Mageth

It's the arrangement of the whole story that is original to Christianity, not the context within which that story was framed.

Yes, Christianity is a rahter "original" arrangement of mythical motifs. But the motifs are all reworks of pre-existing motifs, found in many other world religions - including the man-god saviour motif.

It's quite evident that much of the OT content from which Christianity "spun off" was "borrowed" and reworked from Zoroastrianism while the Jews were in captivity in Babylon.

I don't have more time to go into this now, but I'll try to do a little research over the weekend while the server's down, if I have time. Or, if you would like to do a little research on your own, try reading some Joseph Campbell (perhaps start with An Open Life or, better yet, Thou Art That or, if you're really industrious, The Hero with a Thousand Faces or his 4-volume The Masks of God).

CJD

Hello, Mageth.

Given that, as you wrote, "Christianity is a rather "original" arrangement of mythical motifs. But the motifs are all reworks of pre-existing motifs, found in many other world religions - including the man-god saviour motif," we agree on the originality of at least the arrangement of the Xian religion, I must still posit the same question in response: whichever way priority is determined, how does that affect the faith-claims of the biblical text (how do pre-existing similarities render the Xian faith-claims implausible)? Put differently, why is the Christian story not the ultimate myth, set apart from and above the others by the writers themselves?

In all honesty, I have spent a little time with Joseph Campbell, but will not have the time to return to him any time soon. Suffice to say, I enjoyed what I have read (Thou Art That). I might add in response to my earlier post, however, that you will be hard-pressed to find a pre-Christian document that includes a "redeemer-myth" remotely resembling that of Judeo-Christian Messianism. The question was rhetorical.

Regards,

CJD

Mageth

I must still posit the same question in response: whichever way priority is determined, how does that affect the faith-claims of the biblical text (how do pre-existing similarities render the Xian faith-claims implausible)? Put differently, why is the Christian story not the ultimate myth, set apart from and above the others by the writers themselves?

IMO, that's a question for those who claim it is the "ultimate myth" to answer. The burden of proof lies with the claimant - why is the Christian rearrangement of the common mythical motifs the "ultimate myth"?

In all honesty, I have spent a little time with Joseph Campbell, but will not have the time to return to him any time soon. Suffice to say, I enjoyed what I have read (Thou Art That). I might add in response to my earlier post, however, that you will be hard-pressed to find a pre-Christian document that includes a "redeemer-myth" remotely resembling that of Judeo-Christian Messianism. The question was rhetorical.

There are many hero-as-redeemer myths that resemble that of JC Messianism. No, there are none exactly like the Biblical Christ myth, but then there are no flood myths exactly like the Biblical flood myth, nor are there any creation myths exactly like the Biblical creation myths.

The point is that the mythical motifs found in the Biblical Christ story are found in many other mythologies; the man-god, virgin birth, the wilderness test, the hero as redeemer, the hero returning from his journey or task with a boon for mankind is , and even resurrection are all common mythical motifs. Christ is a unique reworking of the archetypal hero-as-redeemer myth (as most if not all other such myths could also be said to be unique). Its uniqueness does not make it true in a historical sense any more than the uniqueness of the other hero myths make them true.

Tristan Scott

Yes, and they may be closer to the truth about Revelation than mainstream Xianity.

It seems very plausible that John was writing an Apocalypse about the fall of Jeruselem.

The Tribulation makes no sense from the standpoint of the foundation of Xianity that says that Jesus died on the cross for the sins of man.