Events

OCTOBER 2007 to JUNE 2008
Every 3rd Sunday of the Month

STORIES THAT TELL US WHO WE ARE:
Myth and Meaning for Today

Robert Ellwood Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Religion, University of Southern California

A Series of Nine Lectures
Every 3rd Sunday of the Month

11:00am to 12noon

October 2007 to June 2008

Admission: $10 per lecture

Some stories do not just entertain. They are tales that make us say, "This is how the universe really works," or "This is who I really am"—ideally—and they become parts of us that will not let us go. These stories are myths, in the highest and best sense of the word.

In this lecture series we will look at myths from around the world, and from ancient Greece or Japan up to modern tales like "The Lord of the Rings" or "Star Wars."

We will reflect on how vibrant myth can empower one's life and also examine dangers in mythic thinking. Join us as we explore some of the most engaging and dynamic narratives ever known for humankind.

This lecture series will be recorded live for UPR's distance learning program. It is open to the public, as well as students of UPR.

SCHEDULE IN 2007

Sunday, October 21 - 11:00am-12noon. $10
Encountering Myth: From Amaterasu to Star Wars

What to Myths say bout the course of human life?

Sunday, November 18 - 11:00am-12noon. $10
Types & Theories of Myth

Perspectives to be considered: proto-scientific, etiological (myths of origin), linguistic, functionalist, structuralist, romantic, social/political, myth-and-ritual, and psychoanalytic.

Sunday, December 16 - 11:00am-12noon. $10
Creation Myths: Mythic Time vs. Historical/Scientific Time

Creation as illud tempus (from the beginning); myth and time.

SCHEDULE IN 2008

Sunday, January 20 - 11:00am-12noon. $10
The Hero's Journey: The Warrior and the Savior

Ancient and modern heroes; the significance and stages of the hero's adventure; characteristics of the hero; and similarity of the hero's experience to the initiatory scenario.

Sunday, February 17 - 11:00am-12noon. $10
Eschatological Myth: The End of the World

Apocalyptic and gradualist transformations of the cosmos and their role in history; myth and dualistic thinking.

Sunday, March 16 - 11:00am-12noon. $10
Myths of Evil

The intrusion of evil into the world, and how persons are entangled in it.

Sunday, April 20 - 11:00am-12noon. $10
Nationalist Myths

Nature, construction and role of myth in 19th and early 20th century nationalism; myth as propaganda; the politics of myth today.

Sunday, May 18 - 11:00am-12noon. $10
The Psychology of Myth

How does myth affect us? Why do we take it into our lives? How does it empower us and help us fulfill dreams? How does myth construct Jung's "inflation"? How does myth set up overly simplistic dualist thinking, seeing the world only in black and white terms?

Sunday, June 15 - 11:00am-12noon. $10
Mythologists & Modern Myth

Leading constructors of modern myth-theory (from the Renaissance to Joseph Campbell); books and films that have become modern mythologies; myth and fundamentalism; future of myth and myth-study.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Robert Ellwood, Ph.D. (History of Religion, University of Chicago Divinity School) is the Emeritus Professor of Religion, University of Southern California. He teaches for the University of Philosophical Research, the Holmes Institute, and speaks at Krotona in Ojai, California. Author of 22 books, including: Many People, Many Faiths; The Pilgrim Self; and The Fifties Spiritual Marketplace.