Does the Universe Have a Soul?
What is the role of mind or consciousness in the universe? Are mind and matter, body and soul, two separate substances as taught by Plato and the great religions of the West? If so, how do these two substances interact? Does the universe consist of matter in motion, as taught by most contemporary scientists and philosophers? If so, how does mind emerge? Or is mind the ultimate reality, as taught by the great religions of the East, many mystics, and as suggested by quantum theory? If so, what is matter? Join us on this intellectual journey from the Bible and the ancient Greeks, through modern philosophy, to contemporary science and the insights of kabbalah or Jewish mysticism.
About the Author
A native of Los Angeles, Rabbi Gold received his B.A. in mathematics from the University of California in San Diego. The Jewish Theological Seminary ordained him in 1979. He received his PhD in the Public Intellectuals Program at Florida Atlantic University in 2016, with a dissertation on process philosophy and Jewish mysticism. He is an adjunct professor of philosophy and religion at Broward and Miami-Dade Colleges in Florida and Charter Oak College in Connecticut.