Exploring the Roots of Religion

By: John R. Hale, The Great Courses

Narrated by: John R. Hale

Length: 18 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

What impulse drove ancient cultures to create sites like Stonehenge, Machu Picchu, and the pyramids at Giza? Why are we so transfixed by their presence today? And what do they reveal about our ancestors-and humanity?

The dynamic force of religious belief is responsible for some of the world's most popular and ancient locales.With these 36 riveting lectures, you can dig through the earth and learn how sacred buildings, complexes, tomb structures, artwork, and more have provided us with unparalleled knowledge about early spiritual experiences around the world. Using the tools and knowledge of their field, archaeologists can now determine the nature of a sacrificial ritual, compare the visible attributes of ancient deities, and map out the orientation of a temple or tomb.

Professor Hale gives you a comprehensive look at specific religious archaeological sites around the world-inside caves and crypts, through vast deserts and ancient cities, from Polynesia to Mexico to the American Midwest.

Studying these breathtaking sites such as Lascaux Cave, Machu Picchu, and Easter Island, you learn the points of interest that attract the attention of archaeologists and scholars, survey the principal features unearthed during the site's excavation, discover what evidence at the site reveals about the evolution of religion, and more.

By the final lap of your international journey, you'll have developed a new vision of religion and its crucial role in ancient history. You'll become more attuned to spirituality's universal elements and its unique characteristics. And you'll realize just how much credit religion deserves for remarkable sites that continue to captivate us.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2009 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2009 The Great Courses

Phenomenal lecturer

Dr. Hale makes a compelling case that humans are wired to have a sense of the sacred and the spiritual.

Very interesting

I am so glad to be able to get these lectures on audible they are so interesting it makes religious history really good like ready a story!

Best course jet

As a student myself I love too learn new things and this course is till now my favorite. I have taken a few of them, and this one is really good. I can recommend it for many people who are after improving themselves.

Riveting Roots of Religion

Enjoyed and riveted to each chapter. Word descriptions excellent. Since I purchased on Audible still have not found download for the additional materials.

Was surprised Dr. Hale skipped over Gobekli Tepe. An update to the course should include it.

Great course on The Archaeology of Religion

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

What a great course. Dr. Hale is a great lecturer and did a wonderful job with the material.

A fascinating introduction to religious archeology

This has been one of my favorite great courses. I highly recommend it if you're interested in pre-history. Cheers.

Not what I was looking for, but still enjoyable

When I purchased this Great Course, I apparently did not read the description thoroughly enough. It is an archaeology course, through and through. I suppose I was expecting more crossover with other disciplines. That being said, he is an engaging lecturer, really able to paint a picture with words, and the series is full of interesting tidbits.

Another Great listen by a great narrator :)

The first 10 and last 6 lectures were ver y interesting and engaging more than others.. Yet, these lectures overall were informative and fun to listen to!

John Hale is the Greatest Lecture Ever

John Hale is the best Lecturer I have ever experienced in my life. He not only brings his vast knowledge and personal experiences to the story but also his passion for the subject. He brings archeology alive when he is talking about events hundreds or thousands of years old.

My Favorite Course

Any additional comments?

There are 36 lectures:

1. The Roots of Religious Experience
2. Neanderthal Burials at Shanidar
3. Hunting Magic in Sacred Caves
4. Myths of the Shaman
5. Realm of the Mother Goddess
6. Mysteries of the Megaliths
7. Towers and Tombs of Sumeria
8. Tomb of the First Emperor of China
9. Feasting with the Dead at Petra
10. Druid Sacrifice at Lindow Moss?
11. Honoring Ancestors in Ancient Ohio
12. A Viking Queen Sails to Eternity
13. Dancing with Bulls at Knossos
14. Oracle Bones in Ancient China
15. Sun and Sexuality in Early Scandinavia
16. Apollo Speaks at Klaros
17. Chalice of Blood in Ancient Peru
18. Decoding Rituals at Palenque
19. Temple of the Goddess on Malta
20. The Aten—Monotheism in Egypt
21. Deities of the Acropolis
22. Gods and Pyramids at Teotihuacan
23. Sacred City on the Mississippi
24. Sun and Shadow at Machu Picchu
25. Celestial Gateway at Giza
26. Cosmic Hub at Stonehenge
27. Desert Lines at Nazca
28. Skywatchers at Chaco Canyon
29. Mountain of the Gods at Angkor
30. The Stone Heads of Easter Island
31. Tending Zoroaster's Sacred Fire in Iran
32. Writing the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran
33. Taking Religions Underground at Rome
34. Forging Iron at Jenne-jeno on the Niger
35. Carving Monasteries at Ajanta in India
36.Faiths Lost and Found