The Power of Myth, Jospeh Campbell and Bill Moyers

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Brian Johnston
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The Power of Myth, Jospeh Campbell and Bill Moyers

Post by Brian Johnston »

I heard a lot about this book. I finally got a copy and started reading it a week or two ago. Great book! I highly recommend it to people trying to understand HOW they benefit from religion while at the same time struggle with the factual nature of it all. I'll write more when I am done. I've been devouring it pretty quick.

I know others here have read it.
"It's strange to be here. The mystery never leaves you alone." -John O'Donohue, Anam Cara, speaking of experiencing life.
Old-Timer
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Re: The Power of Myth, Jospeh Campbell and Bill Moyers

Post by Old-Timer »

Valoel, I look forward to a thread with specific content about this book.
I see through my glass, darkly - as I play my saxophone in harmony with the other instruments in God's orchestra. (h/t Elder Joseph Wirthlin)

Even if people view many things differently, the core Gospel principles (LOVE; belief in the unseen but hoped; self-reflective change; symbolic cleansing; striving to recognize the will of the divine; never giving up) are universal.

"For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong." H. L. Mencken
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hawkgrrrl
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Re: The Power of Myth, Jospeh Campbell and Bill Moyers

Post by hawkgrrrl »

I too loved this book. When we're ready to do our thread, let's allow spoilers!
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jmb275
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Re: The Power of Myth, Jospeh Campbell and Bill Moyers

Post by jmb275 »

Indeed, I agree with everything said so far. My favorite quote is as follows:
"He who thinks he knows, knows nothing. He who thinks he knows nothing, knows." - Joseph Campbell "The Power of Myth"
I am like a huge, rough stone rolling down from a high mountain; and the only polishing I get is when some corner gets rubbed off by coming in contact with something else, striking with accelerated force against religious bigotry, priestcraft, lawyer-craft, doctor-craft, lying editors, suborned judges and jurors, and the authority of perjured executives, backed by mobs, blasphemers, licentious and corrupt men and women--all hell knocking off a corner here and a corner there.
- Joseph Smith, (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 304)
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just me
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Re: The Power of Myth, Jospeh Campbell and Bill Moyers

Post by just me »

I've been reading this for, boy, about 6 weeks or more. I had to take it back to the library today (and it was overdue after being renewed once). But between an out of town trip, moving and trying to read 10 books at once what can I expect??? LOL I actually didn't quite finish it, but maybe I'll just buy it.

This is an amazing book! Now I really, really want to read his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

I guess there were just so many sentences that spoke to me. Like confirmation of truths my soul already knew. This book helped cement in my heart how "true" and important our myths are. They mean so much to me.

You can sense his passion for myths in everything he says. Wouldn't it have been exciting to take his class!

He talks a lot about the need for a new, universal myth in our times. I think about it sometimes as I'm driving or whatever. If we need a new modern myth that will be powerful enough for all cultures what would it be like?
Most of us, sooner or later, find that at critical points in our lives we must strike out on our own to make a path where none exists.~Elaine Pagels

Ultimately, you are the path-the path begins and ends with you.~Stephan Bodian

He who think he knows, doesn’t know: He who knows he doesn’t know, knows.~Sanskrit proverb
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Jordan
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Re: The Power of Myth, Jospeh Campbell and Bill Moyers

Post by Jordan »

just me wrote:He talks a lot about the need for a new, universal myth in our times. I think about it sometimes as I'm driving or whatever. If we need a new modern myth that will be powerful enough for all cultures what would it be like?
Campbell was George Lucas' inspiration for Star Wars.....
Campbell really gives a reverence for myth, story, tradition, and ritual. As we go through our deep struggles our faith, we need to be careful to not throw out the baby with the bathwater.
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Rix
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Re: The Power of Myth, Jospeh Campbell and Bill Moyers

Post by Rix »

These books totally changed how I viewed "religion." In the beginning I was depressed to see so many similarities between (what I'd viewed) to be the one truth, and the other (mostly Paganism) "mythologies." It left me with an empty, hopeless feeling...and I was lost -- but absolutely fascinated -- by the content of the books. The way I had pictured the eternal plan of life was shattered.

But after a few more years of reading everything I could assimilate about the history of "God" and religion, I was left with a complete sense of peace understanding that we humans live by the "story." We relate to the characters and inject ourselves into their shoes. We cry, laugh, hurt and rejoice in their experience. It doesn't really matter if it happened literally. Or not.

Maybe that's all we need?!
Überzeugungen sind oft die gefährlichsten Feinde der Wahrheit.
[Certainty (that one is correct) is often the most dangerous enemy of the
truth.] - Friedrich Nietzsche

God is a metaphor for that which transcends all levels of intellectual thought. It's as simple as that. -- Joseph Campbell
wordsleuth23
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Re: The Power of Myth, Jospeh Campbell and Bill Moyers

Post by wordsleuth23 »

I'm about 30 pages into this book--it's been discussed on this site a lot so I thought I should inform myself. Anyway, it's been very interesting so far. I'll say more when I finish.
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Tom Haws
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Re: The Power of Myth, Jospeh Campbell and Bill Moyers

Post by Tom Haws »

I had the hardest time getting this book from my library. At first it seemed all they had was audio and video (and I'm more a book guy at the moment). Now I finally have a book, but it's a large, hard cover, coffee table book. Is that what the rest of you are reading? I am about as far as wordsleuth. They wander all over the place. I loved the part about marriage. It really opened my eyes.
Tom (aka Justin Martyr/Justin Morning/Jacob Marley/Kupord Maizzed)
Higley and Guadalupe
Gilbert, Arizona
----
Sure, any religion would do. But I'm LDS.
"There are no academic issues. Everything is emotional to somebody." Ray Degraw at www.StayLDS.com
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Heber13
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Re: The Power of Myth, Jospeh Campbell and Bill Moyers

Post by Heber13 »

Hmmm...no, the one I read was a small paperback book maybe 200 pages or less, easy to read in a week or so.

It was the conversation between Moyers and Campbell.
Luke: "Why didn't you tell me? You told me Vader betrayed and murdered my father."
Obi-Wan: "Your father... was seduced by the dark side of the Force. He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed. So what I told you was true... from a certain point of view."
Luke: "A certain point of view?"
Obi-Wan: "Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to...depend greatly on our point of view."
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