Commentary on the Axial Age
Author: Christopher Chayban
To use Bellah’s term “mythospeculation,” the use of the medium of myth (Axial Age pg.81), we can see that the “Axial Age” had its own myth operating as a kind of “superordinate myth” that all the other myths fell under. The myth of the Axial Age appears to be the myth of individuation. Bellah says that breakdowns are almost a prerequisite for breakthroughs (Axial Age pg.87-88) and one can see this pattern operating on the microcosmic and macrocosmic scales.
The Jungian concept of the “Self” incarnates its numinous energy in different locations and in what appears to be in linear progressions. On the microcosmic scale, at the level of the human, the breakdown in the Axial Age starts with the movement of the Self out of the tribal setting. In primitive societies, the numinous energy is felt in the group as a “participation mystique” where there is no distinction between subject and object. Everyone participates in the ritual and the whole group is uplifted as a result in to the transcendental realm (Axial Age pg.69).
The Self then relocates out of the group and into one individual, the God/King who is now the chief master of the ritual and bridge to the divine. Now it is only this one individual who harbors the archetypal energy and the rest are mere spectators to the spectacle. But even the unity of the God/King becomes broken (Axial Age pg.72) and the Self is found not in one but every individual. Each person once again can experience the Self but this time, not in the form of the group dynamic, but within the individual himself in relation to the divine through personal faith or devotion. The concern in the Axial as well as Post-Axial is personal transformation (Conclusions pg.226). The Gods went from in there and out there, to out there, and now back to in here as imago dei.
On the macrosomic scale, the image dei or the image of the “Self” goes from compacted to differentiated (Axial Age pg.76) in each of the great world religions. As in the microcosm, there is a differentiation and a breakdown of the previous state (Axial Age pg.87-88) and there is a distinct tension of sacred and profane that characterizes the Axial Age (Axial Age pg.76). Each new religion’s breakthrough was a result of compensation for one-sidedness of the old. Although, certain principles that were found useful remained. For example, the Buddha rejected the perversion of ritualism and caste in Hinduism yet kept to the yogic principles of meditation as a bridge to the transcendental realm of nirvana. Jesus was still in relation to the father but rejected the image of wrathful father in exchange for the one of love. Not to mention, he, like the Buddha, was also a symbol of the Self. Islam rejected Christianity’s notion that Jesus was God, but accepts him as a prophet, and says that Mohammed is the last of the Prophets.
Interesting to note, that in the “History of God” documentary, they play a clip of a voice narrating the words of Yahweh, who says, “There will be no God or Gods after me.” So not only do we go through image transformations but also through imagelessness and consolidation of archetypal energy. The first iteration of this seems to be found in the imageless of God in the Islamic religion. And, where we are now, which to my knowledge is not only imageless but also a void or “Godless” after Yahweh and Allah, as secularism increases in popularity.
Fortunately, according to Bellah, he says that one thing that he has learned through all of this is that nothing is ever lost. We have merely found new stories in place of the old ones (Axial Age pg.82, 85). And just like, each successive religion found a new model of reality to replace the old one, it is so likely with us as well, likely through the domain of science. There is debate whether we are in another Axial Age ourselves (Axial Age pg.73).No doubt there has been a break down of all the great world religions, but the question still remains, whether or whether not, there will be a break through.
It makes you wonder if we are returning to the ouroboros and closing the loop again. There seems to be plenty of mass unconsciousness going on and especially with nature. This unconscious and ignorance towards the earth has stimulated many eco projects and one can see the increase and re-interest of going back into nature. Things such a forest bathing, earthing or even just plain environmental conscientiousness like recycling and not using plastic bags are gaining speed. It appears as though the Patriarchy may be swallowed back into the mother, and by that I mean, of course, mother earth through these eco paradigm shifts. The Axial shift could be one of the return to nature, although be it still on the secular scale.
Resources:
(2013, November 27). Retrieved April 21, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJkNs512Lsk
BELLAH, R. N. (2017). RELIGION IN HUMAN EVOLUTION: From the paleolithic to the axial age. Place of publication not identified: BELKNAP HARVARD.
OR
The Axial Age and its consequences. (2012). Cambridge: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.
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