1. By the end of today’s lesson you will
Understand how mythical language is used as a means of communication in religion.
Know and understand the challenges surrounding mythical language.
Have evaluated the effectiveness of mythical language as a solution to the problems of religious language.

2. Spec Check – Component 2: Philosophy Theme 4: Religious Language
AO1 – Knowledge and Understanding
AO2 – Analysis and Evaluation
E: Religious language as non-cognitive and mythical:
Complex form of mythical language that communicates values and insights into purpose of existence.
Supportive evidence – different forms of myths to convey meaning: creation myths; myths of good against evil; heroic myths. Myths help to overcome fears of the unknown; myths effective way of transmitting religious, social and ethical values.
Challenges: problem of competing myths; meanings of myths change over time as they reflect the values of society as societal constructs; demythologisation of myths results in varying interpretations, myths often incompatible with scientific understanding of the world.
The effectiveness of the terms non-cognitive, analogical and mythical as solutions to the problems of religious language

3. Starter What is a myth? What is the purpose of myths?
Can you think of any myths?

4. Mythical Language
Exam board’s definition of ‘mythical language’:
Non-cognitive language that may use fantastical imagery or legendary stories to convey meaning and truth, often about a fundamental issue about the purpose of existence.

5. Mythical Language
Whereas much religious language provides a ‘static picture’ of God and God’s activities, using metaphors and analogies, myths put together these ‘stills’ to produce a ‘movie’ in which God’s activity is presented in story form. Ninian Smart defines a myth as “a moving picture of the sacred.”

6. Don’t forget to include examples.
Mythical Language
Read the information on myth from Ahulwalia and Taylor.
Create two mind maps from your reading – one on each of the following …
The purpose and value of mythical language in religion
The challenges of mythical language.
Don’t forget to include examples.

7. Mythical Language
The following slides contain the key ideas from the texts you have read.
Add to your mind-map if necessary.

8. The purpose and value of mythical language in religion
Myths communicate religious views/beliefs on ultimate questions such as life and death, good and evil.
Myths point to and reveal something about God.
What do the creation stories in Genesis reveal to Christians about God?
What questions do the creation stories answer?
Myths are an easy way to communicate otherwise difficult and abstract concepts. They can also aid understanding.
Several meanings or layers of meaning can be conveyed within one story/myth.

9. The purpose and value of mythical language in religion
Some additional points …
Myths can be seen as being a part of a religious language game.
“Because myths have their birth not in logic but in intuitions of transcendence, they are of value to traditions that seek to describe the action of the other worldly in the present world.” (J.W. Rogerson)

10. The purpose and value of mythical language in religion
Are there any other points that you have on your mind-map that haven’t been mentioned?

11. By the end of today’s lesson you will
Understand how mythical language is used as a means of communication in religion.
Know and understand the challenges surrounding mythical language.
Have evaluated the effectiveness of mythical language as a solution to the problems of religious language.

12. Challenges
If myths are not literally true, they cannot communicate truths about God.
There may be competing myths, all claiming to communicate truths.
What example of this can we see from the interpretation of the role of humanity in creation in Genesis?
What reason might there be for this change in interpretation?
Meanings of myths change over time as they reflect the values of society as societal constructs. Therefore, how can myths communicate values that are eternal truths?

13. Challenges
Myths are often incompatible with scientific understanding of the world.
How can you use the theory of evolution to support this point?
Philosophers such as Bultmann and Hick argued that, in order to find out the truth about God, religious scriptures. should be demythologised.
One of the problems with the demythologisation of myths, however, is that it results in varying interpretations.
It is impossible to use electric light and the wireless and to avail ourselves of modern medical and surgical discoveries and, at the same time, to believe in the New Testament world of demons or spirits.
(Rudolf Bultmann)

14. Challenges
Myths are often incompatible with scientific understanding of the world.
How can you use the theory of evolution to support this point?
Why might Christians argue that it is essential that beliefs such as the virgin birth, the physical resurrection of Jesus and the incarnation should be accepted as fact and not myth?
Many religious believers do not regard the stories in their holy scriptures as myths - they believe the events to literally have happened.

15. Challenges
Are there any other points that you have on your mind-map that haven’t been mentioned?
Can you think of any challenges that are not mentioned in the texts?

16. By the end of today’s lesson you will
Understand how mythical language is used as a means of communication in religion.
Know and understand the challenges surrounding mythical language.
Have evaluated the effectiveness of mythical language as a solution to the problems of religious language.

17. AO2 – Write up
‘Mythical language is an effective solution to the problems of religious language.’ Evaluate this view. [30]
PESEL
Point – make a point
Explain – explain that point
Support – provide evidence / examples to support the point. (Scholars’ ideas/quotes/analogies are good to use here)
Evaluate – state whether the argument is any good (strong/weak) and why
Link – link to the question and the paragraph which follows
Use the PESEL essay structure.
Use the ideas from your mind-map.
Don’t forget that you must EVALUATE every point.
Finish your essay with a CONCLUSION – what do you think? Justify your view.

18. By the end of today’s lesson you will
Understand how mythical language is used as a means of communication in religion.
Know and understand the challenges surrounding mythical language.
Have evaluated the effectiveness of mythical language as a solution to the problems of religious language.