Intellectual Maturity
Knowing that Campbell grounded himself in the teachings of Jung and Freud, gave me the first clue that this was going to be an interesting read. As I waded through begrudgingly, I honestly was thankful for the gift of inspectional reading since I found Campbell getting lost in the weeds of his own thinking, leaving me, the reader, lost as well at times. Thank goodness for other sources of explanation!
However, as I read and gleaned Campbell’s observations of what components make a great story there were so many aspects that did resonate. Great stories that span the course of time do tend to resonate with the human spirit. Each of us has a story to tell. Stories define us and the journey that has had us become who we are. Stories move us and have the power to change us. Campbell himself summarizes the main theme of his book in an interview: “Every person must die, find a source of life to bring oneself forth, and be resurrected into a new state to move forward”.[1] “A hero has given his life to something bigger than himself.”[2] I agree with Campbell in that the ache in mankind’s heart is to be able to be the hero of their story or have a hero om their story. One aspect speaks to having purpose and the other to the need of an entity greater to intervene.
However, the reading is not simply about the hero’s narrative. It also displayed a very clear worldview regarding mythology and Campbell’s view of Christianity. To gain a greater understanding I turned to Campbell’s contemporary, C. S. Lewis. Both had a love for the mystical and supernatural. C.S. Lewis defined Christianity as a relationship between the personal Creator and his creation mediated through faith in His son, Jesus Christ…he believed miraculous events took place in human history”[3] and we did not need to “be ashamed of the mythical radiance resting on our theology.”[4] Alternatively, Campbell “understood critical doctrines of Christianity as myth and maintained that understanding myth was a key to making sense of…Christianity in any society, including a highly-technological one.”[5] So I ask, does the deep inner need of a world needing a Savior make its way into the narrative of all cultures? Or is Christianity just another myth amongst many that cannot cross cultural boundaries?
When siding with one or the other, it is easy to close off one’s ability to listen. Knowing how Campbell dismisses Christianity as just another myth, I certainly was tempted to put the book down and walk away. However, I remember the impact of a small book in my Master’s Program that stated,“Raising one’s level of self-consciousness about worldviews is an essential part of intellectual maturity”.[6]
Our society is becoming more global as each day passes. Varying worldviews are especially the norm in this Northern Virginia area. As Spiritual leaders, intellectual maturity denotes sage-like wisdom. The wisdom that is anchored in the Holy Spirit exercises tact and love along with knowledge and truth. D. E. Hoste asserts the wisdom needed in leaders today:
“When a person in authority demands the obedience of another, irrespective of the latter’s reason or conscience, this is tyranny. On the other hand, when, by the exercise of tact and sympathy, prayer, spiritual power, and sound wisdom, one is able to influence and enlighten another, so that a life course is changed, that is Spiritual leadership.”[7]
This is a principle to be lived out in my own community as I regularly strike up friendships with those having faiths and worldviews much different than mine. Colossians 1:9 comes to mind: that God would “fill us with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding”.[8]
I continue to live in the space of liminality as we progress forward with this course. My prayer is that it will give me a deeper understanding of varying worldviews and ways to process my faith with greater clarity so that I can articulate wisely with grace and truth.
[1] “A Hero with a Thousand Faces – Google Search,” accessed February 2, 2023, https://www.google.com/search?q=a+hero+with+a+thousand+faces&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS807US808&oq=a+hero+with+a+thousand+faces&aqs=chrome.0.0i355i512j46i512j0i512l4j0i22i30j69i60.4514j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:976681df,vid:Byli-Y8KonY.
[2] Ibid
[3] “True Myth: C. S. Lewis and Joseph Campbell on the Veracity of Christianity,” accessed February 2, 2023, https://web-s-ebscohost-com.georgefox.idm.oclc.org/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook?sid=2487068e-a317-4fbb-ae29-49a2a14e4c0d%40redis&vid=0&format=EK.
[4] “Reflections: Myth Became Fact,” C.S. Lewis Institute (blog), accessed February 2, 2023, https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/reflections-july-2022/.
[5] “True Myth: C. S. Lewis and Joseph Campbell on the Veracity of Christianity.”
[6] Ronald H. Nash, Worldviews in Conflict: Choosing Christianity in a World of Ideas (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Pub. House, 1992). p. 9.
[7] John O. Sanders, Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2007).
[8] “Bible Gateway Passage: Colossians 1:9 – New American Standard Bible 1995,” Bible Gateway, accessed February 2, 2023, https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Colossians%201%3A9&version=NASB1995.
About the Author
Esther Edwards
Esther has served in ministry leadership for over 35 years. She is an ordained minister, an ICF and CCLC certified coach, and licensed coach trainer. Her and her husband have launched their own coaching practice, Enjoy the Journey Leadership Coaching and seek to train ministry leaders in the powerful skill of coaching. Esther loves hiking, reading, and experiencing new coffee shops with friends and family. She enjoys the journey with her husband, Keith, their four daughters, sons-in-law, and their four, soon to be five, beautiful grandchildren.8 responses to “Intellectual Maturity”
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Hi Esther,
You stated, “Our society is becoming more global as each day passes.” As I read the book, I recognized some of the stories from Asia, and was frustrated that I was only getting snippets, not the whole story. Not all of them would I want to read in their entirety, but it made me wonder what I missed in not better understanding the major stories and heroic figures while I lived in Asia. And, how that might have helped me understand the culture and people I was serving. We have many treasured American heroes and folk stories. They shape us and our thinking about the world. I guess my question is how might understanding the great heroic stories of world help bridge some gaps and create understanding?
I felt the same way as I visit the National Palace Museum in Taipai. My son-in-law’s father shared many stories of wars past and how Taiwan gained its freedom. Our sincere interest gave honor and validation to their stories and bridged the cultural gap between us. I wonder, too, what the world would look like if we truly listened more and defended less.
However, I remember the impact of a small book in my Master’s Program that stated,“Raising one’s level of self-consciousness about worldviews is an essential part of intellectual maturity”.
I really love your post Esther, thank you for sharing the knee jerk reaction we can all have when we hear or get exposed to ideas that conflict with our own. I believe it’s so necessary to sit in those uncomfortable places to sincerely understand where the other person is coming from which serves both us and them in so many ways.
It reminds me of Steven Covey’s book, 7 Habits of Highly Successful People, “Seek to understand, before being understood.” I respect your ability to overcome dismissive attitudes and remain open to other ideas. What a great posts!
Adam – Thanks for your encouragement.
I think we all, as ministry leaders, sit in those uncomfortable places often, as society is changing so quickly around us. A friend of mine once taught on the importance of understanding that there is a doubt continuim as we process our faith. This has intrigued me so I did a little research as well. On one extreme there is blinded certainty and on the other there is excessive skepticism. Each extreme can result, when viewed psychologically, in mental disorder. In faith, it can result in dogmatic assertions that lead to biases and on the other extreme, can cause a walking away from spiritual groundedness and truth. How far on the faith continuim, in either direction, do we have to go to become spiritually unhealthy? Food for thought.
Ron, Omri, Ela Oren, and Reuven Dar. “The Doubt-Certainty Continuum in Psychopathology, Lay Thinking, and Science.” Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry 53 (2015): 68–74.
We conclude by discussing the importance of the dialectic relationship between confirmation and refutation in both lay thinking and scientific thought.”
Ester, you nailed it here. I love the fact that you brought C.S. Lewis into the conversation. Competing religions are not a new thing (I teach it as part of my International Peace and Conflict Studies class). But I found Campbell a little more insidious. His talks (I watched some of his videos), seemed so “enlightened” to the audience. His Monomyth Journey plot lines were something concrete to grab onto, as he discussed his compilation of myths. Sadly, it was hard not to see that he put Christ as a valid MYTH. His substantial impact on writers/film makers in the Western Mindset for a good story is just fact. His impact on belief in Christ as a myth may have been successfully carried on the back of his Monomyth writings. Thanks for your comments…Shalom…Russ
Russell,
As I read several articles on both writers, I was reminded again that we live in the realm of God’s mysterious working where it is the Holy Spirit that awakens someone’s Spirit to the truth of the gospel. C. S. Lewis clearly had the same fascination with mythology and the human condition as Campbell but came away with a grounding of faith in Christ. Whereas Campbell, clearly reduced the Christian faith as equal to all other myths in history. Ephesians 1:18 comes to mind:
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.”[1]
1. Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Enlightenment
I like it when you quote Lewis on mysticism. Campbell also supports the mystic view and calls it a process of “the awakening of the self.” In every role we take, whether small or large, and no matter what stage or level of life, that vocation always closes the curtain on the mystery of the transfiguration, a rite or moment of a spiritual journey. Campbell invites us to reflect on our life’s journey, and he helps us in concerning “awakening the self” by showing that stories of heroism from various parts of the world and various time periods are, more or less, similar to what we might experience.
Thank you, Dinka. So true as you stated “In every role we take, whether small or large, and no matter what stage or level of life”,…we are on a spiritual journey. I find the journey of a Christ follower to definitely have the heroic components that Campbell explores.