Most reflective persons will agree that established religions at a particular stage of development have a [[structure]] that is clearly an inextricable mix of [[history]], [[myth]] and [[ritual]]. Religions have wasted a lot of history as well as human lives in the [[process]] of bickering over which is true and correct, and in the struggle for dominance. In particular, this struggle to establish one's own blend of history, myth and ritual as "[[truth]]" begs the question: Is there anything of substance underneath it all? And if so, is that thing of substance common across the religions? We recognize this, of course, as Harnack's question. What follows is my own beginning attempt to answer that question. | Most reflective persons will agree that established religions at a particular stage of development have a [[structure]] that is clearly an inextricable mix of [[history]], [[myth]] and [[ritual]]. Religions have wasted a lot of history as well as human lives in the [[process]] of bickering over which is true and correct, and in the struggle for dominance. In particular, this struggle to establish one's own blend of history, myth and ritual as "[[truth]]" begs the question: Is there anything of substance underneath it all? And if so, is that thing of substance common across the religions? We recognize this, of course, as Harnack's question. What follows is my own beginning attempt to answer that question. |