Stuck in their Metaphor Joseph Campbell and the

Stuck in their Metaphor: Joseph Campbell and the Rising From Within 1

Sources The Hero Of a Thousand Faces Joseph Campbell Myths to Live By Joseph Campbell The Masks of God Joseph Campbell The Nag Hammedi Library Gnostic texts discovered in 1945 in Egypt. The Gospel According to Jesus Stephen Mitchell The Golden Bough Sir James Frazer © Joseph Campbell and the Rising From Within 2

“Furthermore, we have not even to risk the adventure alone; for the heroes of all time have gone before us; the labyrinth is thoroughly known; we have only to follow the thread of the hero-path. And where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god; where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves; where we had thought to travel outward, we shall come to the center of own existence; where we had thought to be alone, we shall be with all the world. ” (p 25) The Hero Of a Thousand Faces Joseph Campbell and the Rising From Within 3

Logical Positivism ©Governed the scientific perspective well into the 20 th century ©Frazer’s Golden Bough is a good example ©His belief was that of a Victorian rational scientist: that once it is explained, magic disappears. In a way, this is also the Freudian cure for neurosis Joseph Campbell and the Rising From Within 4

Myths Are Necessary for Psychological Well-being ©Jung: Mythological images guide us towards growth and life-furthering ends ©Campbell: Myths guide the living of a flourishing life ~Myths to Live By Joseph Campbell and the Rising From Within 5

Four Functions of Mythology ©awaken a sense of awe ©offer a picture in accord with the knowledge of the time ©provide a validated moral position ©foster the centering and unfolding of the individual in accord with the self, the culture, the world, and the ultimate mystery “where words turn back. ” Joseph Campbell and the Rising From Within 6

The Myth of the Dead and Resurrected God ©Ancient pagan origins related to agriculture ©Unconscious persuasiveness because of pagan origins ©Shift from magical outward effect to enlivening inner effect on self/soul ~The Masks of God Joseph Campbell and the Rising From Within 7

Joseph Campbell and the Rising From Within 8

The Hero’s Journey þ A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder. þ Fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won þ The hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man. ~The Hero with a Thousand Faces Joseph Campbell and the Rising From Within 9

3 Theories of Christian Resurrection ©The Ransom Doctrine (pre 1200) ©The Penal Doctrine (post 1200) emphasizing atonement ©Abelard-awaken love and effect a return to God ~The Masks of God Joseph Campbell and the Rising From Within 10

Heresy and Salvation ©Gnosticism ©The Buddhist connection ©The exclusionary clause Joseph Campbell and the Rising From Within 11

Gnosticism ©Pre-Christian and Christian forms ©Gnosis = Knowledge ©World-hating (asceticism) vs. worldaffirming (orgiastic) ©Transcendental in nature/enlightenment ©Resurrection is metaphorical Joseph Campbell and the Rising From Within 12

The Buddhist Connection ©“Bodhi” also means knowledge ©This knowledge is ineffable and can only be referred to by use of metaphor, ritual, and images. ©These techniques are only means for suggesting the ultimate experience, not ends in themselves, therefore enlightenment Joseph Campbell and the Rising From Within 13

The Cross-Cultural Hero: Perfect Masters ©Spiritual masters share a common vision, much like Campbell’s Hero ©Mitchell and Jefferson use this common denominator to discern what rings true for them in the New Testament message ©The rest has less to do with enlightenment than with social control ~The Gospel According to Jesus Joseph Campbell and the Rising From Within 14

Cross-Cultural Spiritual Lesson ©The love we need is already here ©the present is the only real state of being that allows us to “live at ease among the joys and sorrows of our world. ” ©Forgiveness releases us from ourselves, letting us be in touch with the “nowness” of everything Joseph Campbell and the Rising From 15 ~Mitchell Within

The Exclusionary Clause ©Traditional Christianity, with the physical reality of the Resurrection, and the literal truth of the Bible, concludes that salvation is exclusionary ©This is a major break with other religious traditions Joseph Campbell and the Rising From Within 16