Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun theology the scholarly opinion that the gospel is mythical
  • noun the habitual practice of attributing everything to mythological causes; superstition, the opposite of rationalism, or of realism
  • noun the creative potential for the creation of mythology; the faculty of mythopoeia

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

myth+-icism. In occasional use since the 1840s. The earliest use of the term was in Christian theology, in reference to the "Mythic Theory" of D. F. Strauss (1835). The more general sense appears from the 1870s.

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Examples

  • I do not even like the idea of appearing to sound as if I am defending "mythicism" per se, because to argue like that is to commit oneself to a certain explanation and resist alternative possibilities.

    The Death of the Mythical Messiah James F. McGrath 2010

  • My point in this is that the existence of a historical Jesus, however minimal, is more probable than that he was invented from scratch, which is what the viewpoint known as "mythicism" claims.

    Mythicist Misunderstanding James F. McGrath 2010

  • I encourage you to do a search for "mythicism" and other related keywords to get a sense of how this issue has been discussed here previously.

    Debunking Debunking Christianity Christianity James F. McGrath 2009

  • If Prof. Balkin's "evangelistic pandering" appeals to and persuades those less inclined toward the rationalist view, it's not an appeal to so dangerous a form of "mythicism" as some I've heard lately.

    Balkinization 2007

  • What baffles me most about mythicism is the incredible degree of confidence its proponents have, a certainty that is in marked contrast to the uncertainty and careful qualification I hear from trained historians - most of the time.

    More Mythicist-Creationist Parallels James F. McGrath 2010

  • Discussion of mythicism continues around the blogosphere.

    Mythicism and Historicism as Theories (and an Altar Call to Take a Leap of Doubt) James F. McGrath 2010

  • The ongoing conversation has shown yet another parallel between mythicism and creationism.

    Is There Evidence For Mythicism? James F. McGrath 2010

  • No, of course I don't think this post will end mythicism or even discussion of mythicism.

    The Death of the Mythical Messiah James F. McGrath 2010

  • Neil, if you think that Steven Carr should not be a basis for my judgments about mythicism, I'd appreciate it if you'd come right out and say so.

    More Mythicist-Creationist Parallels James F. McGrath 2010

  • Rich and Steven keep asking for peer-reviewed "refutations" of mythicism.

    More Mythicist-Creationist Parallels James F. McGrath 2010

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