Who says I'm not dain bramaged? :p
Joseph Campbell was a... a philosopher I suppose. He studied many religions and philosophies and myths, and brought them together. A devout Catholic, he drew the lines that connect us all. I believe what really started him down that path was his time spent with John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts, along with reading some Carl Jung (The Collective Unconscious). He did a fantastic series of interviews some decades ago with Bill Moyers, and wrote several books, two of which were required reading for my college mythology class, and the most memorable being The Hero's Journey. Really good, chewy stuff.