Myth Made Fact: Reading Greek and Roman Mythology Through Christian Eyes

Markos (Heaven and Hell), an English professor at Houston Baptist University, explains thematic and ethical parallels between Greco-Roman myths and Christian scriptures in this lively work. Taking his lead from J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, who sought to emphasize the mythic power of the Christian story and its classical antecedents, Markos delves into how ancient writers drew on “general revelation,” or finding spirituality through nature or philosophical reasoning, to teach universal truths that find full expression in the “special revelation” of Jesus’s message. Each of the 50 chapters contains Markos’s pared-down retelling of a myth, a brief explanation of its connections to Christian ideas, and a series of discussion questions. While many of Markos’s parallels are rehashings of the interpretations of Tolkien and Lewis, some of his correlations are surprising: Pandora, like Eve, unleashed evil but also redemptive hope; Semele’s demise reminds Markos that God is powerful and dangerous; and the trial of Orestes is conceived as a resurrection story. While the work presumes a conservative Christian audience, any Christian will find these perspectives intriguing. [em](Dec.) [/em]