God is a metaphor for that which transcends all levels of intellectual thought. It’s as simple as that.

Campbell treats “God” less as a literal being and more as symbolic language pointing beyond the reach of discursive reasoning. In his comparative-mythology framework, religious images function as metaphors for experiences of ultimacy—mystery, awe, and the ground of being—that cannot be captured by concepts without being diminished. The quote also reflects his distinction between intellectual “thinking about” and direct, transformative encounter: myth and ritual are valuable insofar as they orient a person toward what transcends categories, not as scientific propositions to be proved. The blunt final sentence underscores his impatience with overly literal or doctrinal readings of mythic language.