The Hero’s Journey vs. The Disciple’s Journey

One of the most celebrated frameworks for understanding story is The Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell. It is the most celebrated approach to writing a story for novelists, screenwriters, and filmmakers today. Campbell captured the imagination of George Lucas and countless creatives. His unique claim was that all stories were just echoes of one great myth. He claimed there is no true story, but all stories have slivers and hints of truth found in this one overarching myth that encapsulated his meta-narrative, which he called the monomyth.

The Hero’s Journey claims to be the meta-narrative that encapsulates all religions and stories, but if we look closely, we will discover that the Christian call to discipleship doesn’t fit that paradigm. While we should acknowledge similarities, the Christian life provides both a different perspective, and a unique benefit.

The Longing for Story

Why do we care about stories? We all want to make sense of our lives, and we know intuitively that stories are the vehicle for giving meaning to our lives. We need to know how things end to understand the benefits of integrity and the consequences of evil. This is part of what forms our moral imagination. Our heart and our imagination are looking to see, will evil characters face justice, and will good triumph over evil.
More than just a desire for stories that inform our moral imagination, we all want to be the character that faces adversity with courage, triumphs over evil, and becomes the hero of our own story. No matter where you were born, your race, or whether you are male or female, your heart longs to be at the center of the story.

There is a problem. In every good story there are side kicks, supporting roles, and characters who need to be rescued. The curious problem is that none of us want to be the one who is in need of rescue. We want to be the savior, the hero, the triumphant leader or the valiant warrior. And, like David slaying Goliath, there may be times where it looks like we are that rescuer. There are times as parents that we are wonderful protectors of our children. These are beautiful things. The problem occurs when we become myopic and fail to widen our view to see the entire landscape and broader narrative.
We are not good parents in a vacuum. David did not travel to the front lines of the battle and slay Goliath as the central character in the Bible. These parents, and warriors like David, or courageous women like Esther, possess a level of courage, and a beautiful capacity to protect and care for others for two reasons. First, they are made in the Image of God, and their good desires originate in God. This is at the very heart of why we want justice, and why we will risk our lives to pursue justice. It is not something that originates within us. Second, we are small protectors and warriors who are imitating the grand protection and fight for justice that God alone can provide. God is working through us to celebrate the beautiful, promote the good, and to pursue that which is true. He inspires us, calls us, loves us, directs us, and works through us. Without him, these stories would not exist.

Joseph Campbell did not believe in a transcendent God, so he did not have eyes to see this larger story. Like pantheists and pagans who don’t believe in a God who is a Creator, they must shrink the God of the Bible down to the size of other gods in order for their assumptions and their conclusions to make sense. Joseph was fascinated by the similarities among myths, fairy tales, and epic poems. But his analysis, and proposed monomyth are too narrowly focused. The Christian Worldview opens us up to a broader perspective that is more freeing and inspiring when properly understood. If we examine each phase of Campbell’s paradigm, we can see why his approach is attractive in art schools and film schools, but we can also see that the story of Scripture provides us with a better story.

The Call to Adventure vs. The Call to Follow Christ

In Campbell’s model, at the beginning of all stories we encounter the protagonist being called to adventure, often reluctantly. It may be through tragedy as in Star Wars, where, after losing his family, Luke Skywalker connects with Obi-Wan Kenobi and chooses to join the fight against the Empire. Or it may be like The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien, where Frodo Baggins is entrusted with the One Ring and must leave the Shire to destroy the ring. They weren’t looking for adventure. Their life was interrupted, and their journey began.

In the life of Christ’s disciples, this appears to be the same. No matter their occupation, from fishermen to tax collectors, Jesus calls His followers to leave everything and follow Him (Matthew 4:19-20). They weren’t looking for an adventure, but there was something about the voice of Jesus saying, “Come and follow me.” They are not clear on what it means, but something compels them to leave their jobs and follow Jesus.
The difference is that the hero in Campbell’s stories is on a quest for personal growth and glory, while the disciples are following Jesus, not knowing what it means to them personally. They are being mentored and shepherded by the one who called them, and they are learning to follow Christ regardless of their own glory.

Trials, Suffering, and Transformation

In the Hero’s Journey, young women and men face obstacles, meet mentors, and grow in strength and wisdom. Throughout the journey, it is personal growth, courage, and wisdom that are developing. Suffering is seen as part of the journey to help you develop your strength. But, in Campbell’s final assessment, the journey is only about you. Other characters, or even ideas of a God or gods, are simply there to assist you in your journey. There is no one looking out for you. It is all up to you, and your ability to rise to the occasion.

In Christian Discipleship, there are similarities. Believers also endure suffering, are refined by trials, and grow in wisdom, courage and strength. But there is a subtle difference that is happening inside their spiritual life. For the Christian, suffering is not only about our personal development. Suffering is part of the Christian life that serves as a path to deeper intimacy with a loving God, as we identify with Christ in His death and His resurrection (Romans 6:3-8). God uses this suffering to draw us close to Him (Romans 5:3-5). So, the struggles are not just about testing us or making us stronger. They are used by God to help us to rely on Him in the midst of struggles. It seems counterintuitive at first, but this is where we find a peace that passes understanding and a joy unquenchable.

Maturity in the Christian life is found in growing closer to Christ, depending upon Him, and becoming more vulnerable and intimate with God through prayer and obedience along the journey. This is why faith is such a vital part of the Christian’s spiritual journey. We don’t often see the purpose of our current struggles, but we trust in a God who loves us and is overseeing our journey. We are never alone. He is with us.

The hero’s journey is all about self-development; The disciple’s journey is about fellowship with the one, true God who loves you. This is the God who is the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) We still experience spiritual growth, and development of our gifts, but we have a loving God who guarantees we will arrive to the finish line. 

Victory: Self-Actualization vs. Surrender

In Campbell’s Monomyth, we see ourselves as the hero. We are beckoned to follow this call, like Odysseus when he is called to fight in the Trojan War. Or it may be like Neo in the movie The Matrix, when Morpheus offers him the choice to wake up to reality or stay in the ignorance of the matrix. Does he take the blue pill or the red pill? It is up to him. The hero is shown as someone who embarks on a journey, achieves a kind of mastery, overcomes the final challenge, and often returns with newfound power or wisdom. In the end, it is about the self. It is about developing new skills and realizing new truths.

In the life of the Christian disciple, the believer’s ultimate victory is not only found along the road of trials, obstacles, and tests. It is also found in learning to trust God and understanding their identity in God. King David was called by God when he was but a boy, taking care of the sheep. God gifted him and called him to fight Goliath, but David knew it was not only his story. David’s identity was not simply that of a giant slayer, but “A man after God’s own heart.” David was called not only to bravery, but into a spiritual relationship with the God of the universe. The psalms drip with the intimate passion, joy, and tears as David rejoices, sings, and cries out to this God who is closer than a brother or friend. Mere warrior accomplishments were not what satisfied his soul. He saw not only that God is sovereign, but also that God is good, and loving.

As we examine these dynamics, we can see that there are similarities, but there are also differences. The hero’s journey is about self-discovery and personal achievement. Each man or woman is proving their worth as they learn to overcome the challenges before them. In contrast, the life of a disciple, or follower of Christ, is about so much more. We never finish a journey with mere battle victories, or psychological triumphs. No. Those may happen, but we are being ushered into something much more precious. We are being ushered into a deeply healing and transcendent relationship with the God of the universe, who not only called us, but loves us, and created us for a purpose.

Appearance vs Substance

The journey for the Christian and Campbell’s Hero may often look the same from the outside. Great heroes of the faith stand up to tyrants, speak truth to evil leaders who oppress the poor, and fight for justice. Just like the great heroes of Campbell’s Monomyth, disciples of Jesus will also defend the truth, celebrate beauty, and fight for what is good. This is true, because God has designed all of us to bring order out of chaos, to shine the light in the darkness, and to celebrate the goodness of God.

Here’s the problem. Campbell’s heroes may fight the good fight, but in the end, it is hollow. Campbell misses the wisdom of Søren Kierkegaard’s three stages of life. We must move beyond the simply sensual or 1) Aesthetic Stage, where everything is about us and our accomplishments. We also must not stop by embracing a life focused on the moral and 2) Ethical Stage. It is not sufficient to be fair, honest, and just. We were designed for and are only satisfied when we understand that the final stage is the 3) Religious Stage. But, we must recognize that for Kierkegaard, and authentic disciples of Christ, the Religious Stage is not about going through the motions of some religion. Søren was talking about a personal relationship with God through faith. This is a robust, mature, spiritual life of a man or woman who is truly alive to all God promises.

Campbell’s hero is only fighting for their own glory, or the glory of their tribe. It is absent of the deep communion and fellowship with the God of the universe who gave them their gifts, their courage, and their ability to triumph. To an atheist, it may appear satisfying, and it is to a point. But, to a disciple of Christ, it is hollow.

Disciples and followers of Christ have something else that may not be seen from the outside. They have peace in the storm, joy even in prison, angels to comfort them, brothers and sisters to share the journey with, and a profound, deep, spiritual connection with the God of all Creation.

The disciple realizes it was never about us, as they learn the beauty of a life of worship (Matthew 16:25). We still fight hard, work with all our hearts, and love with a deep well of love and forgiveness. But all of this becomes an act of worship to the God who loves us. As a result, we begin to understand who we are in Christ, and what a privilege it is to be both a child of God and an ambassador for God. We realize we don’t deserve it. We acknowledge how deep this love is, which comes from our father in heaven. And we commit our lives to worshiping God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. We are found in Him, and our story makes sense as we see how it fits into His larger story.

This is the paradox that many who are not followers of Christ have such a hard time comprehending. It is what Joseph Campbell never understood. We find greater freedom and joy, as we learn to live life for God rather than for our own glory. As we give up seeking our own joy, glory, and crown, we find something infinitely more precious. We still fight with courage and overcome adversity, but we are not alone. There is a deeper well from which to drink, which the martyrs have especially demonstrated over the centuries. Not even death can rob us of this intimate joy and freedom. We continue to experience it in greater measure as we move from life in this world, to life with God in the New Jerusalem.

One Final Difference, and Problem with Campbell’s Monomyth

The last key distinctive is that the Bible is not a compendium of made-up stories. These 66 books within the Bible are written accounts of historical events, corroborated by archaeology, and other ancient near eastern texts. Archeologists I studied under in Jerusalem use the Bible as a textbook for their digs and excavations. Why? Because the Israelites really were slaves in Egypt, Solomon built the city of Jerusalem with an awe-inspiring Temple, and Jesus was a real man who lived, died, and rose again. These are not made-up myths like those of the Greeks, Romans, or other nations. C.S. Lewis responded in this way:

“Now the story of Christ is simply a true myth:
a myth working on us in the same way as the others,
but with this tremendous difference that it really happened.”

Lewis saw the power of myths. The difference is that this one is true, and therefore all other myths become but echoes of the Gospel. Similarities in other myths exist because God has placed within humanity a longing for a savior who would rescue us not only from evil and injustice in the world, but from the sin within. The Gospel always points us back to the one true God who would die to rescue us, redeem us, and restore us. He is the ultimate savior, lover, warrior, good king, just judge, and final victor. Our hope is in God’s character, and in the story He is writing throughout history.

Conclusion

As an artist or creative professional, the ideas you embrace inform your life and your creative work. Taking time to compare cultural approaches with the truth of the Gospel are essential for understanding how to live a life of wisdom and discernment. It is our prayer, that the art you create and the life you live will have a profound and lasting impact on your audience. The beauty of such art and daily living are the result of growing deeper in your faith while you grow your career or artistic ventures.
Have you noticed the difference between Joseph Campbell and the Gospel? Was this helpful? Are there other issues you would like us to address? Let us know in the comments down below. And remember these words from Hebrews 12:1-2:

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith.”
– Hebrews 12:1-2

Copyright © 2025 Joel & Michelle Pelsue. All Rights Reserved. Used with Permission.

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