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Politics of Myth, The (Suny Series, Issues in the Study of Religion) (Paperback)

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Product Description

The Politics of Myth examines the political views implicit in the mythological theories of three of the most widely read popularizers of myth in the twentieth century, C. G. Jung, Mircea Eliade, and Joseph Campbell. All three had intellectual roots in the anti-modern pessimism and romanticism that also helped give rise to European fascism, and all three have been accused of fascist and anti-Semitic sentiments. At the same time, they themselves tended toward individualistic views of the power of myth, believing that the world of ancient myth contained resources that could be of immense help to people baffled by the ambiguities and superficiality of modern life.

Robert Ellwood details the life and thought of each mythologist and the intellectual and spiritual world within which they worked. He reviews the damaging charges that have been made about their politics, taking them seriously while endeavoring to put them in the context of the individual's entire career and lifetime contribution. Above all, he seeks to extract from their published work the view of the political world that seems most congruent with it.

About the Author

Robert Ellwood is Professor of Religion Emeritus at the University of Southern California, and the author of numerous books including The History and Future of Faith, The Sixties Spiritual Awakening, and The Fifties Spiritual Marketplace.

Product Details

Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: State University of New York Press (August 26, 1999)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 079144306X
ISBN-13: 978-0791443064
Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #318,621 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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3.8 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)

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26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ian Myles Slater on: Three World-Views, October 21, 2003

By	Ian M. Slater "aylchanan" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)

Professor Ellwood very properly informs the reader that he was himself a student of Mircea Eliade at the University of Chicago, so I suppose that I should mention that I am an acquaintance of Professor Ellwood (although not a student, but a fellow Tolkien-fan). However, I am taking the time to review the book mainly because I enjoyed it tremendously, and learned a great deal from it. I would suggest it to anyone who has read a little of any, or all three, of the writers it presents, and is considering reading more. Doing so should reduce arguments about these sometimes-controversial figures, or at least put them on a better intellectual foundation.

"The Politics of Myth" analyzes the political and social thought -- or lack of thought -- of three influential writers of the middle and late twentieth century. It provides enough biographical detail to keep the reader grounded in reality, and just enough information on their theories of mythology to show how much, or how little, they are related to the cultural and political environments in which the three men worked. The story of their influence also receives some coverage, particularly in connection with the Bollingen Foundation's publications of Jung and Eliade, and Campbell's role as editor for the Bollingen Series.

Eliade and Jung both have had large readerships for relatively difficult writers on often esoteric subjects, and simplified versions of their views are widely distributed, not always accurately, or with attribution. The large number of people who became familiar with Joseph Campbell through Public Television will here discover something of his place in the intellectual world.

The book is neither an indictment nor a defense of these writers on mythology (among other subjects). I finished my first reading with some definite impressions. Eliade, sometimes dismissed as a Romanian Fascist, comes off as a disturbingly unpolitical man in an age of totalitarianisms, never quite grasping that his early literary celebrity in his native country made him a valuable asset to any movement which, even falsely, claimed him as a supporter. Jung appears as a hearty Swiss peasant, deeply provincial despite his vast learning and (flashes of) genius, unable or unwilling to see beyond the symbolic exterior of the Nazi movement for a very long time. Campbell, fortunate to live in a more benign political environment, is seen rejoicing that he has freed himself of his Irish Catholic background, not noticing that his disdain for Judaism, distrust of England, and sympathy for Germany, might have something to do with his upbringing. A second reading reminded me that this short book is packed with telling details, and will probably suggest other interpretations to other readers

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37 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful debunker of running myths., December 22, 1999

By	G. James (Colorado Springs, Colorado United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

A refreshing read that gives the details about the lives and times of these three brillian men. It helps to debunk all the soot that has accumulated upon their work from the burning fires of conservatives and the religious right. The attempts to tarnish their names with accusations of anti-semitism and other prejudices fall flat in front of the facts. This book shows that people must deal with the political waves of their own times, but it does not necessarily make them of the same dogmatic ilk.

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Steady at the helm, July 23, 2007

By	Gordon Hill "Explainer" (Las Cruces, NM) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Frequently a scholar's review of other scholars work carries a personal bias, usually unintended, but present nonetheless. Professor Ellwood's progressive exploration of Jung, Eliade and Campbell lives and works as influenced by the political climate of their days is as evenhanded an effort as it has been my pleasure to experience.

For example, he (rightly) examined the varied interpretations of Campbell's mantra, "follow your bliss", without citing the 'correct' one which Campbell himself seemed to leave vague intentionally in accord with the best of human imperatives; e.g., "do unto other..." or "do not do unto others...".

As a bonus, the references are wide ranging and appropriate to the task. What a pity I was never his student, but I can read his work. That the used copies of this work sell for the "new" price may be the best review availble.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Any Mythologist knows the risks
As am academic who has indulged himself in the mystical insights that are commented upon in this text, I can only say that the academic who has taken his time to write about his... Read more

Published on September 21, 2007 by B. Boozer

1.0 out of 5 stars Rot
This is an excellent example of a critic making a name for himself by "reading into" & interpreting (misinterpreting) other hugely respected authors according to one's own... Read more

Published on January 8, 2003 by Gregory Nixon

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