Myth, Fantasy, and Imagination in Literature

ENG3220 Myth, Fantasy, and Imagination in Literature (3)



This class explores universal myth-making as it is manifested across the world's major civilizations and people groups-all of which universally seek to answer the three great questions of a soul's journey through life: Where did I come from? (Explored in creation myths); Who am I? (Explored in the universal re-telling of "The Hero's Journey"); Where am I going? (Explored in afterlife myths). The role of fantasy and imagination in shaping the "grand landscape" of literature is examined, with emphasis on the common re-telling of the classic "Hero's Journey"-which inevitably points to the incar-nation of God in the person of Jesus Christ. Pagan myths are "foreshad-ows" of God's own hero-story; whereas, modern myths are "flashbacks" to the adventures of deity incarnate. As believers, we are commissioned to embark on our own "Hero's Journey" when we join with God in "The Ministry of Reconciliation," thus championing His ultimate quest: The salvation of humanity. This course is integral in equipping students to relate the Gospel to people from other ideologies and traditions by helping students recognize the common themes that bind the stories told by the family of man.