Prof. Richard Simon Hanson

Richard Simon Hanson to lecture on religionPosted: Wednesday, March 5th, 2008

Popular lecturer and scholar Richard Simon Hanson will lead a course called "Wisdom of the Ancient Middle Eastern World" from 7:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. beginning on Wednesday, March 5th, and running for four consecutive Wednesday evenings at the Decorah Senior Center, 806 River Street in Decorah.

The course is intended for interested adults and senior high students.It is offered free of charge, though donations will be accepted to defray the cost of facility rental.Individuals are encouraged to attend all four sessions, but may come as they are able.

Hanson was named "Iowa Professor of the Year" in 1998.He is a Luther College religion professor emeritus, Biblical scholar, linguist, archaeologist, storyteller, poet, musician and artist.In his course Hanson will explore topics such as popular wise men of the 8th century; the Bible's collection of Proverbs and the biblical Book of Ecclesiastes.

"Wisdom of the Ancient Middle Eastern World" is sponsored by the Northeast Iowa Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.

Richard Simon HansonEmeritus professor of religion, Luther College, Decorah, Iowa

RICHARD HANSON, ARCHAEOLOGIST: The idea is to bring this to the world attention, a saga of humanity, of the birth, the origins, the dynamic rise, and then the sudden demise of a complex society.We're looking at the life and death of a civilisation, and it's here!

LIZ HAYES: This is where America's first culture flourished thousands of years ago and archaeologist Richard Hanson is trying to unlock the secrets of this ancient Maya world.
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RICHARD HANSON: These were major world-class, world-calibre civilisations.
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RICHARD HANSON: The idea of these high steps like this , look at the height this is , was to get as high as possible in the least amount of building.
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RICHARD HANSON: This was.
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RICHARD HANSON: You know, sometimes I wish I was.
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RICHARD HANSON: We're the first people to see this material since the Maya had left it.
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RICHARD HANSON: The earliest examples of writing that we have in the Maya world.

LIZ HAYES: No wonder Richard Hanson has made this his life's work.
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RICHARD HANSON: It's a passion, um, that I cannot explain.
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LIZ HAYES: It's a saga of a sophisticated society, one that archaeologists like Richard Hanson think looked something like this.
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RICHARD HANSON: We're all human beings, that's what we all have in common, we're human, and they were human, too, but what we're seeing is culture.
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RICHARD HANSON: And this is Maya.
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RICHARD HANSON: Up we go.
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RICHARD HANSON: There it is.
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RICHARD HANSON: One of the 26.
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RICHARD HANSON: Here's a piece of pre-classic pottery, right here on the surface.
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RICHARD HANSON: This is late pre-classic, it would date to between 300BC and about the time of Christ.
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RICHARD HANSON: It's a bowl, part of a bowl, large bowl.History, right there.
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RICHARD HANSON: To think the last person that held that was one of the pre-classic Maya living here.
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RICHARD HANSON: This is the burial vault of a classic structure, built between AD 300 and AD 400.
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This is where Richard Hanson feels most at home.But he fears it may all be lost, that looters and logging will destroy both the ruins and the rainforest.But being Richard Hanson, he has a plan, a wild plan.It's called tourism.

RICHARD HANSON: They will come.
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RICHARD HANSON: That's right.
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RICHARD HANSON: That's right.
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LIZ HAYES: Anka Meuller represents 20 communities who are fighting Richard Hanson's grand plan.
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LIZ HAYES: How do local communities view Richard Hanson?
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RICHARD HANSON: I understand these people.I've been around them for many years.
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RICHARD HANSON: Well, we've had to take precautions.
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RICHARD HANSON: Why?Because of threats on my life.
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RICHARD HANSON: If you kill the dog, you eliminate the rabies.
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RICHARD HANSON: I'm the dog.

LIZ HAYES: Not that that stopped Richard Hanson.
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RICHARD HANSON: Well, if it's not protected we'll lose this quickly.
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RICHARD HANSON: Two, three years.
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RICHARD HANSON: They'll plant corn all through here.
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RICHARD HANSON: No, but I think we can protect it in my lifetime.
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RICHARD HANSON: (Laughing) Yeah, I do.
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RICHARD HANSON: I've gotta finish it.

RICHARD HANSON (in jungle): This is all artificial construction, all brought in, basket by basket, rock by rock, by thousands of labourers.
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RICHARD HANSON: We run the risk of losing this entire thing.
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RICHARD HANSON: Especially one of this size, this antiquity and with this historic saga, all this incredible sequence of cultural national events that occurred here.

Dr. Richard Simon Hanson, professor at Luther College, will explore the Psalms with our community under the Big Top Tent.Bergan Riley and the Wooden Nickel Band will lead the music and dance on Saturday night.Activity choices includes swimming, canoeing, golfing, tennis tournament, visits to art galleries, hikes on the Horizons land, and art activities.Each evening closes with a campfire at the point.The weekend begins Friday at 1:00 p.m. and concludes by 4:00 p.m. on Sunday.You're welcome to come for a day or the whole weekend.Twenty-three retreat rooms, six tepees, and the tent and trailer grounds provide a variety of housing options.

Richard S. Hanson, a member of the faculty of Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, produced The Psalms in Modem Speech for Public and Private Use (1968).Hanson said he aimed to capture the rhythms of the ancient Hebrew poetry in his translation.

with Dr. Richard Simon Hanson
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Wisdom of the Ancient Middle Eastern World, an adult course taught by Dr Richard Simon Hanson, will be offered on four Wednesdays in March (5, 12, 19 & 26).
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Dr. Richard Simon Hanson, instructorLuther College religion professor emeritus, Biblical scholar, linguist, archaeologist, storyteller, poet, musician, artist

Jan. 16 - Beginnings: Natural Beginnings - Prof. Richard Simon Hanson, Luther College Religion Dept. (emeritus)Jan. 9 - Beginnings: Where Have We Been All Our Lives?Community-building session
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Dec. 14 - Honoring Our Traditions - How Religions Travel - Richard Simon Hanson, emeritus, Luther College Religion/Philosophy Dept.

Professor Richard Simon Hanson

Dr. Richard Simon Hanson is professor emeritus of Luther College, where he taught religion.Our attention is drawn daily to the Middle East, and many questions arise about the cultures and civilizations in that area.It will be helpful to hear Dr. Hanson's presentation on the origins of the people there from biblical and historical perspectives.

For eight consecutive Thursdays from February 15th to April 5th, the Northeast Iowa Unitarian Universalist Fellowship will once again sponsor the educational series "How the Bible Happened," taught by Luther College Professor emeritus Richard Simon Hanson.