Humanities   

The Tree of Life motif is recognized by cultures all over the world. The symbol often relates to myth and cosmology, emphasizing strong ties to mother earth and a living landscape connecting earth to the heavens. These ancient Tree of Life myths offer lessons for better understanding our place in the universe.

According to Jewish legend, in 1700BC a man named Abraham put his faith in a god named YHVH, and in return was instructed to "look up now at the sky and count the stars if you can. So uncountable will your descendants be." Those words, as it turns out, were prophetic. This course surveys the history, literature, beliefs and practices of the Abrahamic religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - religions which taken together comprise over half of the world's population.

According to Jewish legend, in 1700BC a man named Abraham put his faith in a god named YHVH, and in return was instructed to “look up now at the sky and count the stars if you can. So uncountable will your descendants be.” Those words, as it turns out, were prophetic. This course surveys the history, literature, beliefs and practices of the Abrahamic religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - religions which taken together comprise over half of the world’s population.

*You did not have to take Part 1 to register for Part 2. 

Swearing appears to be part of the human condition, but it has been expressed in different ways throughout history. From the obscenities of ancient Rome to the religious oaths of the Middle Ages to the rice of racial slurs after World War II swearing continues to evolve and change in both practice and significance.

Most of us elders have prepared a Will or Trust. It is probably stored with other important papers in a file on our computer or in a file drawer. We may have told our children where we want to be buried. But that is only the bare minimum. We need to openly talk to our family, partner, friends about how we want to die, before it is too late. Why is it so difficult to talk about our death? This will not be a deep philosophical inquiry. We will cover the basics of how to plan for our death. What we need to do now, before the grim reaper or dementia gets us.

Most of us elders have prepared a Will or Trust. It is probably stored with other important papers in a file on our computer or in a file drawer. We may have told our children where we want to be buried. But that is only the bare minimum. We need to openly talk to our family, partner, friends about how we want to die, before it is too late. Why is it so difficult to talk about our death? This will not be a deep philosophical inquiry. We will cover the basics of how to plan for our death. What we need to do now, before the grim reaper or dementia gets us.