Perennial Babel
Mark T. Mitchell on the Return of a Diabolical & Meaningless Project
Myths matter. They persist because they are carriers of truth. Of course, not all myths are simply made-up stories with a helpful moral. Some are based on actual events that, through their re-telling, have become condensed symbols that disclose features of the human condition. In this sense, some stories from the Bible may be said to have a sort of mythic status, especially when their basic contours serve to infuse later events or movements with meaning. For instance, the civil rights movement in America was framed by its leaders in terms of the Exodus story, in which God delivered the Hebrews from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land.
The story of the Tower of Babel (Gen. 11:1–9) may be seen as having a similar mythic status, one that, perhaps, discloses the meaning of our current age better than any other. The story of a tower built through hubris is not exclusive to the Bible but is a universal tale, with extant versions from various cultures around the world. However, because the Bible is the anchor text of our civilization, we will focus on its version.
Where Heaven & Earth Meet
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Mark T. Mitchell teaches political theory at Patrick Henry College in Virginia. He is the co-founder of Front Porch Republic.
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