ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by exploring what is meant by ‘myth’ and ‘mythology’, making the point that it concerns a different type of truth than the factual and that the purpose of mythology has always been to help people understand abstract ideas and concepts that contribute to human flourishing. The chapter looks at both the social impacts of myth and the value of myths for individuals before looking at the relationship between mythology and religious hatred, then mythologies of cosmic war and Armageddon, and finally the end times literature which has had a major if sometimes invisible influence on religious fundamentalists. The chapter concludes with a section on mythmaking and scapegoating, which is how mythology contributes to the Othering process.
