Religious Studies A-Level
Demythologisation
What Demythologisation means in Religious Studies A-Level, as defined for Pearson Edexcel.
Definitions of Demythologisation
Exam boards and our study guides word this term in slightly different ways. Learn the version your board uses.
The process, associated with Rudolf Bultmann, of stripping away the 'mythological' elements of the New Testament to uncover the essential kerygma for modern man.
Rudolf Bultmann's approach of stripping away the mythological elements of the New Testament to reveal the underlying theological truth (the kerygma).
Topics that use Demythologisation
- Christianity – Social and historical developments: Science, secularisation, and new movements in theology (Pearson Edexcel A-Level)
- Scientific and historical-critical challenges, faith and history, and ethical living (Pearson Edexcel A-Level)
Related terms
- Pluralism
- Natural Theology
- Orthopraxis
- Process Theology
- The Enlightenment
- Apologetics
- Beatitudes
- Lex Talionis
Using Demythologisation in the exam
Definition questions usually carry one or two marks, and examiners look for the precise wording. Write the definition from memory, check it against the version above, and then use the term in a longer answer on the same topic so it sticks.
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