Description: Myth is not a remote subject, restricted to the limited intellect of "pre-logical" man. The question "What is man?" is an ancient one. It is also a recent one, still unanswered in the impasse of our sciences. Wherever and whenever human beings are alive, there are creators of myth among them. Kees Bolle singles out one group as having the most significant "say" in the formation of myths: the mystics, who epitomize the common urge for a simplicity beyond the whirlpool of personal existences. And, surprisingly, the author finds that the study of humor provides a great deal of insight into the study of religious traditions.
Brief description: Kees W. Bolle (1927-2012), a native of the Netherlands, studied at the University of Leiden and the University of Chicago. He taught at Brown University, UCLA, Reed College, and the University of New England. He is the author of The Persistence of Religion (1965), The Freedom of Man in Myth (1968; Wipf & Stock, 2010), and The Enticement of Religion (2002).
Review Quotes: ""This book of modest size is a work of weight that will certainly further the study of myth and mysticism. . . . It is more nuanced than I can indicate, for it is impassioned and lively."" -- Jean-Paul Roux, Revue de l'histoire des religions ""Professor Bolle succeeds in taking his reader along with him on an adventure into the dimension of myth that is common to us all and into the area of mysticism that intrigues so many today even if its ultimate nature is not fathomed."" -- Philip H. Ashby, Journal of the American Academy of Religion