TRANSFORMATION OF RELIGIOUS TRADITION FROM MYTH TO DOCTRINE: A STUDY OF ANCIENT RELIGIOUS HISTORY
Abstract
The transformation of religious traditions from myth to doctrine represents a crucial process in the historical development of ancient religions. Initially, myths functioned as symbolic systems that explained cosmic order, human existence, and relationships with the sacred. Alongside the growth of social complexity, political institutions, and intellectual traditions, myths underwent rationalization and codification, forming systematic and normative religious doctrines. This study aims to analyze this transformation from the perspective of ancient religious history. Employing a qualitative approach through library research, this study analyzes ancient religious texts and scholarly literature using historical-critical and comparative methods. The findings reveal that the transformation from myth to doctrine is gradual, contextual, and non-linear. Rather than disappearing, myths are reinterpreted and integrated into doctrinal frameworks through institutionalization processes. This study concludes that myth and doctrine exist in a dialectical and complementary relationship, contributing to the continuity of religious traditions. This research offers an integrative framework that enriches the study of religious history by challenging linear and dichotomous interpretations of religious development.
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