Myth and Criticism (was Re: [CS-FSLUG] God Didn't Say That)

[Aaron Lehmann]

On Fri, Jan 07, 2005 at 02:20:27PM -0600, Timothy R. Butler wrote:
> Hi Aaron,
> >A question regarding Form Criticism:  Is Genesis 1 - 12, from an fc
> >perspective, regarded as Law, Myth, or History?  I ask because, while I
> >completely agree that marriage is between husband and wife, I'm
> >wondering if we can fairly use this verse by itself to support such a
> >claim?  Do we not also have to bring in Jesus' use of it?  Am I just
> >being to nit picky here?
> 
> 	From a form crit perspective, Genesis would be considered -- some 
> reading this may want to brace themselves -- as myth. Of course, myth 
> is a word that's gotten a bad wrap. Myth in the scholarly sense can 
> merely mean a way of telling something that provides meaning. It can be 
> literally true or only figuratively true (or it could be false), but it 
> isn't necessarily a judgment on the truth of the text.
> 
> 	In regards to the marriage passage, this appears to be an 
> 	etiological passage -- i.e. explaining how marriage began. This then, seems 
> intended as instruction, rather than merely analogy, even if we were to 
> take the stance that Genesis 1-12 is only figuratively true.

Thank you.

Aaron Lehmann