{"id":29196,"date":"2022-10-21T10:47:53","date_gmt":"2022-10-21T17:47:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=29196"},"modified":"2022-10-21T11:13:53","modified_gmt":"2022-10-21T18:13:53","slug":"articulating-a-spiritual-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/articulating-a-spiritual-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Articulating a Spiritual Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"

It would nearly impossible to unravel the influence of The Hero with a Thousand Faces<\/i> on modern pop culture. Any fan of Star Wars<\/i> or Marvel movies is familiar with observations of Joseph Campbell and the way that story shapes our lives. By analyzing mythology through the lens of psychoanalysis [1]<\/a>, Campbell lifts the familiar patterns of stories that have (and continue) to shape those who have story formed lives. This framework is so ubiquitous at this point, that even marketing companies are using the principles to engage customers [2]. The true wonder of Campbell\u2019s observations is how we are meant to find ourselves in the story. This is particularly true of the Hero\u2019s Journey and how it compares to spiritual formation within the Christian context.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The story of transformation is the Hero\u2019s Journey, which can be summed up in the monomyth with the basic rite of passage consisting of separation, initiation, and return [2]. The purpose of the rite of passage is to \u201c\u2026conduct people across those difficult thresholds of transformation that demand a change in patterns not only of conscious but also of unconscious life.\u201d [3]. Campbell observes the Hero\u2019s Journey consisting of a number of sequences within each of the rite of passage stages. I will focus on some of the sequences within the \u201cdeparture\u201d stage and how these stages can be helpful for those who are beginning their own spiritual journey and the stages that will lie ahead.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The stage that Campbell describes within the rite of passage is the \u201cCall to Adventure.\u201d [4]. This is the initial stage when the person comes to see the world differently and has a senses of being called from \u201c\u2026the pale of society to a zone unknown\u201d [5]. I think of the person who describes becoming dissatisfied with the common story in modern culture of getting the job and family as the secret to happiness. This person will inevitably long for more in life and wonder if they are missing something. This is the point where the a trusted guide can help the person give words to this longing in their heart toward connection to the Divine.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The second relatable stage is \u201cRefusal of the Call\u201d [6]. This is when the nudge to move beyond the familiar and typical for the adventure that the person feels in their soul. This is often expressed by the person who expresses the need for a change or to respond to a desire to enter ministry, yet refused to take action for some measure of time. This is an important aspect of the formation of the person as they consider the depth of their dissonance and reluctance to respond to the call.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The next critical stage is \u201cPassing Through the Threshold\u201d [7] and \u201cThe Belly of the Whale\u201d [8]. This is the point of facing resistance as one steps into the call to adventure they feel. This is the point of the story where the hero gets \u201cswallowed\u201d up in this new threshold experience [9]. This is the point that may give up their spiritual pursuit. The resistance and overwhelm can be disorienting and discouraging. A person might share about watching a visiting a church for the first time and not understanding what was happening in the worship service or even reading the Bible while not understanding where to start. This is a critical stage to partner with those who are new on their spiritual journey.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Hero\u2019s Journey is an observation of how story forms life and gives meaning to how each person understands their story. This is the importance and power of the stories we tell, which is especially important for those who can help others understand their own spiritual journey. As Campbell argues, the culture no longer depends on these stories to give meaning to their life. It is up to the hero to find the meaning and purpose that transcends their everyday life [10].\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[1] Joseph Campbell, \u00a0The Hero with a Thousand Faces<\/i> (1949; repr., Mumbai, India: Yogi Impressions, May, 2017), ixx.<\/p>\n

[2] https:\/\/buildingastorybrand.com\/customer-the-hero-in-marketing-material\/<\/p>\n

[3] Ibid., 23.<\/p>\n

[4] Ibid., 6.<\/p>\n

[5] Ibid., 41.<\/p>\n

[6] Ibid., 48.<\/p>\n

[7] Ibid., 49.<\/p>\n

[8] Ibid., 64.<\/p>\n

[9] Ibid., 74.<\/p>\n

[10] Ibid.<\/p>\n

[11] Ibid., 337.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It would nearly impossible to unravel the influence of The Hero with a Thousand Faces on modern pop culture. Any fan of Star Wars or Marvel movies is familiar with observations of Joseph Campbell and the way that story shapes our lives. By analyzing mythology through the lens of psychoanalysis [1], Campbell lifts the familiar […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":163,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2347,789],"class_list":["post-29196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dlgp01","tag-campbell","cohort-dlgp01"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/163"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29196"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29199,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29196\/revisions\/29199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}