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Biblical Creation Is a True MythGenesis 1-3 Is Meaning-Shaping Mythology, Not a Science Text
Genesis 1-3, the story of creation, is not about debates over science and evolution. It is a grand, meaning-making mythology, defining and shaping human life.
When most people hear the term “creation,” they think of the culture wars that started in the earlier part of the last century over Creation vs. Evolution, which is an incredibly unhelpful way to discuss Genesis 1-3. Whoever wrote the opening chapters to Genesis was not attempting to answer scientific questions. In order to understand what’s being said in Genesis 1-3, it must be asked why the author was writing and in what genre of literature. One can't look at the text and assume that it’s a literal historical account, any more than one can assume that when the Psalms speak about God’s wings, it must mean that God is an exceedingly large barn swallow. Myths Are TrueThe term “myth” in modern language usually means “an untrue story.” That’s an unfortunate use of the word “myth,” and it reveals the anti-supernaturalist bias that has pervaded modern language. Perhaps it’s more helpful to use the term “mythology,” which is the word for the study of the cosmic, religious stories employed by cultures to create and reinforce meaning by answering the grand questions of life. Mythologies tell the story of gods, of creation, and of heroes. J.R.R. Tolkien did this: The Lord of the Rings is an epic romantic fantasy rooted in his Silmarillion, which was Tolkien’s vision for an English mythology. J.R.R. Tolkien as Christian MythmakerWhy would Tolkien write a mythology? Tolkien was a Christian who firmly believed in the Scriptures. Wouldn’t writing a story of gods and heroes other than Christian ones be somewhat counterintuitive? But Tolkien was not writing an alternative religious story to replace Christianity. He found in mythology and in fairy stories a method for communicating truths that satisfied what Tolkien called “primordial human desires,” the longings human beings have always had. Mythology shapes individual identity and communal life. Tolkien didn’t think England had a good mythology - or one at all, for that matter. He always thought that England was the worse for not having its own unique mythology, but rather a sort of melting pot of mythologies from all the countries that had invaded England over the years. So he wanted to write a defining myth for England. He believed that in creating a national mythology, he was defining a nation by tapping into those human desires that could ultimately be fulfilled only in the Christian story. Genesis 1-3 Is a True MythGenesis 1-3 is foundational, meaning-making mythology. C.S. Lewis used this kind of language for the whole Christian story; he called it “the true myth.” If Christians belong to this story, then what humans are made for is going to be defined by it. So looking at Genesis 1-3, with Adam and Eve as our representatives, humans are made for at least three things:
This defining myth also introduces a problem: humanity rebelled and broke away from its purposes, and as a result, God cursed the earth and everything in it. This is why new creation is a term that St. Paul uses for redemption in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
The copyright of the article Biblical Creation Is a True Myth in Bible Studies is owned by Travis Prinzi. Permission to republish Biblical Creation Is a True Myth in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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