Date of Award
2019
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts in Religion (MAR)
Committee Chair
Donald Berry
Abstract
The project at hand uncovers two dominant morals of Western otherworldly journeys: herocentrism and theocentrism. The former moral stresses the heroism of the protagonist; the latter stresses God’s presence and power in the universe. Although otherworldly journeys from various traditions present certain similarities, the underlying morals provide profound differences that warrant consideration. Joseph Campbell’s “monomyth” and this thesis’ proposed Otherworldly Paradigm bring to light these underlying morals. This thesis demonstrates that Mesopotamian and Greco-Roman otherworldly journeys present a hero-centered moral, as shown through the monomyth, and the Abrahamic traditions present a Divine-centered moral, as shown through the proposed storyline.
Citation Information
Dey, Zachary James, "Heroes in the Midst of Gods: A Narratological Study of Heroes and the Divine in Mesopotamian, Greco-Roman, and Abrahamic Otherworldly Journeys" (2019). MA in Religion Theses. 6.
https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/religion_etd/6