 | Religion and mythology: Encyclopedia II - Religion and mythology - Religion and mythology
Religion and mythology - Religion and mythology
Religion is commonly defined as belief concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine, and the moral codes, practices, values, and institutions associated with such belief. It is a structure of beliefs that involves the existence or nonexistence of at least one of:
- a human soul or spirit,
- a deity or higher being, or
- self after the death of one's body.
It generally involves how people worship and can include any system of beliefs (eg., like those that do not involve the existence of one or more deities like Buddhism).
Mythology refers to a collection of stories about a people, usually concerning their origin, history, deities, ancestors, and heroes behind the belief structure and faith. The stories discussed express the viewpoints and beliefs of the country, time period, culture, and/or religion which gave birth to them. It can also be a body of myths concerning an event, person, or institution. One can speak of a Jewish mythology, a Christian mythology, or an Islamic mythology, in which one describes the mythic elements within these faiths without speaking to the veracity of the faith's tenets or claims about its history. Mythology is used to refer to stories that, whether or not believers accept them as strictly factual, are believed to reveal fundamental truths and insights about human nature, often through the use of archetypes. From this perspective, Story (Myth), figures prominently in most religions and belief systems, and specific mythologies are tied to at least one religion.
The word mythology itself is sometimes controversial. Because it is usually applied to the narratives of religions that are no longer widely practiced, many people assume that all myths are false. Myth and mythology can denote beliefs without implying falsehood.
Religion and mythology - Similarities
"Mythology" can be used to refer to stories that, whether or not they are strictly thought factual, are received for their deeper truths and insights about human nature, often through the use of archetypes (eg., viewpoints and beliefs of the country, time period, culture, and/or religion which gave birth to them). Therefore, some mythologists would define any element of a religious narrative as belonging to the realm of religious mythos, including also any formal religious doctrinal tradition, including the Trinity[1], Allah[2], the Son of God. From the perspective of comparative mythology and comparative religion, these elements represent the symbolic values within these faiths.
The similarities between cultures and time periods can be useful, but it is usually not easy to combine beliefs and histories from different groups. Simplification of cultures and time periods by eliminating detailed data remain vulnerably delicate or flimsy in this area of research. Abrahamic religions and Pagan religions share, though, some rituals and practices. Duplication being done by Christians and Pagan bidirectionally, coincidentally or directly outright.
Some similarities between cultures and time periods include:
- Thuvayal Thavasu was a spiritual as well as physical purification as per Ayyavazhi.
- Baptism was a principal ritual.
- The sacrament of a ritual meal of bread and wine (which symbolize the deity's body and blood) have been held by both.
- Some celebrate the birthday of their god incarnate.
- Some celebrate the resurrection of their god (such as the Resurrection of Jesus and the Egyptian worship of Osiris).
Religion and mythology - Contrasts
Though there are similarities that exist between Abrahamic religions and Pagan religions, there are contrasts. Mythologies typically are explanations of the universe, natural phenomena, or other themes of human existence, often ascribing agency to one or more deities or other supernatural forces. Some religions have very few of this kind of story of cosmic explanation. Abrahamic religions and Pagan religions similarities does not specifically denote dependence of the one upon the the. The particular meaning of the rituals and celebration may not have synonymous meanings. Parallels drawn between Abrahamic religious text and Pagan religious texts cover a wide range of literary forms with few in exact concordance. Similarity of literary style between Abrahamic religious text and Pagan religious texts can be attributed to common cultural milieu.
To do - list more contrasts
Other related archivesAllah, Ayyavazhi, Ayyavazhi mythology, Baptism, Bible, Buddhism, Buddhist mythology, Christian mythology, Cult, Dewey decimal system, Enver Hoxha, Hindu mythology, Historicity of Jesus, Islamic mythology, Jewish mythology, Joseph Campbell, Maoist, Mythography, Mythology, Native American mythology, Osiris, PDF, Paganism, Religion, Resurrection of Jesus, Ritual, Similarities between Roman, Greek, and Etruscan mythologies, Son of God, Stalinist, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Thuvayal Thavasu, To do -, Tradition, Trinity, Word of God, academic, agency, apologists, archetypes, assumptions, belief systems, communist, controversial, dechristianisation of France during the French Revolution, deities, desecrate, divine, etymology, evangelists, fable, faith, fundamentalism, heroes, history, human soul, moral codes, mysteries, priests, rabbis, religious belief, religious toleration, resurrection, revealed religions, sacrament, sacred, scripture, self after the death, shamans, spirit, stories, supernatural, treasonable, worship
 Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Religion and mythology", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki |
