Abstract
This book is situated in the broader field of theology of culture. It consists of five parts.
Acknowledging the centrality of story for Christian theology, Part 1 discusses some major contributions and weaknesses of narrative theology to suggest the notion of narrativist theology. The latter, it is argued, offers space for taking into serious consideration in theological reflection other voices, including non-Christian and contemporary ones.
Myth can be one of these voices. Part 2, therefore, explores the notion of myth, taking the Greek term mythos as the point of departure.
The book then continues with a critical discussion of some of the most influential theories of myth to introduce its own understanding. It suggests that it is helpful for theologians as well as other interpreters of culture to construe myth in terms of interaction between narrative and mythical motifs.
The dialectic of "perfection" and "possibility" and the concept of radical typology will also be examined as they are helpful for reflection on transformation. The latter is the subject matter of Part 3.
Drawing from the work of H. Richard Niebuhr and some more recent contributions, the book suggests understanding transformation theologically as rooted in biblical values, concerning both the personal and the structural aspects of existence, and linking the immanent and the transcendent horizons of the human life.
Such transformation is nurtured and carried on by what will be called transformative spirituality. Part 4 then provides analyses and interpretations of three select films, The Dark Knight, Calvary, and Leviathan respectively, aimed at drawing insight from all three categories of narrative, myth, and transformation.
These explorations seek to show one possible way of reflecting on contemporary culture from a theological perspective, while at the same time taking seriously the fact that culture is, first and foremost, a product of human creativity which does not necessarily have to be Christian. By way of some concluding remarks, Part 5 will take this point further by exploring some aspects of myth as a theme in the theological interpretation of culture with a particular emphasis on the role of imagination.