Abstract
Mythmaking theory is a new progressive approach in humanities. Its methodological frameworks has not been strictly formulated.
The characteristic of mythmaking theory is its interdisciplinarity. It is based on literary critique, philosophy, psychology and other sciences.
Social memory theory is an evolving approach, used by scientist to explain the relationship between social identity and historical memory. Social memory and mythmaking are closely interconnected.
The article focuses on mythmaking theory and social memory theory applicated in New Testament biblical theology in contemporary research. The progression of early Christian narratives hold features of myth.
But we can't understand myth as a falsehood. Myth is a kind of human argumentation that forms and confirms human identity and identity of society.
Individual and collective memories, that formed communities' identity and the nature of beliefs, are part of the myth. Early Christian collective and individual identity were based on memory that affected the view on memories retrospectively.
It is the cyclic process of reinterpretation, whose myths are part of. Social memory tends to adjust memories by adapting them to the needs of community, by giving them acceptable meaning, by situating them to the context of historicity and archetypes.
Social memory, that is present at myth making, is influenced by history, but it does not express history itself.