Mythical theology (''theologica mythica'') is one of three types of

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

defined by the Roman scholar

Marcus Terentius Varro Marcus Terentius Varro (116–27 BCE) was a Roman polymath and a prolific author. He is regarded as ancient Rome's greatest scholar, and was described by Petrarch as "the third great light of Rome" (after Virgil and Cicero). He is sometimes call ...

(116–27 BC) in his lost work ''Antiquitates rerum humanarum et divinarum''. The other two are

political theology Political theology is a term which has been used in discussion of the ways in which Theology, theological concepts or ways of thinking relate to politics. The term is often used to denote religious thought about political principled questions. Scho ...

(''theologia civilis'') and

natural theology Natural theology is a type of theology that seeks to provide arguments for theological topics, such as the existence of a deity, based on human reason. It is distinguished from revealed theology, which is based on supernatural sources such as ...

(''theologia naturalis''). Mythical theology is practiced by story-tellers, especially poets, based on narratives ''( mythoi)'' pertaining to divine matters. Divine revelation was claimed or implied by some of these story-tellers, or their disciples. Theologians of civil or political theology are administrators, defining how the gods relate to daily life and the state (see

imperial cult An imperial cult is a form of state religion in which an emperor or a dynasty of emperors (or rulers of another title) are worshipped as demigods or deities. "Cult (religious practice), Cult" here is used to mean "worship", not in the modern pejor ...

). Theologians of natural theology are

philosophers Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, value, mind, and language. It is a rational and critical inquiry that reflects on ...

, inquiring into the nature of the gods, as evidenced by nature and reason. "Mythical theology" should be distinguished from the '' theologia mystica'' of

Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (or Dionysius the Pseudo-Areopagite) was a Greek author, Christian theologian and Neoplatonic philosopher of the late 5th to early 6th century, who wrote a set of works known as the ''Corpus Areopagiticum'' ...

References

*Shanks A., ''In Defence of "Mythical Theology"'', Cultural Values, Volume 3, Number 2, April 1999, 244-249. *W. Geerlings, ''Die "theologia mythica" des M. Terentius Varro'' (1990), {{ISBN, 3-922031-88-9. Mythography Theology Ancient Roman religion

See also

References