Like most Americans I was raised in the Judeo-Christian tradition, which is to say I was taught to revere a rather stern, vengeful patriarch who, if you were not very careful indeed, would get to smiting in pretty short order. This was hard for me, since I was raised by a Lutheran minister who was kindly and gentle and not much into smiting. As I got older I began to ask the big questions. As the kindly minister, my grandfather, had passed beyond the veil by then, I was left to search for my own answers.
Somewhere along the line I discovered Joseph Campbell. I learned a great deal from watching several series of his lectures on Public Television. If you haven't met him let me introduce you.
Mr. Campbell too alas, has passed beyond the veil. Fortunately much of the body of his work has been recorded on one media or another and a foundation has been formed, as you may have noticed, to preserve and disseminate it and to encourage the flow of ideas on the subject of Myths and comparative religion. This strikes me as a worthy endeavor. You may learn more of them at the link.
If the universe has to be run by a patriarch, (I always preferred a mother figure. More nurturing and protecting implied), I rather hope He is a bit like Mr. Campbell. I cannot imagine him doing much smiting. Here's one of my favorite short segments from his lectures. There's no video alas, but give it a listen.
Be seeing you.
Somewhere along the line I discovered Joseph Campbell. I learned a great deal from watching several series of his lectures on Public Television. If you haven't met him let me introduce you.
Mr. Campbell too alas, has passed beyond the veil. Fortunately much of the body of his work has been recorded on one media or another and a foundation has been formed, as you may have noticed, to preserve and disseminate it and to encourage the flow of ideas on the subject of Myths and comparative religion. This strikes me as a worthy endeavor. You may learn more of them at the link.
If the universe has to be run by a patriarch, (I always preferred a mother figure. More nurturing and protecting implied), I rather hope He is a bit like Mr. Campbell. I cannot imagine him doing much smiting. Here's one of my favorite short segments from his lectures. There's no video alas, but give it a listen.
Be seeing you.
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