Mythmaking and Social Formation in the Study of Early Christianity
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4299785 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ian Brown (0000-0003-0539-9367, University of Toronto, corresponding author), Ian Phillip Brown |
| Year | 2016 |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 15-24 |
| Publication date | 2016-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Religion Compass (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1749-8171 • E-ISSN: 1749-8171 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/rec3.12192 |
| OpenAlex | W2299612074 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 5 |
Burton Mack has made a number of important contributions to the study of early Christianity. One of, if not the most significant of these contributions is his use of the analytical categories of mythmaking and social formation in his construction of a social theory of religion. The analysis of mythmaking and social formation in early Christianity brings a critical historical and sociological focus to the study of Christian origins by focusing on the literary aspects of ancient texts, and the social aspects of ancient people and groups, and the dialectical relationship between the two categories. This article reviews the uses and criticisms of the categories of mythmaking and social formation in the study of early Christianity: beginning with Mack's work on a social theory of religion and his seminal study of the Gospel of Mark (A Myth of Innocence), and moving on to studies that have both taken up and critiqued Mack's use of the terms
Christianity · Dialectic · Early Christianity · Epistemology · Mythology · Sociology · Biblical Studies and Interpretation · Classics · Colonialism, slavery, and trade · History · Philosophy · Psychology · Religion and Society Interactions · Religious studies
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |