Catalog Search Results
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2021.
Language
English
Description
Conclude by examining a recurrent image within the Old Testament: the figure of the dragon as the personification of evil. Look back through the Old Testament at the metaphor of dragon-slaying, at the hands of God, and explore its appearance within earlier mythic traditions. Through multiple references, see how this unusual metaphor constitutes an analogy for human suffering and redemption.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2014.
Language
English
Description
Learn about the huge canon of Hindu sutras, shastras, Puranas, and Tantra. Delve into two highly influential texts: the Laws of Manu, outlining rules, customs and guidelines for living for the four Indian castes; and the beloved Bhagavad Gita, which speaks to matters of spiritual insight, social obligation, and worldly success.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2015.
Language
English
Description
The Gnostic Gospel of Judas differs significantly from the portrayal of Judas in the New Testament. Discover the Gnostic account, which recasts both the actions of Judas and his role in God's larger plan, predicting an important role for Judas in the coming kingdom of God while criticizing the other disciples.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2014.
Language
English
Description
The Islamic Hadith recounts the actions and sayings of Muhammad. Study the sources and composition of this revered body of texts, and observe how they provide guidance on essential matters of Muslim life. Also encounter the superlative poetry of Sufism, Islam's mystical tradition, which employs refined spiritual practices to reach direct union with God.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
Focus on the role of war gods in human cultures and sacred texts. Then, take an extended look at the medieval Crusades, as well as Cold War religious imagery. It turns out the roots of war gods aren't as removed from our present day as we'd like to think.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
Explore the special power and authority that sacred texts have for religious practitioners, and how some people invoke these stories and images to legitimize violence. Consider several prevalent themes found in sacred texts like the Bible, the Bhagavad-Gita, and the Qur'an: vengeful deities, holy wars, and holy suffering.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
Trace the role of violence in and around Native American traditions. How common is land displacement or outright theft? What's the relationship between competing gods and vengeful ghosts? Is the story of indigenous peoples inseparable from colonialism and imperialism, which are often motivated to eradicate indigenous faiths?
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2021.
Language
English
Description
Consider why the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments, has a significance beyond that of the other 603 commandments in the Torah, and note how the Ten are numbered within different religious traditions. Examine each of the commandments and grasp how these directives by God were intended not to constrain humanity, but to guarantee freedom, of the community and of each individual.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
In the first of two lectures on the power of stereotypes and misrepresentation to justify religious violence, look at how church reformers in Europe and the United States of America produced a series of enduring, negative images and stereotypes of Catholics: as degenerate, orgiastic, drunken, and power-mad.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2015.
Language
English
Description
Finally, uncover Gnostic themes in the science fiction novels of Philip K. Dick and the films Blade Runner and The Matrix, and learn about the contemporary Gnostic Christian Church. Consider what truly links the religious movements we've studied, and what their ultimate message to us may be.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2011.
Language
English
Description
European modernity brings the first challenges of science and reason to the primacy of theology. David Hume argues that, although theism may well be reasonable, it cannot be rational, establishing the foundation for separate public and private spheres.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2015.
Language
English
Description
The second century theologian Valentinus used the Gnostic myth in creating a powerful Christian movement. Here, learn how Valentinus modified Gnostic teachings in ways appealing to early Christians. Grasp how his spirituality invited followers to find true gnosis in Jesus and to experience God directly, intimately, and joyfully.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2014.
Language
English
Description
Throughout history, the world's sacred texts have held profound significance for the cultures that produced them. Consider five key reasons for the importance of studying them, from their accessibility and centrality to their cultures of origin to the wisdom they contain and the enlarged perspective they offer on our own traditions.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2015.
Language
English
Description
Begin to investigate the significance of Gnosticism for religions other than Christianity. Look into why some historians believe that Gnosticism began as a Jewish religious movement and only later included Jesus, as well as the arguments against this view, in grasping how emerging Judaism was part of the story of Gnosticism.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2018.
Language
English
Description
Generally speaking, heresies exist in every religious tradition. Professor Bivins explains how religious violence can consist not only of physical harm against people or groups but of legal constraints, denials of basic liberties, and misrepresentation. Examples you'll consider include Pope Gregory IX's heresy courts and the trial of Galileo.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2021.
Language
English
Description
In approaching the prophetic oracles and stories of the book of Daniel, delve into the genre of Apocalyptic literature: revelation which discloses a transcendent reality. Note the appearance in Daniel of the figure of "the Son of Man,"_x009d_ a divine, human-like being enthroned by God. Study the story of Daniel's exile to Babylon and take account of its message for diaspora Jews.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2011.
Language
English
Description
You are introduced to the Dalai Lama's Buddhist-inflected but very modern, secular vision about the universal human goal of happiness. You learn its components and the relationship between their pursuit and the interconnectedness of human life.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2014.
Language
English
Description
Throughout history, religious expression has been an essential human activity, influencing the development of civilizations. Humanity’s religions are grounded in their sacred texts - foundational writings that crystallize the principles and vision of the faiths, forming the basis of belief and action. These richly informative lectures reveal a global legacy of faith, thought, and spirituality.
Publisher
The Great Courses
Pub. Date
2011.
Language
English
Description
One of the core texts of the Mahabharata - a major moral and religious text for most Hindus - introduces you to the critically important skill of truly reading a text, deeply and with comprehension. It also begins your consideration of the concept of human choice.
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