Spiritual Archives

History of Religion: From Animism to Communism

The history of religion is vast. What are the main turning points in the history of religion? How has religion unified mankind? How has it divided us? The history of religion starts with animism and progresses through the rise of polytheism, monotheism, and natural law religions. Each type of religion influenced the ones that came later, and today we see the legacies of them. We’ll cover the history of religion from the animism of our forager ancestors to some of the most widespread religions today.

Crossing the Return Threshold: The Hero’s Journey, Stage 15

What is stage 15 of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey? What is the significance of “crossing the return threshold”? Crossing the return threshold is the stage of the hero’s journey in which the hero returns to the ordinary world with their divine boon in hand. Crossing the threshold is stage 15 of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey, from The Hero with a Thousand Faces. We’ll cover what crossing the return threshold entails and look at two examples of this stage of the hero’s journey.

Belief in Many Gods: The Origin of Polytheism

What is the belief in many gods? What were the benefits of polytheism for our ancestors? Polytheism is the belief in many gods. After the Agricultural Revolution, our ancestors worshipped gods in return for dominance over plants and animals. We’ll cover the rise of polytheism and how polytheism is inherently tolerant of diversities in race, culture, and lifestyle.

Buddha’s Hero’s Journey Toward Enlightenment

How does Buddha’s journey toward enlightenment follow the hero’s journey, as described in Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces? What was the Buddha’s “call to action”? In Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey, every significant adventure in mythology and religion starts with a call to action. We’ll cover how the Buddha’s journey conforms to the hero’s journey and what the Buddha’s call to action was.

Origin of Monotheism: People Played Favorites With One God

What is the origin of monotheism? How did our ancestors move from worshipping many gods to worshipping a single God? The origin of monotheism is in the individual’s fondness for one particular god in a polytheistic religion. People started worshipping a single, favorite god, and this single god retained the biases and interests of the polytheistic gods. We’ll cover the origin of monotheism from polytheism and how this lay the foundation for some of the most widespread religions today.

Mythology and Psychology: Myth Tells Us Who We Are

What is the relationship between mythology and psychology? How do psychologists serve the function of storytellers in the past? We’ll cover how mythology led to psychology, the psychological aspects of ancient mythology, and why mythology is still relevant today.

Gilgamesh’s Quest for Immortality: Why He Had to Fail

What happens in the ancient epic when King Gilgamesh seeks immortality? How does Gilgamesh’s immortality-search align with Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey? And why isn’t Gilgamesh successful? We’ll cover the elements of King Gilgamesh’s search for immortality and discuss why he had to fail in this endeavor, according to the standards of the hero’s journey popularized in The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

Non-Theistic Religion: Deep Beliefs Without Gods

What are non-theistic religions? Is nontheism different than atheism? What is nontheism’s definition? Non-theistic religions are religions that do not require or espouse the belief in a God or gods. Non-theistic religions often don’t say God doesn’t exist, as atheism does; gods just aren’t part of their belief systems. We’ll cover some of the most common non-theistic religions, go deeper into the nontheism definition, and look at how they influence the world today.

Inanna: The Sumerian Goddess’s Hero’s Journey

Who is the goddess Inanna? How does Inanna’s journey to the underworld follow the hero’s journey, as described in Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces? We’ll cover the Sumerian goddess Inanna’s journey to the underworld and how it conforms to the template of the hero’s journey.

Jordan Peterson: Why We Lack Meaning Today

In 12 Rules for Life, Jordan Peterson discusses why our lives feel so meaningless today. Why do we feel so aimless, like our efforts don’t matter, that our lives might ultimately not matter either? It all has to do with the fall of religion and the rise of secularism. Read more about Jordan Peterson’s meaning philosophy, and how to find it in your own life.