The Power of Myth- Joseph Campbell- The Meaning of Myth #1

The Message of the Myth: Campbell compares creation stories (Genesis, other religions). This is part #1 of a series.

The quest for meaning in life is one that all races of all times have undertaken. It is something that God, the super intelligence that brought the universe into existence, order and harmony, evidently programmed right into the essence of our being. Christians believe that the meaning of life and all existence is revealed in the bible and manifested in Christ alone. However, not all men of all times have been exposed to the Gospel or shall we say the right combination of sound Christian teaching and proper, defensible, truly Christian, moral behaviour.

Paul quoted non-Christian poetry when he preached in Athens. "As also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring. Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising."(Acts 17:28-29).

In 1 Corinthians 9:22 Paul wrote,

"I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."

In Athens people were lovers of poetry, art, culture, history and what you would call today "New Age" concepts. When Paul went there to preach he embraced their culture of new age idea's and poetry, and used it to glorify and direct people to Christ. Instead of condemning people's cultures we as Christians today should also be interfacing with different expressions of human culture, and revealing Jesus Christ to those cultures to edify them instead of just judging and condemning them. We as Christians need to become all things to all men, so we can win them to Christ . We are authorized to do this so long as we remain true to the Biblical message in doing so. My friend DSM is already using this concept in the review of the Sun Tzu material here on this blog.

One thing I wish to show by reviewing these clips is to show that many of the rifts and disconnects between modern Christian culture and other expressions of philosophy and human quest for meaning are not necessary. Many of these rifts actually come from the misinterpretation of Biblical theology and scriptural interpretation through the lens of socio-political ideology rather than what the Bible actually says or means. I have desired to do this, and have in many ways since the founding of this blog.

I have wanted to work through the Joseph Campbell material in the light of Christian theology for years. so here we are...

What sayeth thee?