[Oe List ...] Event and Story Quote re literalism

[R Williams]

Rod,
 
The word "true" describes what Knox calls, in the Christian context, the "Christian experience."  For him there is some kind of historical basis for the Christian experience--a guy named Jesus got born and died, etc.  The church called him Christ and Lord (ontological).  They then added the symbolism, metaphors, etc. (mythological) and it became a story that got handed down at first orally and then in written form, and when people heard it, this Christian experience became their experience.  (All this we said in the RS-1 Christ lecture.)  Knox is clear that the story is not just history, but that it has historical grounding.
 
In that context Knox says that the ontological and the mythological without the historical is Gnosticism.  He also says that the historical and ontological without the mythological is fundamentalism, and the historical and mythological without the ontological is modernism (or secularism).  I think Knox would say for the story to be "authentic" (my word), i.e. point to deeper meaning, it has to have all three dynamics.  What are your thoughts?
 
Randy 

From: Rod Rippel <rodrippel at cox.net>
To: Order Ecumenical Community <oe at wedgeblade.net>
Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2011 11:54 AM
Subject: Re: [Oe List ...] Event and Story Quote re literalism


Randy,
    Regarding Knox's paper and the three criteria for a "true" story (historical, ontlogical and mythological).  What if the historical element is missing?  Is the 'story' any less "true?"
    In other words, what if the reported event is thoroughly fictional?  e.g., Mountain's epiphany and response?
 
Regards,
Rod
_______________________________________________
OE mailing list
OE at wedgeblade.net
http://wedgeblade.net/mailman/listinfo/oe_wedgeblade.net
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://wedgeblade.net/pipermail/oe_wedgeblade.net/attachments/20110811/9441eb05/attachment.html>