Bonus: The Shaman and the Priest
From Pathways with Joseph Campbell by Joseph Campbell Foundation
November 18, 2025 · 27 min
About this episode
Joseph Campbell contrasts the roles of the shaman and the priest in ancient spiritual lineages.
In this bonus lecture from Campbell’s WNDT TV days in the early 1960's, The Shaman and the Priest, he contrasts two ancient spiritual lineages: the lone visionary who gains power through ordeal, and the priest who serves the continuity of the community. Moving from Paleolithic hunters to Pueblo rituals, he shows how these twin archetypes shape cultures—and the inner life of each of us.
People in this episode
Host: Joseph Campbell
Topics covered
- spirituality
- archetypes
- cultural history
- community
- visionary experiences
Keywords
- shaman
- priest
- spirituality
- archetypes
- Paleolithic
- Pueblo
- community
- visionary
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: The Shaman and the Priest
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