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Introduction
21
inturn,encodesthewholeoftheProtestantBibleasavehicleofculturallysig-
nificantmeanings,representingChristianscriptureasafoundationandtokenof
liberalism,tolerance,democracy.Whilenotidentical,biblicalmythsandmyth
oftheBibleareinterrelated.TemythoftheBiblereducesbiblicalcomplexity
toahandfulofeasilyrecognizablestoriesandideas,andturnstheBibleintoan
iconicfoundationofBritishculture.Particularbiblicalmyths,inturn,function
asthewidelysharedandculturallyconspicuouselementsoftheBible,andcan
oferatacitsupporttothemythoftheBible.Tus,asusedbytheBritish,the
mythofthechosenpeoplepositionedBritainasresponsibleforspreadingthe
Bible,perceivedasaniconofcivilizingproperties.Interestingly,eventhough
themythoffemalerivalrydoesnotquiteagreewiththeequality-andtolerance-
endorsingmythofthehomeBible,itisstillco-optedtoitsfunctioning.Atwork
hereisatypeofcircularlogicaccordingtowhichthepositiveteachingsofthe
Bibleintheendtrumpoverthemorebackwardandmalignantones.Tus,
biblicalgender-biasisfirstattributedtotheradicallydiferent,ancientcontext
fromwhichitemerged.Ten,theargumentisthatBritonsmanagedtowork
throughandovercomesuchbiasedideasbecausetheylearnttoreinterpretthe
Bibleandabsorbedfromitelementsfundamentalfortheconceptsofdemocracy
andequality(cf.Weldon1989).Inthisstudy,biblicalmythsandthemythofthe
Biblearediscussedseparately,andtheirimbricationisconsideredwheneverit
becomesmoreprominentfortheproblemoftheechoingmyth.
Inregrafingthemutatedandsecularizedformsofthesescripturalmyths
ontotheBible,i.e.inreturninganechotoitsoriginalvoiceandefectingtheir
multiplecrossingsandre-crossings,echoingmythsinterrogatenotonlythe
ancienttextitselfbutalsoitslaterapplications.Indoingso,theyexposethe
problematiccharacterofboththeBibleanditslatermythicrevisions,prob-
ingtheirlimitationsontheonehand,andtheirwherewithalorpotentialities
ontheotherhand.Couchedintheformofnovelisticrewritings,thebiblical
echoingmythsprovideatextualspaceforquestioningandforsoundingoutthe
stillvibrant,Bible-relatedideas.Teaimistodetermineiftheseideasstillhold
apromiseofanewculturalcommunityorsharingandifthereisanewtypeof
thestillsmallvoice.
Chapter1concentratesontheconceptofmyth,surveyingitsdiferentdefini-
tions,lookinguponitsrelationshipwiththeBibleandforegroundingthefact
thattheBiblepersistsinBritishcultureintheweakform,i.e.astheechoing
myth.Iarguethatwhatmythbecomestodayistheresultofadynamicthat
opensbetweendemythologization(thedeclineoftheideologicallyresonantand
culturallystrongnarratives)andthepersistenceofmyth,adynamicconditioned
bythevagariesofthedeprivatizationofreligion,thenewvisibilityofreligion,
thechangedformofbiblicalliteracy.Settlingontheconceptofmythasnarra-
tiveideology,IdiscusstheweaknessandthecuriousresilienceoftheBiblein
contemporaryculture.Takingintoaccountthevagariesofdemythologization
