Embracing Uncomfortable Knowledge to Grow in Faith: A Personal Encounter with the Threshold Concept of the Hero’s Journey
We were driving in the car when my friend asked me to tell her about the classes I’d participated in that morning.
I explained some of the coaching ideas I’d just heard about in my early morning coach-training class:
- Our search for meaning causes a lot of worry, anxiety, and fear
- When we feel out of control, it creates anxiety
- We build emotions around our specialness and think we’re supposed to know our life’s work in advance. This leads to painful emotions.
- Focus on being present more than on fulfilling your purpose
- If you are using your gifts and talents to the best of your ability, for the betterment of others, you will ultimately fulfill a powerful purpose
- We all have one purpose… but many missions
Then she asked me about the class I’d just had with Jason Clark and our cohort. What did we talk about and what was I reading?
I told her about reading Joseph Campbell’s The Man With a Thousand Faces. And how I had just reached a threshold concept: I had always been told that Christianity was the only religion in which God came to us, died for us, and then was resurrected.
But Campbell illustrates how those same situations are common threads through many myths and religions.
In stating this out loud, I suddenly felt out of control. I felt anxious. I was beginning to question what I thought I knew. All the coaching I’d just learned about went out the window. Tears formed in my eyes.
Talk about uncomfortable knowledge!
My friend – a retired pastor – saw my distress. Briefly, she took one hand off the wheel and patted my leg. “OK now, let’s stop and examine what we know for sure.” [1]
She then walked me through history and archaeology – what we know is true about the Bible because of actual historical finds; the witnesses who wrote what they saw and heard, thereby creating the New Testament; the countless people through the millennia who had experienced the presence of God, including my own personal experiences of God.
This was an important threshold for me to cross. I frequently hear from people in my life who are doubters regarding the Judeo-Christian narrative; I need to be prepared for such conversations. For instance, I know of some who come to church but don’t believe in the resurrection. And some who have lots to say about the origins of the books of the Bible, which must – of course! they say – cast doubt as to the veracity of what is included in the scriptural canon.
My friend reminded me to consider that there is an overarching narrative in scripture. The stories and books of the Bible are held together from pre-history through the first century AD. If nothing else, the myths that grew up simultaneously with the Judeo-Christian narrative prove that we – men and women – have always been searching for God. It’s in our DNA. We can’t escape it. And we have always been searching for meaning and purpose. These are the reasons we create “boxes” – or stories – that help us wrap our minds around what seems unknowable at any given time in history.
Once you know about the hero’s journey, it’s one of those things you can’t “un-know”. You begin to notice it everywhere, from famous characters in recent books and movies like Harry Potter, Luke Skywalker, and Frodo Baggins, to characters in Greek and Roman mythology like Hercules, Perseus, Achilles, and Jason, and real-life people of history like Ibn Battuta (mid-1300s) and Marco Polo (1200s). Multiple biblical characters also demonstrate the hero’s journey, including Moses, Joseph of Egypt, King David, and more.
Campbell took the arc he’d identified throughout all these stories and codified it. Once you have this meta-narrative, it’s easy to notice it everywhere. Because, let’s face it, every human longs for significance. We all want to be the “hero” in our life story. We all want to face up to the challenges of whatever system we’re living in and come out on the other side with a “magic elixir” that fixes everything. This can be parents fixing a school system, advocates fixing a broken justice system, or candidates fixing a broken political system.
When I took my first coach-training program with the Tony Robbins organization, I was introduced to the “6 Human Needs” [2]. Significance – usually achieved through accomplishments – is one of the six needs (also including variety, certainty, love/belonging, contribution, and growth) and gives our lives meaning and purpose. If we feel significant, it makes us feel worthwhile and valuable. Feeling insignificant can feel devastating.
Why are we formed this way? I believe it’s because we are created in the image of God. In Genesis 1:27-28 we read:
So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.’ (NIV)
God created humankind to be significant. It’s no wonder the DNA that makes us human causes us to want to lead a heroic, significant life. No wonder the hero’s journey runs through all our stories! And yes, Jesus Christ’s life also illustrates the hero’s journey. I shouldn’t have been so surprised.
It became clear as I read Campbell’s book that he didn’t believe in the God of the Bible any more than he believed in the Ra of Egypt. He just saw the same story repeating itself in different iterations with different characters filling the roles. He also believed the archetypes of the characters (as first described by Carl Jung) represented different aspects of the human psyche. He writes,
“In a word: the first work of the hero is to retreat from the world scene of secondary effects to those causal zones of the psyche where the difficulties really reside, and there to clarify the difficulties, eradicate them in his own case (i.e., give battle to the nursery demons of his local culture) and break through to the undistored, direct experience and assimilation of what C.G. Jung has called ‘the archetypal images.’ This is the process known to Hindu and Buddhist philosophy as viveka, ‘discrimination.’” [3]
As Harvard undergraduates write in the blog, Ichthus,
“Many critique Campbell’s theory for its extreme generality. The hero’s journey really describes every challenge, and every progression. These narrative ‘archetypes’ are so ubiquitous because encountering and overcoming uncertain and unexpected difficulty are fundamental to human life. We all go through struggles, and we all, usually, come out the other side new and improved. If the hero’s journey is so general, of course the Bible embodies aspects of it.”[4]
As we talked more later on, my friend encouraged me to remember this situation the next time I’m confronted with troublesome knowledge about my faith. To stop and take a breath. To start with “What do I know for sure?” That’s great advice.
N.T. Wright quotes Colossians 3:3-4 – “Don’t you see: you died, and your life has been hidden with the King, in God! When the king is revealed (and he is your life, remember), then you too will be revealed with him in glory” (New Kingdom Translation by N.T. Wright). – before he reminds us that faith is required when we confront uncomfortable knowledge. He writes,
“You need to belong instead to God’s new world, the new creation that is being brought in to replace the old. The truly human life you seek – The life of a genuine, glad holiness that runs right through the personality – is to be found in that new world.
“And the good news is that, if you belong to the Messiah, you already do belong to that new world. One of the main things Paul longs for new Christians to realize is what is already true of them ‘in Christ.’ Because the Messiah and his people are so closely bound up with one another, he lays it down as a basic principle: What is true of him is true of them. It may not feel like it. Learning to believe what doesn’t at the moment feel true is an essential part of being a Christian… This is what the life of faith is all about.”[5]
Here’s what I know for sure: Christ is “in us” and we will be revealed in glory. We are made in the image of God, and that leads to a truly human, significant life. Despite uncertainties, I know what is true of the Messiah… and his people. I am already significant in Christ. Believing that and living it out every day is how we live a life of faith.
==========
[1] Rev. Dr. Sara Singleton, private conversation with author, Jan. 29, 2024.
[2] Team Tony, “Why do we do what we do?”. Tony Robbins, accessed Jan. 31, 2024, https://www.tonyrobbins.com/podcasts/why-we-do-what-we-do/
[3] Joseph Campbell, The Man with a Thousand Faces (Novata, California: New World Library, 2008), 12.
[4] Bryce McDonald, “Finding Christ in the Hero’s Journey”, Ichthus. March 26, 2020. https://harvardichthus.org/2020/03/finding-christ-in-the-heros-journey/.
[5 NT Wright, Paul and the Prison Letters (Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2004), 174-175.
About the Author
Debbie Owen
Deborah C. Owen is an experienced spiritual director, Neuro-based Enneagram executive and life coach, disciple maker, professional writer, senior librarian, and long-time church Music Director and lay leader. She has earned the award of National Board Certification for teaching excellence, and a podcasting award, and is pursuing a Doctor of Leadership degree through Portland Seminary at George Fox University. She lives in the backwoods of Maine with her husband and flat-coated retriever. She spends as much time as she can with their 3 grown children, daughter-in-law, and 2 small grandchildren. Find her online at InsideOutMinistries.info.10 responses to “Embracing Uncomfortable Knowledge to Grow in Faith: A Personal Encounter with the Threshold Concept of the Hero’s Journey”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Debbie,
It’s so great that you had your friend with you to help ground you in your faith. Joseph Campbell was raised Catholic. As you said, he doesn’t seem to believe the God of the Bible is any more God than Ra of Egypt is God. I’ve often wondered the journey people go on to lose their belief in God. I have a close friend who was raised going to church, but today I’m not sure he even believes in God. He doesn’t trust any interpretation of scripture since they were written and then translated by man. Besides being exposed to many atheist scientists, I really don’t know what happened to his faith. I wonder if there would have been any way to draw Campbell back into a Christian faith? (not really expecting an answer) I hate to say it, but despite my prayers, I don’t have much hope for my friend to return to a faith.
Jeff, that’s the big question, isn’t it? Why do people lose their faith? Perhaps at least some of the time it’s because they face a threshold concept: something that messes with what they thought was true. That knowledge is so uncomfortable they can’t “unknow” it, and they never get to a place of reconciliation with that knowledge. Perhaps Campbell went on that journey too, especially as he unwrapped the hero’s journey in story after story over the millennia.
I believe God is always “poking” at people though, inviting them to return to him. We get to choose whether or not we’ll turn our faces toward the face of Christ; he’s there, waiting for each person. I think fear keeps people away. My guess? Fear of not being in control. We all struggle with that fear! Giving control over to God can feel scary, but in my book, it’s a lot less scary than trying to be in charge of everything. Many people just never get that far.
Debbie,
Thanks for your vulnerability. I think we have all been through those moments (and those of us who haven’t – likely will some day). When I first heard about other creation stories similar to the Biblical narrative, it was disorienting. Tim Mackie has been a true gift to me in this realm – teaching me how to interpret the Bible through an appropriate (and ancient) lens so that it’s comforting rather than disorienting.
I think you hit the nail on the head – the patterns in heroism “prove that we – men and women – have always been searching for God.” We need a savior, and all of humankind is searching.
Praying for peace as you find your footing once again.
Debbie,
I appreciate that Christy brought up the Bible Project creators in her response. I have really grown a lot in my understanding of the metanarrative of Scripture by listening to their podcasts. I thought about mentioning them in my post but went a different way. I love that you are wrestling with the reading. This is good to do. It was also good for your friend to ground you and remind you of what is true. I am reminded that we can’t expect a non-Christian to think like a Christian. The terminology of myth was also a challenge for me and makes me feel like everything is fake. However, I did look it in the Oxford dictionary and it has two meanings. One meaning is simply a story from ancient times told to explain natural events and history, such as the origin of mankind. I love that you captured the idea of us being image bearers. You are right, we are created for so much more. Thanks for sharing.
Adam, I am not familiar with that podcast but will look it up! Thanks.
I like your reminder that we can’t expect a non-Christian to think like a Christian. That seems so obvious, but sometimes, in the moment, it’s not.
And yes, friends with whom relationships are based on a shared life in Christ are essential for growing and maturing in Christ.
Christy, can you share more about Tim Mackie, or a book or two that helped you? I’d be interested to know. Thanks!
Debbie, Thanks for sharing your experience with us. I know you are not alone in them because that was some of my wrestling as well. Your wrote about part of the hero’s journey is to retreat from the world. Even today I think all humans are on a journey. My question is how and where do you find ways to retreat?
Diane, I live in the backwoods of Maine, so I walk alone in the woods 3 to 5 mornings a week, usually for about an hour each time! (With my dog.)
I also had the blessing of a 3-day silent retreat the week before Christmas this year. It was so profoundly transformative, I am going to try to do it twice a year from now on.
Hi Debbie,
Thank you for sharing such a thought-provoking journey and the wisdom gained along the way. Your post prompts me to reflect on my journey and the narratives that shape my understanding of the diverse believes in world. Your exploration of the significance in Christ and the acknowledgment that, despite uncertainties, you are already significant in Him, resonates with a powerful sense of faith. Your friend’s advice to pause and focus on “What do I know for sure?” in moments of doubt is wise counsel. The N.T. Wright quotes further reinforce the idea that faith often requires wrestling with uncomfortable knowledge, emphasizing the transformative power of belief. This is so true in my experience.
How do you reconcile the idea of the hero’s journey being a universal narrative with the uniqueness of Jesus Christ’s life in your faith?
Shela, the hero’s journey is a universal narrative – I now believe – because it was going to be the narrative of the life of the Messiah, foretold for generations. It’s almost like all those other narratives – from Hebrew scriptures like Moses and Joseph to various early myths – were all pointing to Jesus of Nazareth.
And as we all search for significance, because we are made in the image of God, we play out that narrative over and over again; it’s in our DNA.