Philosophy & Religion   

This course explores a short masterpiece by the father of existentialism, Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855). "The Lily of the Field and the Bird of the Air: Three Godly Discourses" is an in-depth exploration of the famous passage from Jesus's Sermon on the Mount as recorded in the Gospel of Mathew 6: 25-33 and the Gospel of Luke 12:22-32. Kierkegaard often refers to this passage not as mere allegory but as a message of hope that it is today that matters most, which is one of the core precepts of existentialism. How can we approach the notion of the importance of living for today and worrying not about the future, like the lily of the field and the bird of the air? Finally, with respect to nature and the environment, how are non-human creatures such as lilies and birds, "obedient teachers" for humans in learning this important lesson?