification with the characters or a katharis experience, that a mere reading of St. Paul's theological diatribe does not. Why? Because we have been cut off from the mythical, cultic (refers to worship practices), ritualistic, sacramental, and Eucharistic practises of Early Christian mysticism, of which Paul particpated.

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