Sunday, December 10, 2006

Looking for a term

In writing about divorce rates among Christians, I've decided that there is a class of phenomenon that we might think of as urban legends about religion. E.g., misconceptions held by members of a religion or maybe about a religion.

However, I'm stumped on what to call them. So far I've come up with alter legends, but that sounds like a really good priest (did you see him give communion--he's an alter legend--and religious myths, which is accurate but not interesting.

Suggestions or thoughts for a better term?

5 comments:

Bad Runner said...

Immaculate (mis)conceptions.

Bad Runner said...

Oh, I see I won the syrup! I guess I'd better work a little harder at this to defend my title! Seriously, then, how about a "faith fallacy"? I think reflects what you want and alliteration to boot!

Glen Davis said...

Urban heresies.

Or if you want to go the cute route, you could call them "funkamentals", blending funky with fundamental.

You then get to call perpetrators funkamentalists, which is just funny.

Or "mythconceptions".

Jay Livingston said...

Hmmm, "misconceptions held by members of a religion." Of course there are some people who would call these "religion."

Brad Wright said...

I like those terms. Thanks!

Jay, that was a good line about religion, and it shows how much it's part of my world view that I didn't see that coming. Pretty funny.