The Masks of God is the summation of Joseph Campbell's lifelong study of the origins and function of myth. In this volume, Oriental Mythology, Campbell examines Eastern mythology as it developed in the distinctive religions of Egypt, India, China and Japan. While Western religions dwell on good and evil, Eastern religions focus on the promise of eternal life. Oriental Mythology explores how Eastern religions came to manifest their varying modes of thought and expression. The Masks of God traces mankind's history as a search for meaning through ideas, themes and quests of culture and religion.