indust rial ▁pe op les , ▁or ▁cult ures ▁in ▁development , ▁are ▁similarly ▁called ▁myth s ▁in ▁the ▁anth rop ology ▁of ▁religion . ▁The ▁term ▁myth ▁can ▁be ▁used ▁pe jor atively ▁by ▁both ▁religious ▁and ▁non - rel ig ious ▁people . ▁By ▁defining ▁another ▁person ' s ▁religious ▁stories ▁and ▁belief s ▁as ▁myth ology , ▁one ▁implies ▁that ▁they ▁are ▁less ▁real ▁or ▁true ▁than ▁one ' s ▁own ▁religious ▁stories ▁and ▁belief s . ▁Joseph ▁Campbell ▁remarked , ▁" M yth ology ▁is ▁often ▁thought ▁of ▁as ▁other ▁people ' s ▁relig ions , ▁and ▁religion ▁can ▁be ▁defined ▁as ▁mis - inter pre ted ▁myth ology ." ▁ ▁In ▁soci ology , ▁however , ▁the ▁term ▁myth ▁has ▁a ▁non - pe jor ative ▁meaning . ▁There , ▁myth ▁is ▁defined ▁as ▁a ▁story ▁that ▁is ▁important ▁for ▁the ▁group ▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁it ▁is ▁object ively ▁or ▁prov ably ▁true . ▁Ex amples ▁include ▁the ▁res urre ction ▁of ▁their ▁real - life ▁founder ▁Jesus , ▁which , ▁to ▁Christians , ▁explains ▁the ▁means ▁by ▁which ▁they ▁are ▁fre ed ▁from ▁sin , ▁is ▁symbol ic ▁of ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁life ▁over ▁death , ▁and ▁is ▁also ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁historical ▁event . ▁But ▁from ▁a ▁myth ological ▁out look , ▁whether ▁or ▁not ▁the ▁event ▁actually ▁occurred ▁is ▁un important . ▁Instead , ▁the ▁symbol ism ▁of ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁an ▁old ▁life ▁and ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁life ▁is ▁what ▁is