Human Creativity & Religion

Catalog description

With cells collected from the mouths of thousands, we have calculated a genetic timeline and place of origin for humanity: 300,000 years ago, in Central Africa. That is the spot we began. That is where the unique characteristics of our unique species set us apart from all other creatures. That is where we made fire a source of heat and cooking, and transformed it into a centerpiece of ritual. Then we walked. We walked within Africa, and from Africa. We walked to Asia, through Europe, to the Americas. We walked, we talked. We journeyed and we sang. This course will begin by studying the curious creature that invents and teaches and learns and invents and teaches and learns, a species that must transmit culture to survive. We will then explore a unique human paradox: We have more control over our environment than any other creature; simultaneously we have the mental facility to recognize how precarious and insufficient is our control. Throughout our history we have composed song and ritual to meet the challenges we face and the challenges our own curiosity creates. This course will examine the double genius of our species: our curiosity and our awe. It will then explore how religions facilitate our curiosity and awe in the service of – as well as the disruption of – affiliation and the general good. Throughout the course we will explore: Hope.