The Power of Myth

Campbell discusses how difficult it is for humans to think about transcendent powers in non-human terms. Spiritual progress is difficult when people focus too much on anthropocentric images of God. He notes that in Christian traditions it is considered blasphemous to try to identify with the “Christ in you,” whereas in other traditions a central aim is to unite with divinity (263). Campbell thinks that Christianity has become too focused on Jesus as a historical person. For Campbell and Moyers, Jesus is a symbol of compassion and the acceptance of mystery, whose message of love remains relevant independent of historical facts.

Campbell and Moyers examine the prominence of circle imagery in many religions and mythologies. Campbell gives examples of important circles, such as the mandala, to explain how they illuminate the cyclical nature of life. The use of rings in many ritual acts is a reminder of these principles. Campbell describes states of being and becoming in which the symbolic center of infinite motion is stillness. Campbell again returns to the idea of following your bliss, which reveals all the potentialities of human life in motion around you.