Category
Textual or Investigative
Description
First articulated by Timotheus Vermeulen and Robin van den Akker, metamodernism is a cultural sensibility emerging after postmodernism that describes an oscillation between modern sincerity and postmodern irony. Metamodernism is characterized by “informed naivete,” renewed emotional investment and a desire for meaning despite awareness of ambiguity. One significant feature of this cultural shift is the renewed presence of mythological narratives in contemporary literature and media. This research asks how metamodernism contributes to a resurgence of myth and how this phenomenon may be interpreted through an Augustinian “Inside Out” framework. Myth, as defined by folklorist Lauri Honko, is a narrative concerning divine beings and cosmic origins that expresses and reinforces a society’s religious values and worldview. As contemporary culture re-engages mythic storytelling, these narratives often reveal deeper longings for transcendence, meaning, and moral order. Drawing from the insights of theologica mythica (mythical theology), this study traces a transition from postmodern skepticism toward renewed mythic engagement through comparing the postmodern text Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy with the metamodern cultural artifact Game of Thrones. When interpreted through the Augustinian “Inside Out” framework developed by Dr. Joshua Chatraw and Dr. Mark Allen in The Augustine Way, these developments reveal a deep human longing for beauty, love, and ultimate meaning within metamodern culture. This research can be applied to show that contemporary mythological narratives reflect enduring human desires that find their ultimate fulfillment within the Christian story.
Mythological Literature and the Metamodern Turn: An Augustinian Analysis
Textual or Investigative
First articulated by Timotheus Vermeulen and Robin van den Akker, metamodernism is a cultural sensibility emerging after postmodernism that describes an oscillation between modern sincerity and postmodern irony. Metamodernism is characterized by “informed naivete,” renewed emotional investment and a desire for meaning despite awareness of ambiguity. One significant feature of this cultural shift is the renewed presence of mythological narratives in contemporary literature and media. This research asks how metamodernism contributes to a resurgence of myth and how this phenomenon may be interpreted through an Augustinian “Inside Out” framework. Myth, as defined by folklorist Lauri Honko, is a narrative concerning divine beings and cosmic origins that expresses and reinforces a society’s religious values and worldview. As contemporary culture re-engages mythic storytelling, these narratives often reveal deeper longings for transcendence, meaning, and moral order. Drawing from the insights of theologica mythica (mythical theology), this study traces a transition from postmodern skepticism toward renewed mythic engagement through comparing the postmodern text Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy with the metamodern cultural artifact Game of Thrones. When interpreted through the Augustinian “Inside Out” framework developed by Dr. Joshua Chatraw and Dr. Mark Allen in The Augustine Way, these developments reveal a deep human longing for beauty, love, and ultimate meaning within metamodern culture. This research can be applied to show that contemporary mythological narratives reflect enduring human desires that find their ultimate fulfillment within the Christian story.
