First Light

A History of Creation Myths from Gilgamesh to the God Particle

By: G.R. Evans

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Hardcover | 30 October 2013

At a Glance

Hardcover
320 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
21.6 x 13.5 x 2.9

Hardcover

RRP $95.00

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Did the universe start with a bang, or has it existed always? Was there a supernatural being behind it all, or just mindless forces? The beginning of things has forever tested the limits of curiosity, and such questions have both challenged atheists and inspired believers. Ancient cultures resorted to myth and symbolism to tell vibrant stories about human origins. Later civilizations added philosophical and scientific explanations: but these are not definitive. The nature and meaning of existence - the 'why' as much as the 'how' questions - are in the end mysterious. In this lively and wide-ranging book, G R Evans explores the world's myriad creation stories against the background of the biggest question there is: what are we doing here? Discussing Swahili legends that resemble the Book of Genesis, Greek tales about the Titans, Native American, Inca and Mesopotamian mythologies, and Vedic creation cycles that begin with a cosmic egg or seed, the author surveys polytheist, monotheist and dualist ideas about supernatural power.
Tracing the history of humanity as it has struggled, over many millennia, to make sense of itself, The Creation Myth will attract students of religion, history and philosophy and general readers alike.

Industry Reviews

'It may seem that the question of human origins has never been more controversial than today. But in this informative and elegantly written book, G.R. Evans shows how there have always been competing narratives of how the world began and about the significance of human existence. With wide-ranging scholarship and an engaging style, she offers an intriguing and thought-provoking exploration of a set of perennial questions.' - Peter Harrison, Director, Centre for the History of European Discourses, University of Queensland, formerly Andreas Idreos Professor of Science and Religion at the University of Oxford, editor of The Cambridge Companion to Science and Religion 'In First Light G.R. Evans offers a lively survey of scores of explanations of the creation of the world across periods, continents, and disciplines. She covers Eastern as well as Western religions, "primitive" myths, scientific explanations, and philosophical assessments. She continually shows unexpected similarities. But she finally gives a reluctant "no" to the question whether, as Eliot's character Casaubon in Middlemarch asked, there is a single "key to all mythologies". This is a delightful work.' - Robert A. Segal, Sixth Century Professor of Religious Studies, University of Aberdeen, author of Myth: A Very Short Introduction and Theorizing About Myth

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