True Myth: C. S. Lewis and Joseph Campbell on the Veracity of Christianity

by James W. Menzies

Each generation asks in its own way, "What does it mean to be human?" In True Myth, James Menzies addresses this question by exploring myth and religion in the thinking of mythologist Joseph Campbell and Oxford don C. S. Lewis.Joseph Campbell understood Christianity as comprised of mythical themes similar to those in other religious and secular myths. Admitting that certain portions of the biblical record are historical, he taught the theological and miraculous aspects as symbolic, as stories in which the reader discovers what it means to be human today.C. S. Lewis defined Christianity, and being truly human, as a relationship between the personal Creator and his creation mediated through faith in his son, Jesus Christ. In contrast to Campbell, Lewis took the theological and miraculous literally. Although Lewis understood how one could see symbolism and lessons for life in miraculous events, he believed they were more than symbolic and indeed took place in human history.Not only does Menzies consider the ways Campbell and Lewis utilize myth in answering the question for their generation, but he also probes the influence and presence of myth in philosophy, media, ethics, history, literature, art, music, and religion in a contemporary context, thus helping readers consider answers for their own age."True Myth is an important book that has long needed to be written. Menzies has done yeoman service in synthesizing a great deal of material on topics that deserve closer examination. While being fair to the legacy of Joseph Campbell, Menzies presents a rich and nuanced understanding of myth that would have pleased C. S. Lewis."--Louis Markos, Professor of English, Houston Baptist University, Greater Sharpstown, TX"For many people, the names Joseph Campbell and C. S. Lewis are immediately recognizable. But popularity does not guarantee a viable philosophy or theology. As the author demonstrates, ideas have consequences. Faith is intensely personal but it must be grounded in truth. If you want to understand these two influential thinkers, start here."--Timothy J. Demy, Professor of Military Ethics, College of Operational & Strategic Leadership, U. S. Naval War College, Newport, RI"Though there are similarities, Lewis and Campbell were quite different in their views of the Campbell did not believe in anything beyond the physical; Lewis did. This book shows how they were the same and yet different in regard to myth, being human, and in many other ways. This is a fine book--and that is a fact, not a myth."--David Naugle, Professor of Philosophy, Dallas Baptist University, Dallas, TXJames Menzies has been a pastor for close to thirty years, serving for the past twenty-five years his home church, Perryville Bible, in Rhode Island. He received his BA and MA from Columbia International University (SC) and his PhD from Salve Regina University, Newport, Rhode Island. He has authored a history of Perryville Bible, A Church in the Place, and resides in Perryville with his wife and daughter.

Genres: Nonfiction, Mythology, Christian, Philosophy

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 25, 2014

Reviews

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find it very useful to have a direct comparison of Lewis and Campbell like this. I think Menzies could have done even more, but this is a great start. Typical of the dissertation-turned-book, Menzies first does some lit review and lays groundwork in the beginning, does comparisons in the middle, and offers final conclusions in the end. His basic thesis is that Lewis and Campbell are similar but different (big surprise, I know) -- both believe in the power of myth, but Campbell thinks we should generally value myth over historicity and religion, while Lewis thinks myth is a way of understanding, or getting into, the Christian religion specifically, and he doesn't sacrifice the historical truths of the gospel.

The writing is a little too simplistic and transparent at times -- Menzies doesn't have a way with words like some other Lewis scholars. Though he seems to favor accessibility over keeping an academic tone, I don't think he goes too far, so I can't fault him for it. In most of the chapters he flips back and forth between Lewis and Campbell: he'll do a paragraph or two solely on Lewis, then a paragraph or two on Campbell, and keep switching. I wish he would have done more direct contrasting within a single paragraph, even a single sentence. And you have to stick with him for a while, as it takes him several chapters to really dig into the ideas and contrast things in a more perceptive way.

Much better than the book on Lewis and Freud: The Question of God: C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud Debate God, Love, Sex, and the Meaning of Life.

[Brian Nebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

2 Great Thinkers on Myth

Recommended for anyone with an interest in myth and how it relates to Christianity. An in depth study of how both Campbell and Lewis worked with myth and their conclusions of how important it can be for humanity in general, and Christians in particular.

[Nathan Nadeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent book on Lewis and Campbell

[G. Salter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing style feels a bit redundant at times, but Menzies does a great job of taking two of the most important 20th-century writers on myth and showing their common ideas as well as their differences.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poorly written and repetitive, but the content is powerful especially as what is said of Campbell applies to Peterson