In the Beginning: The Role of Myth in Relating Religion, Brain Science, and Mental Well‐Being

Zygon 53 (2):375-391 (2018)
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Abstract

Building upon the insights of scholars attuned to story, narrative, and myth, this article explores the relationship between myth, science, and religion. After clarifying the interplay of the three terms—story, narrative, and myth—and the preference for the term myth, this article will argue that myth can serve as a medium through which religion, neuroscience, and mental well‐being interact. Such an exploration will cover the role of myths in religion, the neurological basis of myth, and the practices of narrative psychology and bibliotherapy. The article will conclude with suggestions for understanding and utilizing the relationship between myth and the scholarly study of the relationship between science and religion. This article ultimately suggests that myth can operate as a methodological aid to the science‐and‐religion field.

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References found in this work

On Human Nature.Edward O. Wilson - 1978 - Harvard University Press.
After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory.Samuel Scheffler - 1983 - Philosophical Review 92 (3):443.
On Human Nature.Edward D. Wilson - 1979 - Philosophical Review 88 (4):660-663.
Neuroscience, self-understanding, and narrative truth.Mary Jean Walker - 2012 - American Journal of Bioethics Neuroscience 3 (4):63-74.

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