Joseph J. Campbell 'The Hero with a Thousand Faces' - Essay Example

Introduction Many people ascribe the attainment of success to certain pathways. To an American lecturer, mythologist and writer Joseph J. Campbell (March 26, 1904 – October 30, 1987), there is no recanting of these pathways, only that he is specific of them, as can be seen in his treatise, The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949). Campbell’s monomyth (also known as a hero’s journey) is an essential pattern that a person who is to become a hero must take, in order to become a hero. It is a matter of great interest that most people who are fit being regarded as hero, have led a life that is commensurate with Campbell’s monomyth and this includes the life, times and achievements of Martin Luther, the German monk, professor of theology, the head figure of the Great Reformation of the 16th century Christianity (Protestant Reformation) and former Catholic priest. This element of consistency between the two shall be seen in the discussion that ensues forthwith. According to Campbell, the first stage that the potential hero has to experience is the experiencing of the ordinary world. Herein, the individual becomes uncomfortable, unaware or uneasy as he is introduced to the audience, so as to identify with his situation or dilemma. The individual may be depicted against a background of personal history, heredity and environmental background. Particularly, there is a strong element of polarity in the life of the individual and thereby pulling him in different diametric directions, causing him stress. The immediately foregoing can also be seen in the life of Martin Luther (November 10, 1483- February 18, 1546), a man of German nationality who grew up to be a monk, a priest, a theologian and the professor who authored the 95 theses. Having been born into the Holy Roman Empire, Luther rose up to be a Catholic priest. At the time, the religious environment in which Luther operated and lived was putrid with complacency, since the Roman Catholic Church: was practicing the selling of indulgences; suffered covertly the popes and members of the clergy to keep mistresses; continued to operate as an integral part of the state; neither regard the teachings of Biblical Scriptures nor taught the same to the laity; and had amassed a vast pool of wealth illegitimately, through these means. Even life outside the Church was not any better. The raunchy lifestyle that had suffused the rest of Germany is underscored by Luther referring to University of Erfurt which he had attended as a beerhouse and a whorehouse (Maritain, 75). Secondly, there is a call to adventure. Herein, there is an element that shakes up the situation. These elements may emanate either from external pressures, or from internal pressure. This pressure compels the hero to face the beginnings of change. One of the events that clearly served as a call to adventure for Martin Luther was the July 2, 1505 incident. Herein, Luther was riding on a horseback on his way to the university when a lightning bolt struck near him. He made a cry for help and promised to become a monk- a development that seriously infuriated his father who had invested heavily in Luther’s education. Later, after he had become a priest, Luther’s encounter with St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (especially Romans 1:17) seriously woke him up to the spiritual reality that was contradictory to the Catholic Church’s teachings and practices. This encounter compelled Luther to read more and to begin questioning the practices pertinent to Catholicism, until he was convinced that Catholicism was not in line with Scriptural teachings. The foregoing may be succeeded by the refusal to call. This refusal may be underpinned by the fear of the unknown and any danger that may lie ahead, and thereby dissuading the individual from embarking on the adventure. This usually happens briefly. It is a fact that even after the lightning bolt incident, Luther was somewhat reluctant to join the monastery, even though he answered the call almost immediately. Secondly, even after the encounter with Romans 1:17, Luther remained in Catholicism and its clerical duties for a while. Another important stage that the hero will encounter is his appointment with his mentor. According to Campbell, usually, this mentor is a seasoned traveler who has traversed different worlds, so that he is able to give the upcoming hero training, equipment and advice, to help throughout the journey. Conversely, the hero may realize and tap into the source of his wisdom and courage. It is given that Luther was able to tap into gems of wisdom that had been inculcated in him by Johan von Staupitz who taught Luther that penance was not continual reflections on one’s sins, but on the merits of Christ, and did not involve the actualization of self-inflicted penances, but a change of heart instead (Stang, 89). There is also the crossing of the threshold by the hero. At this juncture, the hero makes commitment to leaving the Ordinary World and enters a new condition or region which is characterized by unfamiliar values and rules. The crossing of the threshold for Martin Luther is when he nailed the 95 theses to the wooden door of All Saints’ Church which is in Wittenberg, on October 31, 1517. The books he had written also fall within this category. Once the hero has crossed the threshold into the unfamiliar, he encounters tests, allies and foes. However, this is to test the hero and make him identify his allegiances in the Special World. Truly, Luther became subject to disciplinary action, persecution, attacks on his character and ultimately excommunication. According to Atkinson, on May 25, 1521, Luther was declared an outlaw to be arrested and all his literature were legally banned by the Diet of Worms. Specifically, the Diet of Worms permitted anyone to kill Luther without sustaining any legal or criminal responsibility. Pope Leo X even went on to issue Bull against the errors of Martin Luther in 1521. All these were Luther’s trials, while their perpetrators, the clergy in the Catholic Church became Luther’s foes (Atkinson, 135). The hero then gets to the approach stage, where he (together with his new allies) gets ready for the major challenge that is to be encountered in the Special world. This stage is consistent with the life and activities of Luther since the mailing of the 95 Theses was not an end in itself. In January 1518, Luther’s friends helped him translate and print the 95 Theses from Latin to German. Within two weeks, the copies of these theses had suffused Germany, and after 2 months, the entire Europe. He also preached his message wherever he went. These sparked a religious awakening. All the above developments are followed by the unfolding of the actual ordeal. This usually happens in the middle of the story, where the hero enters a central space in the Special World and thereby confronts his greatest fear, or even death. Out of this moment of crises or death comes a new life. According to Friedenthal, Luther encountered this part of life when he was excommunicated and striped of his bishopric (and thereby making him unemployed and with no source of earning a living), declared an outlaw and had his book banned. He was also compelled to run away from Wittenberg to save himself from death and arbitrary arrest (Friedenthal, 389). There is also the realization of rewards. At this juncture, the hero takes possession of the treasure by the virtue of facing the aforementioned crises, fear or death. There may be the celebration of the hero’s victory. Nevertheless, it is also true that there is a danger of forfeiting the treasure again, especially if the hero undergoes recidivism. Luther was satisfied in the fact that his initiatives had made him: right with God; had started off the Protestant Reformation of the Church; and had brought many to understand what being a Christian means and to Christ (Luther, 77). There is also the road back which the hero has to make. Herein, the hero is driven back to complete the adventure he had began, and thereby leaving the Special World, so as to ensure that the ultimate treasure is seized. This usually happens around three-fourths of the development into the story. More often than not, there is a chase scene which signals the danger and urgency of the mission. Indeed, this happened when Luther was at the Wartburg Castle. Reu divulges that, likening the experience to St. John’s Patmos, he excelled in this trial by: translating the New Testament from Greek to German; penning down many polemical doctrinal writings; and expounded on the principle of the doctrine of justification. Because of these works, the Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz halted the selling of indulgences among his episcopates (Reu, 99). There is also a climax where the hero is thoroughly tested or tried once more, usually on the threshold of home. This stage is usually referred to as the resurrection. At this stage, the hero gets purified by the ultimate sacrifice, since this sacrifice is also another moment of death and rebirth, albeit on a higher and more comprehensive and complete level. The polarities that were conflicting in the hero’s life at the beginning of the journey to success are finally resolved through the hero’s action. At this juncture, from Wartburg, Luther made his pronouncement and continued to preach eight sermons on March 9, 1522, wrote several treatises including During my Absence to Elector, and inspired the Zwickau Prophets to continue with the revolutionary message of the universal equality of man, Christ’s imminent return and adult baptism (Nettl, 174 & Erikson, 55). Finally, the hero gets to return home with the elixir. Conversely, the hero may continue with the journey, though he may bear some element of the treasure which has the potency to change the world, just as the hero has been transformed. This elixir was the Reformation of the Church which Luther had began, the messages he preached to the same effect, the translation of the New Testament from Greek to German, the treatises he wrote and the spiritual awakening he heralded. Because of these values that Luther brought with him, the Church changed for the better. Works Cited Atkinson, James. Martin Luther and the Birth of Protestantism. London: Harmondsworth Publishing & Penguin Books, 2008. Print Erikson, Erik. Young Man Luther: A Study in Psychoanalysis and History. New York: W. W. Norton, 2008. Print Friedenthal, Richard. Luther, His Life and Times. New York: Harcourt, 2001. Print Luther, M. The Bondage of the Will. New Jersey: Old Tappan, 2007. Print Maritain, Jacques. Three Reformers: Martin Luther, Rene Descartes & Jean Jacques Rousseau. New York: C. Scriber's Sons, 2003. Print Nettl, Paul. Luther and Music. New York: Russell & Russell, 2008. Print Reu, Michael. Thirty-five Years of Luther Research. NY: Wartburg Publishing House, 2007. Print Stang, William. The Life of Martin Luther. New York: Pustet & Co. 2004. Print Read More