In this episode of Pathways with Joseph Campbell, we explore Campbell’s 1976 lecture Symbols of the Christian Faith, where he examines how the great motifs of Christianity - creation, fall, redemption, virgin birth, resurrection - are not literal events to be defended but universal metaphors meant to open us to the mystery of being. Campbell shows how these symbols appear across cultures, pointing toward a shared psychological and spiritual vocabulary. He reflects on why traditional symbols lose their power in the modern world, and why reclaiming their inward, transformative meaning matters more than ever. Rather than asking whether these stories are fact, Campbell invites us to ask the deeper question: What are these symbols doing in you? Host Bradley Olson introduces the lecture and offers a commentary at the end.
In this episode of Pathways with Joseph Campbell, we explore Campbell’s 1976 lecture Symbols of the Christian Faith, where he examines how the great motifs of Christianity - creation, fall, redemption, virgin birth, resurrection - are not literal events to be defended but universal metaphors meant to open us to the mystery of being. Campbell shows how these symbols appear across cultures, pointing toward a shared psychological and spiritual vocabulary. He reflects on why traditional symbols lose their power in the modern world, and why reclaiming their inward, transformative meaning matters more than ever. Rather than asking whether these stories are fact, Campbell invites us to ask the deeper question: What are these symbols doing in you? Host Bradley Olson introduces the lecture and offers a commentary at the end.