At the mountains' threshold: a comparative study of religious heroes in the semitic and japanese traditions in the context of monomyth theory

Abstract

This comparative study applies Joseph Campbell's monomyth theory to examine how the classical hero's journey-comprising the phases of departure, initiation, and return-manifests itself in Semitic religions and Japanese religious traditions. The monomyth theory offers a universal paradigm of the hero narrative, enabling a comparison between the narratives of prophets in Semitic religions and the life stories of Japanese Buddhist founders. The study focuses on leading figures in the Semitic tradition (Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad) and important Buddhist monks in the Japanese tradition (K & umacr;kai, Shinran, and Nichiren), aiming to show how the three phases of the monomyth theory appear in both contexts. Despite broad cultural and doctrinal differences, these narratives exhibit striking structural similarities and common motifs. Each figure experiences a departure from society, undergoes a transformative trial in a sacred mountain, cave, or place of seclusion, or has a vision/revelation experience. After this process, which carries the symbolic nature of death and rebirth, these figures/heroes return to establish or renew a religious community. While Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad are depicted in the Semitic tradition as being guided directly by divine revelation, K & umacr;kai, Shinran, and Nichiren are accepted as enlightened figures through mystical experiences. Moses' revelation on Mount Horeb; Jesus's crucifixion on the hill of Golgotha and resurrection in the empty rock tomb; and Muhammad's first vision in the Cave of Hir & amacr;a' find parallels in K & umacr;kai's enlightenment on a sacred peak, Shinran's exile and spiritual rebirth, and Nichiren's near-execution miracle, respectively. These similarities demonstrate that the monomyth theory provides a useful framework for a comparative reading of the life stories of religious founders. Accordingly, this research argues that the monomyth theory reveals similar structural patterns across different faiths and that the concept of Sophia Perennis manifests in unique forms within diverse cultural contexts.