Why Do Gods and Spirits Want Relations with Humans? – Piers Vitebsky

Why do we think that gods and spirits resemble ourselves? Does this resemblance allow them to need us as much as we need them? What happens to ideas of mutual desire and neediness when societies change religion?

Religious change erodes some relations and creates others, and rapid conversion can lead to existential confusion and emotional derangement. Anthropologist Piers Vitebsky will compare how different cultures view their relationships with the divine. He suggests that the global loss of biodiversity mirrors a serious loss in the diversity of beliefs about gods. How did the changing religious landscape challenge our understanding of the connections between humans and the divine?  More info and tickets
Monday 15 April 2024 /8 pm / Academy Building
Georganiseerd door Studium Generale Groningen