If you've ever seen Star Wars (Episode IV, the original), then you are familiar with the hero's quest. This particular piece of mythology was popularized by Joseph Campbell, a professor at Sarah Lawrence College and world-renowned expert in comparative mythology. In Goddesses: Mysteries of the Feminine Divine, he tackles the idea of the female in religion. He goes from what little we know of the Old Stone Age to the 13th century, the century of the Virgin Mary. It 's pretty amazing to see the image of divine mother and child remain almost unchanged through millenia, no matter how patriarchal societies try to abolish or demote the feminine aspect of spirituality, and that's just one example.
As for how the book is written: the editor, Safron Rossi, Ph.D., is pulling together notes from lectures and workshops as Joseph Campbell, who died in 1987, did not get the chance to write a complete book on the subject himself. The tone is scholarly, and sometimes a bit dry. It helps if you know your Greek mythology, but it isn't necessary. This is not to put anyone off: the ideas are fascinating, even if one does not always agree with them. They are also expressed with some humor, to make thinking big thoughts a little more fun. I definitely recommend this book for when you have some time on your hands, and an interest in where we come from spiritually.
Other books you may like:
The Hero with A Thousand Faces (Joseph Campbell) Joseph Campbell's most famous work, a good introduction into thinking about mythology.
The Myth of the Goddess(Anne Baring and Jules Cashford) Looks at images of the goddess through the ages, with many illustrations.
The Language of the Goddess(Marija Gimbutas) A seminal work on prehistoric religion.
The Goddesses' Mirror(David Kinsley) Looks at the portrayal of the goddess, not only in the west, but in Asian traditions as well.
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