"I saw….there was an ocean of darkness and death, but an infinite ocean of light and love, which flowed over the ocean of darkness. And in that also I saw the love of God……". George Fox, founder of the Society of Friends (Quakers). Journal 1647

"Siva is the arch yogi who sits at the mountain top in oblivion of the world, rapt in meditation and yet it is through the rhythm of his dance that the universe is unfolded. But if this dance creates, it also destroys. The Nataraja form of the dancing Siva is itself a study in contrast. The drum in his upper right hand is sound, the first element of creation, and fire in his left hand is annihilation. Thus Siva holds in his hands creation and destruction in equal poise" Pratima Bowes: The Hindu Religious Traditions.

The Hindu religion has a clear picture of the balance of complementary forces in the world, the forces of yin (yielding) and of yang (energetic). Destruction and Creation, Dark and Light, are two sides of the same coin. Christianity, with its belief in a personal Creator, tends to put its emphasis on creation and light as the predominant force in the long run, and derives from this an antithetical sense of sin, guilt, evil, darkness, although there are often indications of a more balanced image of ‘the dark side of God’ . The balance of these forces in Christianity is far less certain, in the whole of creation and in the individual person. Christian cosmology is that of "salvation history" in which time proceeds from initial creation to final glory.

Our present scientific picture of the beginning of the universe also contains a picture of the two contrasting qualities fundamental to all life. Swimme and Berry in The Universe Story write of "that originating and annihilating power that is the marrow of the universe". From the beginning of the universe these two powers have been in the nature of things.

In this conference we will explore these themes of creation and destruction in the world from the Christian, Hindu and scientific frameworks, and will consider the implications for ourselves. How do we make sense of human life which is subject to these powerful forces, both personally and in terms of the future?

About the tutors

Talks and reflections from the social sciences perspective, psychology and alternative sciences will be lead by Jean Hardy, a writer and teacher. She trained originally as a social scientist and more recently in psychosynthesis. She was a university teacher and researcher for some 25 years. She now lives in Devon and has a close connection with Schumacher College and with Sharpham Buddhist centre. She teaches at the Psychosynthesis Trust, London and Synthesis, Bristol and has written, or taken part with others in writing, several books on the search for an alternative way of living in the world including Psychology with a Soul. Currently she is editor of GreenSpirit journal.

The perspective of the physical sciences will be presented in talks and activities by Chris Clarke. He is Visiting Professor at the University of Southampton (having worked on aspects of Astrophysics and Cosmology), chair of the Association for Creation Spirituality and vice-chair of the Scientific and Medical Network. He has frequently facilitated group learning in science and spirituality, and has written numerous scientific works on relativity, quantum theory and the physics of the brain, as well as the popular Reality Through the Looking Glass: Science and Awareness in the Post-Modern World.

Ravi Ravindra is Professor of Physics and of Comparative Religion at Dalhousie University, Canada. His books include Whispers from the Other Shore, The Yoga of Christ and Science and Spirit.

Draft Programme