Wandering God
Book Description
In this thought-provoking exploration of human consciousness, Morris Berman takes readers on a journey back to our hunter-gatherer origins to uncover a profound way of being that modern civilization has largely forgotten. As the third installment in his trilogy examining the evolution of human awareness, Wandering God reveals how our ancient ancestors possessed a unique form of perception that Berman calls "paradoxical consciousness."
This distinctive mode of awareness, characterized by a heightened sense of alertness and an immediate connection to both the secular and sacred dimensions of existence, flourished among nomadic peoples for millennia. Berman demonstrates how this vital consciousness became increasingly buried beneath the weight of settled agricultural life, organized religion, and hierarchical social structures that emerged with civilization.
Drawing from diverse sources including Paleolithic cave art, cross-cultural studies of child-rearing practices, and the worldviews of contemporary nomadic communities, the author weaves together insights about social inequality's origins and the complex relationship between women and early agriculture. He also traces how echoes of this ancient paradoxical awareness have resurfaced in twentieth-century philosophical thought.
For readers seeking to understand the deeper currents of human spiritual development, Wandering God offers a compelling examination of what we may have lost in our journey toward modernity and what wisdom our ancestral past might still offer for navigating contemporary life with greater presence and authenticity.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~10 hours)
🕉️ Tradition: Comparative Religion
📄 Length: 349 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Nomads
- ✓ Explore Social evolution
- ✓ Explore Religious aspects
- ✓ Explore Hunting and gathering societies
- ✓ Explore Religious aspects of Paradox
- ✓ Expand your understanding of consciousness
- ✓ Explore Religious aspects of Consciousness
- ✓ Explore Paradox
