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John Shelton Lawrence

ジョン・シェルトン・ローレンス

Jon Shueruton Rōrensu

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
United States
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Sioux City, Iowa

Career

Occupations
Professor of philosophy, writer
Active Years
1977-2024
Affiliations
Morningside University
Influenced By
Joseph Campbell
Influenced
George Lucas

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The American Monomyth

1977 Mythology

A rethinking of Joseph Campbell's monomyth applied to American culture, describing a hero separate from community with antipathy to democratic institutions.

American MonomythSuperhero Myth

The Myth of the American Superhero

2002 Cultural Studies

Extends analysis of American Monomyth into mass culture including videogames.

SuperheroPopular Culture

Captain America and the Crusade Against Evil: The Dilemma of Zealous Nationalism

2003 Political Mythology

Traces history of holy wars and uses American Monomyth to understand post-9/11 American reaction.

NationalismHoly War

Bibliography

  • The American Monomyth
  • The Myth of the American Superhero
  • Captain America and the Crusade Against Evil
  • Fair Use and Free Inquiry
  • The Electronic Scholar: A Guide to Academic Microcomputing
  • The Book of Iowa Films

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Mythic analysisCultural criticism
Recurring Motifs
American MonomythIsolated Hero

Legacy

Philosopher known for proposing the American Monomyth, analyzing American culture through mythology, popular culture, politics, and religion. Regarded in US and Europe for understanding American foreign policy.

In Popular Culture

  • Analysis of mythic franchises like Star Wars and The Matrix.

Trivia

  • George Lucas credited his work as an influence on Star Wars.