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.

More episodes of Pathways with Joseph Campbell

• Bonus: Maya and the Mask of the Divine · February 17, 2026 · 48 min
• EP 48: The Vitality of Myth · February 3, 2026 · 1h 28m
• Bonus: Archetypes of the Christ Legend · January 20, 2026 · 1h 5m
• EP 47: Mythology & Folklore · January 6, 2026 · 1h 22m
• Bonus: The Gods of Egypt · December 16, 2025 · 27 min
• EP 46: Symbols of the Christian Faith · December 2, 2025 · 1h 26m

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