Understanding the Gospel, Part 5: The Monomyth & Hero’s Journey
The Bible, as we saw in the last post, tells the overarching story of good news that spans all time and space, encompassing the world we currently inhabit. The macro-narrative is one of starting and ending in paradise, which is so easy to forget as we live in the “in-between” bits, where it is complicated and full of pain and difficulties. In this post, I’d like to overlay that same macro-narrative onto the famous monomyth format, the hero’s journey. In this exercise, we will see how humanity is, in fact, the hero of our own history, namely because Christ is the ultimate hero in whom we all live, breathe, and have our being. Below is a picture of what this journey looks like according to Joseph Campbell’s 17-stage cycle.
Let’s look at each stage and how it relates to the narrative of humanity’s journey in the gospel.
ACT 1: Separation & The Known World
GOD creates a HOME for Humanity that is Safe, Familiar, and Good …God is ok with us letting go of safety so long as we walk with him and trust him
Call to Adventure
(Humans called to Be Fruitful, Multiply, Fill the Earth, and Take Dominion over creature and creation. Call to abstain from the One tree)
Refusal of Call
(They submit to a creature; they don’t heed the call of restraint.)
Supernatural Aid/Mentor
(God walks with them, covers them, and Prophecies over them)
ACT II: Initiation Begins & The Unknown World
Crossing the Threshold
(Cast out the East gate away from HOME, the way guarded by Cherubim and a flaming sword.)
The Belly of the Whale
(the symbolic death and rebirth stage that represents the hero's final separation from their known world. This point of transformation occurs after crossing the initial threshold, where the hero is "swallowed" by the unknown and must surrender their old self to be reborn as someone new, often feeling isolated or in despair.)
*New Allies and Enemies
This stage is incorporated into the Initiation stage. But I felt it deserved its own line.
Allies and Enemies are in abundance in the story. It’s all other than the proto-humans. Common men. Line of Cain. Line of Men. The Pure. Line of Seth. Sons of God. Angels. Nephelim. Mighty Men. Giants. Rulers, Powers, Authorities. Patriarchs. Angel of the LORD. Priests, Judges, Kings. Prophets. The nations and their gods. The stranger and alien among them. Jews and Gentiles. Believers and Unbelievers.
Road of Trials
Corruption of Earth, Babel, Sojourners, Slavery in Egypt, Wilderness Testing, Land Wars, the Nations, Exile Judgement, silence.
Meeting the “Goddess”
Humanity meets this perfect divine love of a pure mother in the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary and her continued love and cherishment that she takes in her son and Messiah.
Temptation
Jesus is tempted in every way that humanity is. He can only step into ministry once he passes these tests.
ACT II The Supreme Ordeal & Initiation
The Ordeal of the Gospel Narrative is the incarnation of GOD as a human. Our Supernatural Mentor made to dwell among us, as us.
Atonement with the Father
Confronting power: The hero faces a powerful figure, who may be a literal father, a god, or even a symbolic ideal like perfect logic.
In this case, humanity via Christ confronts the REALITY of God as Father.
Psychological conflict: This stage can represent a reconciliation of subconscious conflicts, as the hero must outgrow childish self-perceptions and fully understand their relationship with the father figure.
We see this in the case of Jesus lingering at the temple at age 12 when he outgrows youth and wants to associate with God as Father like the Men do.
Acceptance and integration: The hero must accept not only their own faults but also the flaws of their lineage, integrating these past experiences into their identity.
Jesus is a man of sorrows as he accepts the frailty of humanity. HE emptied himself for this very thing fully integrating himself into humanity’s weakness and pain.
A symbolic transfer: Often, the father figure bestows a symbol of their power or knowledge upon the hero, signifying the transfer of responsibility.
Jesus receives this at his baptism first, then again for all to hear at his Transfiguration.
*Death of Mentor
While this stage is an adendum to other hero cycles, I included it because it is the Crux of the SUPREME ORDEAL. GOD is our Mentor in Christ. When Jesus was killed on the cross, the second person of God died in the flesh. Jesus was also the Rabbi or spiritual guide that the disciples followed. Their mentor died. The Messiah was the hope of humanity for wisdom and rescue; his death on the cross was world-shattering.
Apotheosis
The Crucifixion of Christ, however, was a necessary part of the apotheosis or climax of the story, without which we could move forward to His Resurrection and Ascension. Transformation can only happen through death, as Paul tells us, and Christ is the first fruit of that transformation for all humanity. The death of the hero means an awakening of their spirit, and in the case of Christ, he was awakened both spirit and body! Water Baptism is the symbolism used.
*Battle with the Brother
While this stage is also an adendum to other hero cycles, I included it.
The Believer's death of self and all connection to their old man. Bath is also an internal one between flesh and spirit, law and grace, now not yet
The Ultimate Boon
The Ultimate Reward that humanity has now achieved in Christ is Forgiveness of Sin, the Gift of Eternal Life in Christ, and the New Covenant of Grace. Repenting of disbelief in GOD’s goodness and seeing Him clearly again. The Elixir of Life is available to all humanity. The Spirit of God in them and the Gifts of the Spirit.
Refusal to Return
Still, humans push off death as long as possible. Still, we doubt that HOME actually lies ahead. We die and our bodies linger in the grave until we are made to come home in the Resurrection.
We get caught up in this intimate relationship with God, some believers may find it hard to re-engage with the World as we knew it. Many Christians want to abandon their old life for a new one in Christ.
Some reject this ultimate boon. They deny the Apotheosis of Christ and, as a result, have never experienced what a new life can be.
ACT III: Unification/Return
The Magic Flight
Armed now with Revelation and a New Guide, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Believers embark on a difficult quest of bringing the boon back to their community. They bring the Gospel to the World they came from, but at great opposition to the enemies they met along the way. They have to utilize now the gifts and revelations they’ve received to overcome the small challenges along the way.
For those humans that try to reach Home again in their own efforts, they burn out or follow after an imitation of GOD.
Humans will operate in Christ until he returns.
Rescue from Without
When believers are called to unification, there are battles that take place in our world and in our minds. Here, the Holy Spirit does what only God can do. Often GOd will partner with other believers to come to the aid of a Christian. We see this in the biblical church community. One Anothering One Another. We see this in the power of Prayer and Divine Intervention when Spiritual warfare is hard felt.
Those without belief are easily used up and have none to come to their rescue.
The ultimate Rescue is coming when Christ returns to defeat Sin and Death once and for all.
Crossing the Return Threshold
The wisdom gained by the believer is now available to the Community from which they came. The Hero can move onto the next adventure or the next archetype role. They bring God’s Spirit wherever they go. They re-enter the world, but are no longer of it.
In the end, ALL humanity, alive and once dead, will cross the threshold into eternal life. Some to eternal life and some to eternal destruction.
Master of Two Worlds
The believer is in Christ and seated in heavenly realms, but still lives and moves and has their being in the worlds around them.
Heaven and Earth Unite. Christ is the Master of Two Worlds, of all Creation, and those in him reign with him. Humanity, in Christ, is glorified to be Participants in heaven and earth. All friends and enemies thus far align to GOD in Christ, unifying all who bow to Him.
Freedom to Live
Mastery- faith in Jesus- is not to fear death anymore. To live is Christ and to die is gain. Life, in the gospel, is the life we were intended to live all along. At Home with a unified family and community, heading the call to adventure perpetually across the cosmos.
What do you think?
I think Campbell was onto something. I genuinely believe the good news is far greater than we could have imagined!