Lewis and Tolkien Debate Myths and Lies

[otseng]

[Replying to William in post #22]

I like JRR Tolkien's take on it...

"the story of Christ is simply a true myth: a myth working on us in the same way as the others, but with this tremendous difference that it really happened: and one must be content to accept it in the same way, remembering that it is God’s myth where the others are men’s myths."
https://www.catholicworldreport.com/201 ... true-myth/

Did Tolkien explain why he thought the myth was true and really did happen, re Christ?

Discussion between JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis while Lewis was an atheist:

[otseng]

For those that want to dive deeper: Ryan Reeves' lecture on Lewis and Tolkien: G.K. Chesterton, Myth, and the Imagination.

[Overcomer]

Thanks for these links, otseng. I think when people hear the word "myth", they automatically assume it's a fictitious story. But the Oxford Dictionary defines myth this way:

"A traditional story, especially one concerning the early history of a people or explaining a natural or social phenomenon, and typically involving supernatural beings or events."

The distinction between the Bible as myth and other traditional stories is, as Tolkien and Lewis pointed out, God's myth as told in the Bible is true while all others are false.

Interestingly, it was the stories of Lord of the Rings and The Narnia Chronicles that brought an atheist to Christ. Her name is Holly Ordway and her story can be found here: