Steven, thanks as always for your reflections. An additional thought since I wrote the original article: Since grace exists and cannot be earned, just has to be accepted, doesn't this parallel C. Jung: Become who you ARE? As the Bible says, "The Kingdom of God is within you." That 'grace' state is inside already. The individuation process, which so closely mimics the Protagonist's journey, is fundamentally about the Protagonist getting in touch with their authentic nature which already exists within their psyche.

Thus, the physical journey is about events and interactions which compel the Protagonist to see themselves in a new light, to allow their True Self to emerge, to accept this 'grace'.

As J. Campbell says, "The outer journey is really about the inner journey." Grace as a metaphor for that inner "Are" state which the Protagonist moves toward throughout their journey...