Truth of Myth: (The Inklings)

 

While on a walk with J.R.R. Tolkein, C.S. Lewis supposedly repeatedly referred to myths as “lies and therefore worthless, even though breathed through silver.” Tolkein eventually corrected him by claiming “No, they are not lies.” This exchange summarizes the class as it forces us to engage with myth not as fantasy, but a medium to deliver truth. The first of this was the story of Nathan in the Old Testament where he tells a story to King David which mirrors the errors of David, but in a manner that allows him to access the “thing itself.” Nathan did not lie to David as he merely made the truth more transparent instead of obfuscation. 

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