MIGS awards Ph.D. in Astrology

From last week's Chronicle of Higher Education:

"The Monterrey Institute for Graduate Studies has awarded Mexico's most famous astrologer a doctorate, and scientists fear that the degree is just one step toward the creation of an astrology chair at the university. Elizabeth Teissier, once the personal astrologer to the former President of Mexico, received a doctorate . . . "

No, wait a minute.

.

.


Actually I changed several words in this story. Instead of "Monterrey Institute," it actually said "The Sorbonne," and Dr. Teissier was the astrologer to the President of France, not Mexico.

Just a little reminder that even the big guys do some, um, controversial things.

John Bear, born under
the sign of Orion

PS to administrators: please don't move this to the MIGS forum; it is not a MIGS item. Thanks.

 

That's interesting.

The French have always taken an admirably open-minded approach to religious studies. An approach that I generally find more interesting than the rather Christian-theological-style approach one often sees in English speaking countries.

For example, there is the famous Antoine Faivre, Professor at the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Religious Studies Section, Sorbonne, Paris. He holds the Chair in "History of Esoteric and Mystical Currents". If you are interested in Rosicrucianism, Theosophy, Paracelsianism or German 'Naturphilosophie', he's the guy to talk to. He has published sort of an introduction to his approach in English in his 'Access to Western Esotericism', published by the State University of New York Press.

Astrology has had an important place in religious thought since ancient Mesopotamia. In the Roman period, at the time of the rise of Christianity, people felt positively oppressed by relentless Fate, which many saw as linked to the stars. David Ulansey of the California Institute of Integral Studies has recently published an astrological interpretation of the Mithraic mysteries that has gathered some interest among religious studies scholars. He reads the central bull-killing imagery of Mithraism as astrological symbolism, drawn from the precession of the equinoxes, demonstrating Mithras' divine power to defy the stars themselves.
http://www.well.com/user/davidu/mithras.
html

Others have seen part of the appeal of early Christianity to late antique pagans in its own apparent ability to deliver people from the tyranny of the stars.

One could perhaps argue that the revival of astrology in high medieval Europe created an esoteric "science", patronized by kings, that had scholars, relatively independent of the theologically dominated scholastic university curriculum, applying mathematical calculation to precision observations of the sky. That has obvious implications for the genesis of the scientific revolution, and can perhaps be seen as an intellectual predecessor to people like Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo and ultimately Newton.

OK, my point here is that it is not ridiculous to do a Ph.D. in astrology. (I could imagine doing so myself.) Astrology is an aspect of religious and wider intellectual history that has pretty clearly never received the scholarly attention that it deserves.

In itself, it is no more ridiculous to believe in astrology than to believe that some book is divinely inspired, inerrant, and forms the basis of all legitimate religious belief and practice. But the larger point is that even if you don't believe that astrology is true (I don't, personally), it still is a fact that countless people have believed it throughout history. And those people's belief in the power of the stars has been reflected in their literature, art and lives. That makes it important, both to them and to us, who are their heirs.

And many millions of people still believe it today.

As a postscript: I think that this issue is relevant to Tom Head's answer to Lewchuk, differentiating between studying theology and studying religion. While astrology might be beyond the pale from a Christian theological point of view, it is legitimate game for wider religious studies. My personal interests are resolutely with the latter. I prefer a program that allows one to inquire broadly (so long as the inquiries are academically sound) and which do not presuppose personal faith commitments from its scholars.

 

As do I -- and you hit the nail right on the head, I think. Theology, by its very nature, tends to deal with closed systems; I prefer to deal with open systems. This is why I've always been extremely interested in paranormal phenomena of all kinds, quantum physics, UFO abduction stories, cryptozoology, para-rational thought patterns, mysticism, neuroscience, etc. etc. etc. When I'm confident that I know how everything works, it's usually because of sleep debt.

This isn't to say that I don't enjoy studying theology, but I'd make a terrible theologian myself because my beliefs are in a constant state of flux and I'd spend all my time calling myself a heretic, which would never do.

(In a recent e-mail, I offhandedly -- and somewhat erroneously -- referred to myself as a "Quaker and lay Franciscan." I consider myself a Christian, but not by theology. Belief.net's Belief-O-Matic says I'm a neo-pagan, which is a pretty neat trick for a monotheist. I always feel at home in the company of Buddhists. If I had to nail myself down -- which hurts -- I'd say that my theology is somewhere between A.N. Whitehead and Arthur Peacocke, but I've just discovered Warren Brown and Margaret Wertheim, so I shouldn't speak too soon. And yes, I
am having fun. )


Peace,

------------------
Tom Head
www.tomhead.net

 

Oh, my -- I got so distracted taking about myself that I forgot to mention a couple of tidbits that you might be interested in:

I think it was the University of Bristol that, at one point, operated a Department of Exobiology. Exobiology deals with the study of how life might evolve on other planets, and has since largely been merged with the broader study of biogenesis (e.g., how life might arise from inanimate matter).

Then there was another UK university -- Edinburgh, I think, but I could be mistaken -- that, according to Ian Wilson (of Turin Shroud fame), fired up a Department of Paranormal Phenomena using money donated by a member of the British Society for Psychical Research. This department was just getting started in the mid-80s and is presumably still in operation today, but I don't know whether one can actually get a Ph.D. in paranormal phenomena through same. It would certainly be an interesting option if one could, though not really my cup of tea.


Peace,

------------------
Tom Head
www.tomhead.net

 

Not the Sorbonne, but the University Rene-Descartes-Paris V. C'est encore plus amusant, non ?

And not a PhD in aaaastrology but a PhD in Sociology, under Prof Maffesoli's direction, a sociologist who refutes the principles of the objectivation.

The thesis : "Situation epistemologique de l'astrologie a travers l'ambivalence fascination/rejet dans les societes postmodernes".

Ms Teissiers'doctorate has not been validated yet.

Polemic is growing.

Ulrich

 

La superstition est a la religion ce que l'astrologie est a l'astronomie.

Voltaire

 

I think it's worth mentioning that John was almost certainly not talking about astrology being ridiculous (or not ridiculous), but rather was giving us a wonderful example of how differently we might treat MIGS from the Sorbonne in such a situation. It's a point worth making.

As for Voltaire: I have to say I'm not really crazy about him, even in translation. His acclaimed Candide/ didn't just parody Leibniz's position on theodicy; it distorted it, then parodied the distortion.
Leibniz never said that the world would inevitably be the best, in the future, as its present potential could suggest; his point was that of all possible worlds, this would be the best one. And much of what is being said about multiple universes by credible physicists, and the anthropic principle being a coincidence indigenous to our universe among others, is completely in line with what Leibniz wrote (except that Leibniz did not consider it a coincidence).


Peace,

------------------
Tom Head
www.tomhead.net

 

I have not heard the full radio series, but D. James Kennedy, Ph.D. (NY) of Truths that Transform & Founder of Knox Theological Seminary did a series on astrology. From what I heard he was tying it into Christianity and demonstrating that the placement of the stars, etc. were in fact symbolic of various Christian themes.

I am not sure I accept this notion nor do I buy into astrology at all.

North

 

I did a fast search and could not find much detailing Kennedy's views on it. Below is a web site which if you skip down to the paragraph entitled The Way, talks about Kennedy's ideas on the Zodiac. Judging from some of the sites I saw some of his fellow evangelicals consider this a bit much (new age ish).
http://members.aol.com/CRCrier/crcrier-8.html

To tie this somewhat back to DL, I believe Knox does have short modular courses for some of their degree programs. I wonder if you could major in Zodiac Studies

Although I do not subscribe to his theory I have a great deal of respect for him. Although lately when it comes to apologetics I have found Ravi Zacharias to be more intriguing. Wonderful series of lectures at Harvard.


North

 

Hi, Bill!

Yes, you are right, but remember that there are some degree programs in theology and religion at the same time. In practical terms, though, I don't know how they differentiate these degrees from those in pure theology and pure religion.

Sincerely,


Karlos Alberto Lacaye
[email protected]

 

Hello, Br. Tom!

Tom, there are actually some PhD's in Parapsychology in the USA, the UK, and presumably in other countries. One of the most famous degrees in parapsychology in the United States if that of Duke.

I hope this helps.

Fraternally,


Karlos Alberto Lacayo
[email protected]

 

If I'm not mistaken, John F. Kennedy U in Orinda offers a degree in paranormal studies, in addition to its many programs on transpersonal psychology, which is considered by many to be just as far out as astrology.

And for those interested in equally unusual stuff, Maharishi University in Fairfield, IA, offers courses in levitation and telekinesis and such... and it's a regionally accredited program.

 

I am now going to be waiting for the Ph.D. award in alchemy.


John

 

I'm fairly confident that the Pacifica Graduate Institute will let you specialize in alchemy as part of the Ph.D. in depth psychology, and they're regionally accredited. Carl Jung actually spent years studying alchemy, and wrote a number of papers on the subject. There's some fascinating stuff there, and much of it (by coincidence, I'm inclined to say) seems to parallel fairly recent developments in biochemistry, astrophysics, and the like.


Peace,

------------------
Tom Head
www.tomhead.net

 

Resulting in the Ph.S. (Stone of Philosopher)?

Rich Douglas, who has the unfortunate curse of turning gold into lead.