The New Testament and mythology is a theological treatise of the Lutheran theologian Rudolf Bultmann ( 1941 ), which outlines the concept of demythologization.
Contents
Bultman agrees with the rationalistic criticism of the Bible that many of its events are described as myths, which means they are unreliable for modern man, for the mythological picture of the world is a thing of the past. The call to faith should not, according to Bultmann, impose obsolete ideas, for the Bible contains truth that is wider than mythology. Mythology is a pre-scientific picture of the world, which today is defeated by science. Bultman dwells in detail on what demythologization should be. He rejects extremes: to preserve mythology and make kerigma (content) unclear and to reject mythology along with kerigma. He leads his path of "liberal theology" to allegorical interpretations of Scripture, which contrasted the "core and shell". However, there was a danger of reducing Kerigma to moral preaching. In attempting an existential interpretation of the Gospels , Bultmann observes that Jesus is dual: he is mythological and historical at the same time.
Quotes
- The mythical picture of the world does not contain anything specifically Christian
- “Heaven” no longer exists
- The myth should not be interpreted cosmologically, but anthropologically rather, existentially
- Christian faith is not religious idealism
- The crucifixion of “passions and lusts” includes overcoming fear, striving to avoid suffering and leads to liberation from the world through suffering, since the voluntary acceptance of suffering