Stuck in their Metaphor:
Joseph Campbell and the
Rising From Within
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.” (p25)
The Hero Of a Thousand Faces
Joseph Campbell
Joseph Campbell and the Rising From
Within
3
Logical Positivism
Governed the scientific perspective well
into the 20th 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
 A hero ventures forth from the world of
common day into a region of supernatural
wonder.
 Fabulous forces are there encountered and a
decisive victory is won
 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
~Mitchell
Joseph Campbell and the Rising From
Within
15
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