Recommended
Recommended
More Related Content
Similar to Module 1.1: Creation Stories
Similar to Module 1.1: Creation Stories (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Module 1.1: Creation Stories
- 1. 1.1 Creation Stories Madrasa Discourses Module 1: Conceptualizing the Past
- 2. 1.1 Summary We begin by reading creation myths from around the world, comparing these myths to the Abrahamic story of creation as well as to the new story of the universe being told by science. Learners are invited to think about why they would consider any one of these stories, such as the Abrahamic story, as true, while the others are not, and whether the truth of the story is literal or non-literal. We turn to an Islamic theologian from the tenth century, Abū Manṣūr Māturīdī (d. 944 C.E.), to see how he approaches some of these questions.
- 3. 1.1 Big Questions • Why do we have so many different stories about our origins? Where do these stories come from? • Are the stories to be read literally or allegorically? Is any one of them truer than another? • Does the Abrahamic story sound more compelling than the others? Why or why not? • In what ways does the scientific story differ from the rest? In what ways is it similar? • What does the multiplicity of these stories tell us about human nature, and what do they tell us about God?
- 4. 1.1 Resources In order to explore these questions, we provide access to texts, videos, and online resources. Some of these are embedded in our website, but some require you to visit other websites. Our team has made sure that the external links are safe and credible. If a resource is in another language such as Arabic, you may refer to the left margin for an abridged summary in English.
- 5. 1.1 Learning Materials 1. Video on human diversity produced by the National Geographic—embedded 2. Khan Academy Section on Origin Stories— external link 3. Islamic Theology: Imam Maturidi (d. 944 CE)— Arabic text with English summary 4. Video on the Big Questions—embedded 5. Bill Moyers: Joseph Campbell—optional for further learning
Editor's Notes
- In the very first section of this module, we invite you to ask some of these questions: [read questions]
- In the very first section of this module, we invite you to ask some of these questions: [read questions]
- This program connects you to open source material to guide us through our journey. We: 1. We begin with a short video on “street spirituality,” part of a National Geographic series on The Story of God 2. Then we go through the sections related to Origin Stories embedded in Khan Academy’s module on “Big History.” We will learn a lot more about big history down the line. 3. Turning to Islamic theology, Imam Maturidi (d. 944 CE) provides a helpful philosophical framework on how to deal with the variety of myths and traditions 4. A short video, produced by Madrasa Discourses and Notre Dame’s office of digital learning, concludes this section, inviting us to think about human nature in relation to the plurality of creation stories 5. For a deeper engagement with mythology, you may read transcripts of a conversation about myths between the scholar Joseph Campbell and host Bill Moyers, revised and published elsewhere as “The Power of Myth”
- This program connects you to open source material to guide us through our journey. We: 1. We begin with a short video on “street spirituality,” part of a National Geographic series on The Story of God 2. Then we go through the sections related to Origin Stories embedded in Khan Academy’s module on “Big History.” We will learn a lot more about big history down the line. 3. Turning to Islamic theology, Imam Maturidi (d. 944 CE) provides a helpful philosophical framework on how to deal with the variety of myths and traditions 4. A short video, produced by Madrasa Discourses and Notre Dame’s office of digital learning, concludes this section, inviting us to think about human nature in relation to the plurality of creation stories 5. For a deeper engagement with mythology, you may read transcripts of a conversation about myths between the scholar Joseph Campbell and host Bill Moyers, revised and published elsewhere as “The Power of Myth”