Occidental Mythology

The Masks of God, Volume III

Explore the power of myth as it flowered in the ancient Near East and the Classical World

In this third volume of The Masks of God - Joseph Campbell’s major work of comparative mythology - the preeminent mythologist looks at the pagan religions of Greece, Rome, and the Celts, as well as the Abrahamic religions - Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Exploring the West’s shift from female-centered to male-centered mythology, Campbell examines the distinguishing characteristics and the shared root concepts of these mythologies. The Masks of God is a four-volume study of world religion and myth that stands as one of Joseph Campbell’s masterworks.

On completing it, he wrote: “Its main result for me has been the confirmation of a thought I have long and faithfully entertained: of the unity of the race of man, not only in its biology, but also in its spiritual history, which has everywhere unfolded in the manner of a single symphony, with its themes announced, developed, amplified and turned about, distorted, reasserted, and today, in a grand fortissimo of all sections sounding together, irresistibly advancing to some kind of mighty climax, out of which the next great movement will emerge.”

©1964; 2017 Joseph Campbell. Digital Edition; Joseph Campbell Foundation (JCF). (P)2018 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Marvelous

Another masterpiece of scholarship and insight my Joseph Campbell. It’s a real pity it’s received as of this moment only 53 reviews, though overall nearly 5 star rating. I surmise many Christian’s won’t appreciate his insights into Christianity, same with the Jews and Muslims, which may be why Campbell and his work is essentially unheard of or ignored by the orthodox of any abrahamic sect.

Great listen

Narration is perfect for the genre. Campbell is always a must read. The entire series is amazing.

A worthy volume

This is a worthy addition to the Masks of God series. It is a piece of world literature.

Broad overview, rich in detail

Just love this series. This volume is one of my favorites as we see the development of belief systems in the three major religions today and early European mythos. He has a unique and easy to follow way of communicating this to the listener. Great narrator as well makes this a very enjoyable addition to anyones audio library!