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Living with the Gods
Living with the Gods
Oct 6, 2024 4:22 PM

Author:Neil MacGregor

Living with the Gods

In this major new BBC radio series, Neil MacGregor investigates the role and expression of shared beliefs through time and around the world.

One of the central facts of human existence is that every society shares a set of beliefs and assumptions - a faith, an ideology, a religion - that goes far beyond the life of the individual. These beliefs are an essential part of a shared identity. They have a unique power to define - and to divide - us, and are a driving force in the politics of much of the world today. Throughout history they have most often been, in the widest sense, religious.

Yet this is not a history of religion, nor an argument in favour of faith. It is about the stories which give shape to our lives, and the different ways in which societies imagine their place in the world. Looking across history and around the globe, it interrogates objects, places and human activities to try to understand what shared beliefs can mean in the public life of a community or a nation, how they shape the relationship between the individual and the state, and how they help give us our sense of who we are.

For in deciding how we live with our gods, we also decide how to live with each other.

Using specially selected objects from the British Museum and beyond, talking to experts from various disciplines and visiting key locations from the river Ganges to Jerusalem, he examines how rituals and systems of belief have shaped our societies. Looking at communities from the distant past to the present day, both in Europe and worldwide, his focus moves from the beginnings of belief and the elemental worship of fire, water and the sun, through festivals, pilgrimages and sacrifices, to power struggles and political battles between faiths and states.

Among the objects featured are the Lion Man, a small ivory sculpture which is about 40,000 years old; a 16th century ivory and gold qibla, used to find the direction of Mecca; and the Lampedusa Cross, made from pieces of a refugee boat wrecked off the Italian coast in 2013.

Produced by BBC Radio 4 in partnership with the British Museum, this enlightening series explores humanity's enduring need to believe, belong and connect with the cosmos.

'The new blockbuster by the museums maestro Neil MacGregor ... The man who chronicles world history through objects is back ... examining a new set of objects to explore the theme of faith in society' Sunday Times

© 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2021 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

Reviews

One of the most influential spiritual leaders of our times

—— Oprah

Thich Nhat Hanh's empowering voice and example will be valuable to those seeking wisdom in a frenetic, threatened world

—— Publishers Weekly

Absolutely incredible - lasting happiness in a changing world.

—— Gaby Roslin

I read the most amazing book last year called The Book of Joy. It’s the most wonderful book of two old men, with beautiful photographs of them laughing together, just talking about stories about humans and how they’ve been uplifted in their life. It really is the book of Joy. I’d just have to take that [to the desert island] because it would make me smile all the time.

—— Sue Biggs, Director General of Royal Horticultural Society , Desert Island Discs

An extraordinary read from two global spiritual giants […] The topics they cover, from the nature of true joy to its obstacles, as well as joy-boosting practices, offer a heartfelt and uplifting read, with practical advice on bringing more joy into each day.

—— Liz Earle , Wellbeing Magazine

A powerful antidote to the tribalism that is wrecking our country and poisoning our souls, Fierce Love is a welcome moral North Star for readers everywhere

—— Van Jones, New York Times bestselling author of Beyond the Messy Truth, and CNN political contributor

Fierce Love teaches us that with spiritual faith we can transcend the darkest moments and come through stronger. Each story in the book is a message of resilience and hope. Jacqui is a human angel whose commitment to love reminds us that miracles are real

—— Gabby Bernstein, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Universe Has Your Back

Heartbreaking ... a breathtaking narrative

—— Publishers Weekly (starred review)

With hilarity and courage, Bowler tells the story of being diagnosed with stage-four cancer at thirty-five, forcing her to re-examine the way she (and we) live our lives. This is a brilliant examination of what happens when everything you assumed is suddenly in question, and you have to substitute love for self-actualisation and hope for certainty.

—— Lori Gottlieb, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk To Someone

A must-read for anyone whose life has been bifurcated into a before and after. Every page shimmers with wit and wisdom.

—— Suleika Jaouad, author of Between Two Kingdoms

Kate Bowler has paid through the nose to become a writer of uncommon spiritual wisdom, coupled with an amazing sense of humour and a heart full of love. She fills me with hope.

—— Anne Lamott

Kate Bowler is the rare author who can explore difficult subjects with both breathtaking honesty and light-heartedness. From the moment I started this brilliant memoir, I couldn't put it down (and I underlined many passages). Faith, mortality, vocation, parenthood, the World's Largest Ball of String ... Bowler brings profound insight and love to the human experience.

—— Gretchen Rubin

Wise, funny, and gorgeous... a masterpiece

—— Jen Hatmaker, New York Times bestselling author

Wise, wry reflections on living in the face of uncertainty. A sensitive memoir of survival.

—— Kirkus Reviews

Kate Bowler refuses to jump on the bandwagon of toxic positivity. Instead, she leads us to a truer truth: the work is unfinishable, and so be it. I find my interactions with the mind of Kate Bowler more useful and comforting than most all others combined.

—— Kelly Corrigan, NYT bestselling author

Bowler's prose is adept at capturing the dialectic of life's "splendid, ragged edges" showing through. And she's funny, too. This is a gem for cancer patients and their families and for survivors, but really, for anyone who understands the terror and beauty of being human.

—— Booklist

Bowler's affecting narrative offers fresh insight on life and chronic illness. Readers will be engrossed by this heartfelt memoir.

—— Library Journal

Higgins’ darting, spooling path connects myth with faith, art with literature, landscape with architecture, anecdote with interpretation… its images and schematic diagrams of labyrinths adding a visual dimension to a book already rich in thought and observation.

—— Ariane Bankes , The Tablet

Richly erudite and compellingly personal.

—— Louisa Buck , Art Newspaper

A rich cultural history of mazes and labyrinths… Beautifully designed and precisely structured, it’s also a personal book about childhood memories, dreams and feeling at times lost in life.

—— Guardian, *Summer Reads of 2019*

[An] immersive, unusual love tale

—— Claire Allfree , Metro

Stokes-Chapman can write fascinating, three-dimensional characters... Meanwhile, extensive research brings the period so much to life you can taste it... full of buried family histories and fantastical archaeological theories, Pandora is a readable, solid debut

—— Natasha Pulley , Guardian

Whether the discussion is about artificial intelligence, the future capacities of knowledge, politics, philosophy, intuition, history (philosopher Thomas Metzinger shares experiences from post–World War II Germany that are hard to look away from), religion, reason, or the nature of consciousness, Harris grounds lofty discussions with concrete examples and his gift for analogy . . . free and open debate, in the best sense of the word . . . the book’s advantage over the podcast is that readers can linger as they need to and cherry-pick interviews at will. Recommended for anyone who wants to spend time with intelligent minds wrestling not with each other but with understanding.

—— Kirkus Reviews

One of the most eloquent and inspiring memoirs of recent years... A Dutiful Boy is real-life storytelling at its finest

—— Mr Porter, *Summer Reads of 2021*

Mohsin Zaidi...in a compassionate, compelling and humorous way, tells his story of seeking acceptance within the gay community, and within the Muslim community in which he grew up

—— Gilllian Carty , Scottish Legal News

A powerful portrayal of being able to live authentically despite all the odds

—— Mike Findlay , Scotsman

Zaidi's affecting memoir recounts his journey growing up in east London in a devout Muslim household. He has a secret, one he cannot share with anyone - he is gay. When he moves away to study at Oxford he finds, for the first time, the possibility of living his life authentically. The dissonance this causes in him - of finding a way to accept himself while knowing his family will not do the same - is so sensitively depicted. One of the most moving chapters includes him coming home to a witch doctor, who his family has summoned to "cure" him. This is an incredibly important read, full of hope.

—— Jyoti Patel, The Guardian

A beautifully written book, a lovely story, life-affirming

—— Jeremy Vine

Zaidi's account is raw, honest and at times quite painful to read. It's so vivid that it feels almost tangible, as though you're living the experiences of the author himself.

—— Vogue

This heartfelt and honest book is beautifully written and full of hope

—— The New Arab
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