Editing Religion and mythology (section)

==Academic views==
In [[academia]], the term "myth" often refers to stories whose culture regards them as true (as opposed to fictitious).<ref>Eliade, ''Myth and Reality'', p. 1, 8-10; ''The Sacred and the Profane'', p. 95</ref> Thus, many scholars will call a body of stories "mythology", leaving open the question of whether the stories are true or false. For example, in ''Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism'', English professor Howard Schwartz writes, "the definition of 'mythology' offered here does not attempt to determine if biblical or subsequent narratives are true or false, i.e., historically accurate or not".<ref name="Schwartz, p. lxxviii">Schwartz, p. lxxviii</ref>

Since the beginning of modern philosophy and science in the 16th century, many Western intellectuals have seen myth as outdated.<ref>See Armstrong, pp. 122-27. For example, an 18th century intellectual movement called [[deism]] rejected myths about divine intervention, limiting God's role to that of a first cause (Robinson), and a 20th century movement led by the theologian [[Rudolf Bultmann]] sought to "demythologize" Christianity, reinterpreting its myths as psychological allegory (Segal, pp. 47-51; Muthuraj). Some 19th and early 20th century secular scholars predicted that science would replace myth, even in religion. The anthropologist [[Edward Burnett Tylor]] argued that science was pushing traditional mythology out of religion, which would henceforth consist only of metaphysics and ethics (Segal, p. 14). And the anthropologist [[Sir James George Frazer]] even wrote, "In the last analysis, magic, religion, and science are nothing but theories of thought; and as science has supplanted its predecessors, so it may hereafter be itself superseded by some more perfect hypothesis" (Frazer, p. 712).</ref> In fact, some argued that the Christian religion would be better off without mythology, or even that Christianity would be better off without religion:<ref name="Muthuraj">Muthuraj</ref>
<blockquote>[J. A. T.] Robinson argued in favor of "the detaching of the Christian doctrine of God from any necessary dependence on a 'supernaturalistic' worldview". He understood this as a prophetic aspect of the Church's ministry to the world. [...] At this time atheism was regarded as the Christian Gospel that should be preached to the world. J. J. Altizer, for example, maintained [this] boldly by stating, "Throughout its history Christian theology has been thwarted from reaching its intrinsic goal by its bondage to a transcendent, a sovereign, and an impassive God". [...] [Dietrich] Bonhoffer called persistently for "Religionless Christianity".</blockquote>
In the 20th century, many scholars have resisted this trend, defending myth from modern criticism.<ref>Segal, p. 3</ref> [[Mircea Eliade]], a professor of the history of religions, declared that myth did not hold religion back, that myth was an essential foundation of religion, and that eliminating myth would eliminate a piece of the human psyche.<ref>According to religious thought, said Eliade, myths establish models for human behavior and "the more religious man is, the more paradigmatic models does he possess as a guide to his attitudes and actions" (Eliade, ''The Sacred and the Profane'', p. 100). Eliade believed that modern novels, ideologies, customs, and pastimes contain "mythological elements" (Eliade, ''Myth and Reality'', pp. 181-93), and that some mythological elements fall within the "transconscious", which Eliade defined as a set of universal human images, symbols, and sentiments (Eliade, ''Images and Symbols'', pp. 16-17).</ref> Eliade approached myth sympathetically at a time when religious thinkers were trying to purge religion of its mythological elements:<ref name="Muthuraj"/>
<blockquote>Eliade wrote about "sky and sky gods" when Christian theology was shaken at its very foundations by the "death of God" theology. He spoke of "God up there" when theologians such as J. A. T. Robinson were busy with erasing the mythical language of [a] three-storied universe that underlies the early Christian thought and experience.</blockquote>
Similarly, [[Joseph Campbell]] believed that people could not understand their individual lives without mythology to aid them. By recalling the significance of old myths, he encouraged awareness of them.<ref>For example, Campbell claimed that mythology's primary function is "that of eliciting and supporting a sense of awe before the mystery of being" (Campbell, p. 519), and that mythology also serves "to initiate the individual into the order of realities of his own psyche" (Campbell, p. 521).</ref> In responding to the interview question "How would you define mythology?", Joseph Campbell answered:<ref>Campbell, Thou Are That, p. 111 [in:] James W. Menzies, True Myth, s. 25</ref>
<blockquote>My favorite definition of mythology: other people's religion. My favorite definition of religion: misunderstanding of mythology.</blockquote>