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“What is the purpose of myths? They call men and women to a deeper awareness of the very act of living itself.”
-Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth
It’s Eastertide and for the last couple of weeks we’ve been experimenting with the story of Jesus—in particular with the story of the cross, the tomb, and the resurrection. Some of us feel quite secure in the standard Christian understanding of this story, that is to say with the literal understanding that every thing which happens in this account is factual. While others of us have been squirming around a bit because that particular interpretation doesn’t ring true to our brand of intellect, it doesn’t rest easy within our particular souls.
What if the story of the cross, grave, and resurrection are not factual, but are indeed true. That is, what if they are a truth-bearing-myth—a story that doesn’t recall scientifically verifiable facts, but nonetheless tells us accurate things about the world and our place in it?
In addition to being a personal hero of mine, Joseph Campbell is widely considered the American godfather of comparative religions and master of the myth. In his interview with Tom Collins at In Context, Campbell explains myth this way:
[Myth] puts you in touch with a plane of reference that goes past your mind and into your very being, into your gut. The ultimate mystery of being and nonbeing transcends all categories of knowledge and thought. Yet that which transcends all talk is the very essence of your own being, so you’re resting on it and you know it. The function of mythological symbols is to give you as sense of “Aha! yes, I know what it is. It’s myself.
Many post-modern thinkers have an intuitive pull to this way of understanding of their holy stories. They accept the mystery and wonder of the account, and they feel within themselves a pull towards the truth encapsulated within the story. But their intellectual self also rebels against the demands that they suspend disbelief and acquiesce to something as empirically true, when it seems at is base to be something other. Campbell says the demand that we accept our Christian stories as factual is created:
Because the imagery that has to be used in order to tell what can’t be told, symbolic imagery, is then understood or interpreted not symbolically, but factually, empirically. It’s a natural thing, but that’s the whole problem with Western religion. All the of the symbols are interpreted as if they were historical references. They’re not. And if they are, then so what?
Campbell then goes on to explain what he means by the term “symbol.”:
I’m calling a symbol a sign that points past itself to a ground of meaning and being that is one with the consciousness of the beholder. What you are learning in myth is about yourself as part of the being of the world.
So, if one were to use Campbell’s mythological approach to understanding the story of Jesus; then the cross, grave, and resurrection would be seen as symbols pointing us to a deep, universal message about death, forgiveness, reconciliation, atonement, reunification, and life. Proving the details as factual becomes at least secondary, and at most irrelevant to the truth-messages contained within.
What do you think? Does that sound promising? Do you think maybe, you might be dancing around the edges of this kind of understanding? Do you wonder if perhaps, this mythological approach might be able to feed your soul and honor your intellect? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Rachelle Mee-Chapman is an alt.minister, writer, mom and American expat living in Copenhagen, Denmark. You can find her at Magpie Girl, follow her at Twitter, or friend her on Facebook. Thank you for reading!
Want to read more women who are blogging about matters of faith? Here are few of my favorites from the RevGalPals webring.
Dylan Breuer at Sarah Laughed: culturally current lectionaries, U2charist resources, and inspiring words.
Jan Edmiston at A Church for Starving Artists: the charm of the name says it all for me. I especially liked this post on 10 Things to Toss.
Julie Hilton Steele at Confession of a Backyard Hermit: on what happens when you step out of the church and into the garden.
Juniper at Possible Water: who personally coached me into more and more freedom when it came to being a woman, a mom, and a pastor. (One big tip from Juniper, add
