Religion and Theology

Theology and myth are stepsisters of truth. This is one striking statement of Belden C. Lane, a professor of theological studies and American studies, in her article about Joseph Campbell. As theology inflames queries, myth spins tales on flimsy threads. Both manage to implicate a certain mystery on mens thoughts, in the same way that both serve as complex justifications of the peculiarity of life, as it had been before, and with how it is today.

Joseph Campbell, considered as the worlds foremost scholar on comparative mythology, was able to bring a new perspective on the notion of mythology. He tried to fully discern the parallels between mythic themes and psychology, and later convey his learning through his noted books and lectures.

He spent college years at Columbia University where he developed his fondness of literature. He had a Graduate study in the Holy Grail legends of Arthurian mythology that brought him to Paris and Munich. There, he explored the ideas of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, James Joyce, Thomas Mann, and modern art ideas which made his astounding concept of mythology more rich and distinct. In his return to Columbia, he wanted to expand his study of the Grail myth to include parallels with psychology and art but his advisors said that was not probable. But instead of giving up, he left his doctoral studies, embarked on a journey to Woodstock and stayed there for five years for his intensive study of the imagination. Within his intellectual journey, he met many other interesting thinkers of the time, which helped his ideas grow richer (Lane).

 Campbell in his childhood grew up to be a devout Catholic altar boy, but his intellectual journey led him to a somehow different persona. He recognized the force of Christian myth, but despite of being a Roman Catholic, he managed to carefully distance himself from the Church. Campbell criticized Western theology because he saw in Christianity a deep distrust of nature and creation, an overemphasis on fall and redemption, and a tendency to be bound in a cultural prison. In his perspective, Christian theology needs the influence of the intensive and universal ideals of mythology. He was rather skeptical about Christianity because it was very stiff, always about codes and doctrines and rules to follow (Lane). But it lacked the fluidity of life. In his interview with Tom Collins, Campbell stated that he is not at all fond of the bible. For him, it was the most over-advertised book in the world which claims to be the word of God. It justified all kinds of violence to people who are not member of the tribe- non-Jews (Personal Interview by Tom Collins).

Campbell was drawn to the mystic forces of mythology, and how it can relate to our daily experiences. He stated that, The latest incarnation of Oedipus, the continued romance of Beauty and the Beast, stand this afternoon on the corner of 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue, waiting for the traffic light to change. He explained how mythology can largely be brought to life that it wasnt merely a sweet and ambitious escape of reality that could have existed or not thousands of years ago, but it can be a contemporary personification of benevolent being. There is a connection between ancient stories and the emotional concerns of modern life. He sees challenging experiences as initiatory adventures (Young).

Campbell also believed that participation in ritual could put you into a direct experience of mythic reality. A cocktail party is considered as a social ritual. Saying grace before meals is a ritual. For him, there is significance for the familiar details people experience in everydays simple scenarios (Young). How can humanity then see itself as people for whom myth is life and breath In Campbells book, Hero with a Thousand Faces, he illustrated the power of myth and meaning to transcend time, place, culture, gender, and spiritual perspective. He used the heros journey and his adventures as a springboard to explore human truths. The mighty hero of extraordinary powers -- able to lift Mount Govardhan on a finger, and to fill himself with the terrible glory of the universe -- is each of us (Campbell). Anyone can personally experience the splendor of mythology in his own unique way.

But mans culture denies such a participation mystique. It suggests that myth just serves as a dimension of primitive consciousness, and other than that, it has no function in any significant way. Through his works, Campbell is fervent to see mythology in the service of world peace and human understanding. He said, We need myths that will identify the individual not with his local group but with the planet. (Lane). Campbell, in his book Power of Myth, further explored the universality and evolution of myths in the history of the human race, and its place in modern society. He used his personal experiences as well as stories from other cultures to convey to his readers that the modern society is in a transition from the old mythology to a new way of thinking, such that global mythology becomes the aftermath.