Rating: 
Summary: Finding new meaning in old metaphors.
Review: "Mythology may, in a real sense, be defined as other people's religion," Joseph Campbell observes in this first volume of his Collected Works. "And religion may, in a sense, be understood as a popular misunderstanding of mythology" (p. 8). Campbell abandoned the Roman Catholic Church at age 25 when, as a student of mythology, "he felt the Church was teaching a literal and concrete faith that could not sustain an adult" (p. xvii). At his death in 1987, he left a significant body of unpublished work: uncollected articles, letters, diaries, notes, as well as recorded lectures (p. ix). This new volume is derived from that material and may be read as "an extended lecture" on finding new meaning in the metaphors of the Judeo-Christian tradition (p. xvi). Campbell examines the biblical myths, "not to dismiss them as unbelievable but to lay open once again their living and nourishing core" (p. xv)."If we listen and look carefully," Campbell believed, "we discover ourselves in the literature, rites and symbols of others, even though at first they seem distorted and alien to us. Thou art that, Campbell would judge, citing the underlying spiritual intuition of his life and work" (pp. xii-xiii). Campbell makes a compelling argument in this book that the language of religion is metaphorical (p. 19), and that religious symbols "point past themselves to the ultimate truth which must be told: that life does not have any one absolutely fixed meaning" (pp. 8-9). He encourages us to search out the "deeper, vital meanings of symbols whose surfaces are so familiar that they have become static and brittle" (p. 43). For instance, the Virgin Birth may be viewed as a rebirth of spirit that everyone can experience, and the Promised Land may be viewed as the geography of the heart anyone can enter (p. xvii). The Kingdom of God is spread upon the earth, Campbell says, only men do not see it (p. 19). When they realize that, the end of the world as they know it has arrived (p. 83). This book covers some familiar territory, which will provide readers new to Joseph Campbell with a good introduction to his work. Mythology, he writes, serves four functions. Myths awaken us to the mysteries of the universe (pp. 2, 24). They present us with a consistent image of the order of the cosmos (p. 3). Myths validate and support a specific moral order (p. 5), and they carry us through the passages and crises of life (p. 5). He encourages us to find our own paths through the forest, and to reach for the transcendent by studying poetry (p. 92). One must "search out one's own values and assume responsibility for one's own order of action and not simply follow orders handed down by some period past" (p. 30). "The heart," he tells us, "is the beginning of humanity" (p. 99). Revisiting Campbell's ideas through this book reminded me how reading his HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES (1949) and POWER OF MYTH (1988) were life changing experiences for me. My only real criticism of this book is that at just over 100 pages, it is too short. But as an inauguration to the Collected Works of Joseph Campbell, it should not be missed. G. Merritt
Rating:
Summary: Finding new meaning in old metaphors.
Review: "Mythology may, in a real sense, be defined as other people's religion," Joseph Campbell observes in this first volume of his Collected Works. "And religion may, in a sense, be understood as a popular misunderstanding of mythology" (p. 8). Campbell abandoned the Roman Catholic Church at age 25 when, as a student of mythology, "he felt the Church was teaching a literal and concrete faith that could not sustain an adult" (p. xvii). At his death in 1987, he left a significant body of unpublished work: uncollected articles, letters, diaries, notes, as well as recorded lectures (p. ix). This new volume is derived from that material and may be read as "an extended lecture" on finding new meaning in the metaphors of the Judeo-Christian tradition (p. xvi). Campbell examines the biblical myths, "not to dismiss them as unbelievable but to lay open once again their living and nourishing core" (p. xv). "If we listen and look carefully," Campbell believed, "we discover ourselves in the literature, rites and symbols of others, even though at first they seem distorted and alien to us. Thou art that, Campbell would judge, citing the underlying spiritual intuition of his life and work" (pp. xii-xiii). Campbell makes a compelling argument in this book that the language of religion is metaphorical (p. 19), and that religious symbols "point past themselves to the ultimate truth which must be told: that life does not have any one absolutely fixed meaning" (pp. 8-9). He encourages us to search out the "deeper, vital meanings of symbols whose surfaces are so familiar that they have become static and brittle" (p. 43). For instance, the Virgin Birth may be viewed as a rebirth of spirit that everyone can experience, and the Promised Land may be viewed as the geography of the heart anyone can enter (p. xvii). The Kingdom of God is spread upon the earth, Campbell says, only men do not see it (p. 19). When they realize that, the end of the world as they know it has arrived (p. 83). This book covers some familiar territory, which will provide readers new to Joseph Campbell with a good introduction to his work. Mythology, he writes, serves four functions. Myths awaken us to the mysteries of the universe (pp. 2, 24). They present us with a consistent image of the order of the cosmos (p. 3). Myths validate and support a specific moral order (p. 5), and they carry us through the passages and crises of life (p. 5). He encourages us to find our own paths through the forest, and to reach for the transcendent by studying poetry (p. 92). One must "search out one's own values and assume responsibility for one's own order of action and not simply follow orders handed down by some period past" (p. 30). "The heart," he tells us, "is the beginning of humanity" (p. 99). Revisiting Campbell's ideas through this book reminded me how reading his HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES (1949) and POWER OF MYTH (1988) were life changing experiences for me. My only real criticism of this book is that at just over 100 pages, it is too short. But as an inauguration to the Collected Works of Joseph Campbell, it should not be missed. G. Merritt
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful exploration of the symbols of faith.
Review: As I was watching Power of Myth for the umpteenth time, one of the chatty cathys on the local PBS station mentioned that there was a new Joseph Campbell book coming out. My first reaction was 'what [junk], the man's been dead for years.' But curiosity got the better of me. I bought the book, and from the opening to the end, was blown away. Like Campbell, I'm a member of that great spiritual assembly know as the lapsed catholics. As I read each page of this book, I found myself reassessing all of the symbols and stories that the nuns drilled into us in catechism all those years ago. I've read lots of Campbell before, but I always felt like the focus was the western religions mostly in relation to the other religions of the world. Here, Campbell's ability to see the large picture is married to his inimate knowledge of the details of the biblical tradition--I started rereading the Bible for the first time in years, and I feel like I'm reading a totally new book! The editor did an amazing job in putting this piece together. The NYTimes interview at the end, where he and Campbell discuss the imagery of Passover and Easter in terms of the space age, is worth the price of the book all on its own.
Rating: 
Summary: Texts of Western Religions Viewed as Metaphor and Symbolism
Review: Before reading this book, you should realize that the ideas expressed in it cast fundamental doubt on the most common interpretations of Jewish and Christian religious testaments. If you will find this blasphemous or upsetting, perhaps this is not the right book for you. If you want to see a different interpretation of familiar Scripture, you will find the book to be interesting. Joseph Campbell is well known to many for his work on mythology, especially The Hero with a Thousand Faces. He takes that same perspective to Judeo-Christian Scriptures and comes to different conclusions. Essentially, his point is that whatever the “fact” is of the original events described in the Holy writings, the stories that have come down to us are myths, that reflect a metaphorical interpretation of those events. His arguments for this perspective are two-fold: One, many of the stories have very similar kin in the writings of the civilizations that preceded the establishment of Judaism. Two, he finds the “facts” as described as being not persuasive. To him, the events described seem mythologized, recast from a truthful base into a more appealing form. Although he is certainly entitled to his opinion, few will be overwhelmed by these arguments. Mr. Campbell goes on to argue for interpreting these Scriptures from the point of view of an internalized, individual experience, much like Buddhism does. He finds this form of religion to be more appealing, because he argues it brings the joys of religion more into daily existence. He also argues that formalized religion channels people away from religious experience, in favor of social rites. An example is that he preferred the Catholic Mass (he was a lapsed Catholic) when it was done in Latin since not being able to understand what was being said made the whole experience more meditative. He likes the idea of a transcendent God letting His worshippers experience transcendence as well. “Awe . . . is what moves us forward.” One problem with his argument is that Mr. Campbell feels that we cannot keep historical events current with us. So Christ’s life is less powerful to us as an event, rather than as a metaphor for how each of us can find God. It seems to me that faith must certainly be able to turn any event into current reality for individuals. As I read this book, Mr. Campbell seems to be describing a view of people as needing lots of emotional context and experience before they can have religious communion with God. To me, that seems to denigrate both God and people. I find meditation and seeking transcendence very appealing personally, but those experiences seem different in kind and quality from my religious experiences. Of the two, the religious experiences are vastly more rewarding, real, and lasting. I suspect that one helps the other, but they do seem distinct to me. As a result, although I was glad to read Mr. Campbell’s ideas, ultimately I found little of value there. He is probably right that there’s some literary license in the Scriptures, but thinking that way doesn’t open up faith any more for me. I graded the book accordingly. After you read this book, I suggest that you examine when you have felt closest to God. What other ways might also encourage that connection? Look for God in all that you do!
Rating:
Summary: Useful Introduction
Review: Campbell points out that all of the religions of the West come from the Near East rather than Europe. He is referring to Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. In all of these religions it is taught that the world was made by God. The creator is God and the creature is the world. The world and God are not the same. In these religions the Divine is not within the individual.
In the Christian tradition Jesus is regarded as the one true God-and-true-man and the only incarnation on earth of the Godhead. In Buddhism, however, the Buddha is seen as a model through which the incarnation is experienced within oneself. Similar beliefs are also present in other religions of the Orient. THOU ART THAT is a useful introduction to the work of Joseph Campbell. The contributions of Eugene Kennedy as the book's editor are outstanding.
Rating: 
Summary: Caveat Emptor
Review: Campbell was quite prolific; why would he have published such a very short book? He didn't, actually, it was put together posthumously. Understanding the editor is key to understanding this book. I found odd that such a short book could nonetheless be so incoherent and incomprehensible. After researching its editor, Eugene C. Kennedy, it made sense. What the publishers of this book don't tell you (don't want you to know?) is that Eugene C. Kennedy was a Catholic Maryknoll priest for 22 years, teaches at the Jesuit Loyola University, and is the author of such classics of humanist mythological studies as "Would You Like to be a Catholic?" and "Cardinal Bernadin's Stations of the Cross". This information puts "Thou Art That" into perspective. The book starts out with (ex-)Father Kennedy's preposterous assertion that Campbell had some kind of deathbed conversion. Apparently Campbell's wife put Campbell in a Catholic hospital, then claimed that her husband had spent his entire life studying spirituality, mythology, and archetypes without ever once in his life "experiencing emotionally" their meaning... until he saw some kind of Catholic religious image before he died. This sounds like wishful thinking on the part of the "Doctrine of the Faith" department. I very much doubt this happened; the assertion puts Campbell's entire life's work into question. What kind of person could write about something his whole life without ever experiencing it emotionally? Reading Kennedy's selection of Campbell's works is like reading Thomas Aquinas's selection of Arisotle's works: the result is a confused, disjointed mess, because the material has been gerrymandered in a sometimes desperate attempt to make the author more palatable to Catholic theology. It appears that very little of Campbell's work suits Kennedy's purposes, which would explain why the book is both so short and so fragmentary. At the very least, such an editing misrepresents the author. Here's some Latin that the editor should have shared with you: "caveat emptor".
Rating:
Summary: Caveat Emptor
Review: Campbell was quite prolific; why would he have published such a very short book? He didn't, actually, it was put together posthumously. Understanding the editor is key to understanding this book. I found odd that such a short book could nonetheless be so incoherent and incomprehensible. After researching its editor, Eugene C. Kennedy, it made sense. What the publishers of this book don't tell you (don't want you to know?) is that Eugene C. Kennedy was a Catholic Maryknoll priest for 22 years, teaches at the Jesuit Loyola University, and is the author of such classics of humanist mythological studies as "Would You Like to be a Catholic?" and "Cardinal Bernadin's Stations of the Cross". This information puts "Thou Art That" into perspective. The book starts out with (ex-)Father Kennedy's preposterous assertion that Campbell had some kind of deathbed conversion. Apparently Campbell's wife put Campbell in a Catholic hospital, then claimed that her husband had spent his entire life studying spirituality, mythology, and archetypes without ever once in his life "experiencing emotionally" their meaning... until he saw some kind of Catholic religious image before he died. This sounds like wishful thinking on the part of the "Doctrine of the Faith" department. I very much doubt this happened; the assertion puts Campbell's entire life's work into question. What kind of person could write about something his whole life without ever experiencing it emotionally? Reading Kennedy's selection of Campbell's works is like reading Thomas Aquinas's selection of Arisotle's works: the result is a confused, disjointed mess, because the material has been gerrymandered in a sometimes desperate attempt to make the author more palatable to Catholic theology. It appears that very little of Campbell's work suits Kennedy's purposes, which would explain why the book is both so short and so fragmentary. At the very least, such an editing misrepresents the author. Here's some Latin that the editor should have shared with you: "caveat emptor".
Rating:
Summary: A Must Read!
Review: If one has any history with, or lives in a society influenced by the Judeo-Christian tradition, regardless of religious affiliation, this book will help you gain insight into some of your deepest questions. The only draw-back, as with the other posthumous Campbell books, is that it's more or less a compilation from various discourses. So it helps if you're familiar with several of Campbell's works. Even still, accepting that there is no driving thesis, one still comes away with a central understanding that the Bible has an equal place (not an exalted place) with the world mythologies. Fundamentalists may go into this journey with a critical eye, buth they can't deny the spiritual evaluation Campbell reverently evokes when putting Biblical mythology in proper context - with the universe and with yourself, for thou art that.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating, inspiring work
Review: It's interesting. I've read a couple of previous reviews and they seem to be positive (except the dot to dot thing--what's with that? smells like random spam to me....), but complain that the book isn't expansive enough. Hmmm. I found Thou Art That to be JUST mindblowing ENOUGH. The ideas were cogent and thought-bending. I enjoyed the breezy tone, but didn't feel like anything was getting skipped. Honestly, I loved it.
Rating: 
Summary: An Encyclopedic Knowledge of Mythology
Review: Joseph Campbell is a brilliant thinker with an encyclopedic knowledge of mythology. THOU ART THAT, however, is filled with dense material and is not an easy read without some prior familiarity with Campbell's work - such as his TV interviews with Bill Moyers. I am also beginning to read books by some of the Jesus Seminar scholars and I find that Campbell's writings are somewhat similar while his interests are much broader in scope.
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