Burton Mack’s concept of myth-making—particularly from his work "The Lost Gospel: The Book of Q and Christian Origins"—offers a powerful lens through which we can interpret the evolving portrayal of God from Adam to Moses. Here's how Mack’s theory of myth-making can be applied to that development:
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Burton Mack’s Myth-Making Framework
Burton Mack argued that religious myths are social constructs—stories communities create to explain their world, legitimize their social structures, and forge a shared identity. Myths, in this view, aren't lies or falsehoods—they're meaning-making narratives that evolve over time in response to changing social, political, and cultural needs.
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Applying Mack’s Theory to the Biblical Evolution of God
1. Adam: Myth as Origin Story
Social function: The story of Adam and Eden explains where humanity came from, why suffering exists, and what our relationship to the divine should be.
Myth-making purpose: This myth helps a society make sense of mortality, morality, gender roles, and work. God is intimate and immediate, reflecting early human communities' experience of nature and tribal closeness.
> Mack lens: The Adam narrative isn’t just about theology—it constructs a worldview about human failure and divine expectation, essential for identity and cohesion.
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2. Noah: Myth as Cosmic Reset and Covenant
Social function: Noah’s flood myth addresses collective moral decay and introduces the idea of divine judgment balanced by mercy.
Myth-making purpose: It explains the survival of the righteous and God’s ongoing interest in humanity through the covenant.
> Mack lens: The story reflects a community’s anxiety about chaos and divine order. By mythologizing destruction and renewal, it affirms the possibility of a fresh start under divine terms.
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3. Abraham: Myth as Ethnic Identity Formation
Social function: Abraham’s narrative gives a founding father to a distinct people group (Israel).
Myth-making purpose: It establishes chosenness, divine destiny, and the idea of covenant as identity markers.
> Mack lens: These myths serve to define the "we"—setting apart Abraham’s descendants as a unique group with a divine calling, legitimizing their claim to land, faith, and continuity.
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4. Moses: Myth as National Foundation and Law
Social function: Moses represents liberation, law, and the beginning of national consciousness.
Myth-making purpose: These stories provide the blueprint for Israelite society—laws, worship, justice, and hierarchy.
> Mack lens: The Moses narrative is political as much as religious. It's myth-making used to establish authority, social order, and collective memory. God here becomes a national deity who defines right conduct and demands exclusive loyalty.
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Big Picture: Myth as an Evolving Social Mirror
Through Burton Mack’s lens, the concept of God from Adam to Moses isn’t just about theology—it’s about how different communities across generations constructed God to meet their changing social realities:
Tribal intimacy (Adam)
Moral reckoning (Noah)
Cultural origin and promise (Abraham)
National order and law (Moses)
Each phase reflects a myth-making moment—where theological ideas serve social cohesion, legitimacy, and survival.
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Conclusion: The Myth of God as a Story of Us
Burton Mack would suggest that the story of God is also the story of us—human societies making sense of their world, their suffering, and their hope. As needs changed, so did the stories—and the God at the center of them.
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