ET Item 4: Evolving from MYTHeology to EARTHeology

Whence comes divinity consciousness, from myth or from earth? Myth is an unfolding story of human imagination; conscious Earth-life consciousness is the source of myth and divinity consciousness. But Old Testament myth has been made dogma by closed theological thinking, and evolution is denied by excluding it from theological consideration.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that mythology has no theological truth in it, only that theology should remain open to Earth-science insights. Abrahamic religion and culture root in Old Testament mythology/theology. Literal mytheology is fantasy theology. Belief in God is no myth, but is a consensus consciousness from time immemorial, even though regional history and experience construe different creation myths.

Cultural experience knows that writers use different techniques of writing for specific reasons, e.g., poetry, history, biography, mythologies, novels, etc. Personal prejudices and political purposes condition a writer’s thinking and objective. These human prejudices apply also in sacred writings of all times.

Credit post-Reformation Scripture scholars (other than Roman Catholic) for leading the way to applying scientific methods to Scripture interpretation. Not until Pope Pius XII (Encyclical, Divino Afflante Spiritu) was scientific methodology in interpreting Scripture given the blessing of Roman Catholicism. The Second Vatican Council went a step further and declared that the analysis and synthesis of new theological understanding in the light of evolutionary sense is a “matter as important as can be.” (Constitution IV, Gaudium et spes, Introduction, No 4).

The Genesis Creation Myth should be appreciated for what it is — the insight of another time, of another worldview. The Old Testament Creation Myth of Genesis isn’t adequate for every time because it doesn’t credibly inform evolving consciousness. A theme of cultural belief and political purpose persists in all genres of Old Testament writings, what is the presumption of patriarchal primacy and dominion culture. Women and nature together suffer common exploitation under the burden of this blighted male prejudice. Enlightened divinity consciousness opens to the equal-minded roles of females and males in evolving life. To ignore scientific consensus is to imperil ourselves in the closed culture of dogmatic fantasy, arrogant idolatry, and calculated alienation.