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Author: Ian Harris
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It started by suggesting that what people are seeking is an experience of being alive and myths are clues of those experiences – those things that can’t be explained, what is transcended; this is what some people equate to God.
We then saw The Mask of Eternity in southern India – a 3 headed figure with two facing in the opposite direction representing right and wrong, male and female; the central face is at right angles to the other two and represents the neutral ground between the extremes a position that a deity might adopt. God and nature are not separate but different perspectives. In this context both extremes are positive but in Christianity we tend to adopt opposing good and evil view points eg sin and redemption, heaven and hell.
Eternity has nothing to do with time is was suggested – it is now, life, an opera, wonderful, exciting.
All religions are true in their context; do not make the mistake of regarding the poetry (of scriptures) as NOTATION but rather as CONTESTATION (myth). All gods are within us. All religions are true for their time and their myths (stories) reflect their time and context – these myths lose their meaning outside the environment in which they are created. New myths can’t arise today as the world context is moving too fast for them to form; therefore we form our own myths to support us in the time and context in which we find ourselves. Some modern myths might be global warming, NZ’s clean & green image, the internet is good (or bad), GDP has to keep growing to improve our standard of living, etc.
The Power of Myth, is a 6 part series featuring interviews with Joseph Campbell. This first session traced the rise of myths from heroes and some of their common characteristics.
Introduced by Kwane Kwei-Armah, this traced the influence of Christianity brought by the European invaders to Central America and Africa. The Spanish conquistadors imposed their brand of Christianity firstly by seeking to eliminate the indigenous Mayan religion and then by forced conversions. However the traditional beliefs were not so easily suppressed and after a couple of generations re-appeared as part of the evolving Christian practice.
500 years ago there were hardly any Christians outside Europe and the Mid East – now the number outside is several times larger than in Europe & Mid East. How did this happen wondered Kwane. His suggestion was that Christianity adapted to local situations, beliefs and circumstances; this is especially evident in the widespread adoption of the Virgin Mary – in Mexico she is dark skinned – not white European or even Jewish.
In Africa many of the local religions are centred around a world inhabited by spirits – Fetishes. 10 – 50M slaves were transported to ‘save’ them. Castle Coast Castle was the main transportation port while at the same time acting as the centre of Missionary endeavour!
In Ethiopia, the indigenous Christianity has features of OT Jewish dietary laws and early Christianity before Roman (Constantine) influence.
Africa is now the powerhouse of Christianity and is challenging the western church having grown from 10 to 360M members in last 100 years. At present growth rates, by 2050 there will be more Christians in Africa and SE Asia than Europe and Nth America combined and therefore the nature of the church will change.