Living in an Age of Spiritual Crisis
DR RUPERT SHELDRAKE & DR MARK VERNON
In the chair Emma Clark
Much of the modern world has become uncoupled from the transcendent in a cultural experiment Nietzsche called the death of God. But might this spiritual crisis prove to be a time of rebirth? In this dialogue, Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon discuss the evolution of wisdom traditions from west and east alongside the great modern enterprise called science and its continuing development. As the materialist, progressive ideology that has dominated the sciences for two centuries wanes, and as scientific studies show that religious and spiritual practices have major benefits for physical and mental health, what insights might we cultivate, as we live in and through these times?
RUPERT SHELDRAKE, PhD, is a biologist and author of more than a hundred technical papers and nine books, including Science and Spiritual Practices. He studied at Cambridge and Harvard Universities. He was a fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, and also a research fellow of the Royal Society. He worked at the University of Malaya on rain-forest ferns, and in Hyderabad, India, on tropical crops. In India, he also lived for two years in the ashram of Fr Bede Griffiths in Tamil Nadu. He is currently a fellow of the Institute of Noetic Sciences in California and of the Temenos Academy. He lives in London and is married to Jill Purce. His web site is www.sheldrake.org
MARK VERNON is a psychotherapist, podcaster and writer of journalistic articles as well as books. He has a PhD in ancient Greek philosophy, and degrees in theology and physics. His books include A Secret History of Christianity: Jesus, the Last Inkling and the Evolution of Consciousness, Dante’s Divine Comedy: A Guide for the Spiritual Journey, and the forthcoming, Awake! William Blake and the Power of the Imagination, to be published in June 2025. He used to be a priest in the Church of England and lives in south London. For more see www.markvernon.com
Rupert and Mark have a dialogue series that can be found via their websites and at other places online including YouTube. In over 90 conservations, they have considered matters from Rewilding Christianity to Purposes in Nature and Minds.
Timing Monday 17 Febrary, 7pm
Venue 18 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3ED
Tickets £10 General Admission or FREE for full-time students with student ID and Temenos Academy Members
To Book Please send an e-mail to temenosacademy@myfastmail.com stating your name. Upon receipt we will confirm your place. Payment can be made on arrival at the venue in cash or by card. Only a few spaces still available.
