Religion, Literature and the Arts

Publications

A range of publications are available from the Society including conference proceedings, lectures, selected works and audio tapes.

The Society expects the Internet (and possibly CDROM) to play an expanding role in the dissemination of future Society RLA publications. 

Books

RLA Conference Proceedings (sixth) 2001

Seeking the Centre

RLA Press, 2001

AU$ 20

 

RLA Lectures 2000

Mysticism and the Muse 

The Religion, Literature and the Arts Lectures 2000

Colette Rayment (ed)

RLA Press, 2001

70 pages, paper

AU$ 5

 

Myths Of Manhood: The Hero In Jungian Literature

Mark Byrne

Sydney Studies in Religion 3

RLA Press, 2001

191 pages, paper, colour cover

[Men's studies; Jungian psychology; mythology]

AU$ 10

What is a hero: an inspiring and selfless leader, or a dangerous megalomaniac? While intellectuals now turn away from the hero of old, popular culture shows no sign of giving up its hunger for superhuman men and women who change the world through their example and legacy. 

In this scholarly but provocative and readable work, Mark Byrne explores the place of the hero in contemporary culture by focusing on the relationship between hero myths and male rites of passage. He argues that the hero is the central mythic figure of Western culture, and that the hero of the West can tell us much about how we make men, today as three thousand years ago.

This analysis is applied to perhaps the most important group of writings about hero myths in the last century: those of the Jungians. Carl Jung and his followers, especially Joseph Campbell and Robert Bly, wove a modern myth of psychological transformation based on the idea of life as a hero's quest. Now anyone young or old, man or woman could be a hero, in their own mind at least. 

Does this represent a new phase in the hero's long career, or is it just recycling an outdated mythology? Either way, be absorbed by this illuminating account of the making of a modern myth.

'Adventurous, creative and intellectually challenging'
Associate Professor David Tacey, La Trobe University, author of Remaking Men and The Re-enchantment of Australia

'The author evinces his intellectual maturity and his obvious love of the material being worked with'
Associate Professor David Russell, Social Ecology and Cultural Psychology, University of Western Sydney

Dr Mark Byrne is a lecturer, writer, co-ordinator of men's programs (Centacare Sydney), Honorary Research Associate (Department of Studies in Religion, University  of Sydney) and a past editor of the Society RLA newsletter.

To order
Please contact
Dr C.M.Cusack or Mr. C.M. Hartney

Postal address:

Society for Studies in Religion, Literature and the Arts

Room 424, Wolley Building A20
Department of Religion
The University of Sydney
NSW 2006
Austraila

Telephone Contact
Dr C. Cusack
+61-2 9351 6837
Email:ccusack@mail.usyd.edu.au