THE EVOLUTION OF HUMAN SPIRITUALITY

Abstract

The concepts of progress and evolution were rare prior to recent times. Almost all human societies in the past thought in cyclical terms. If they ascribed a direction to long term historical development it was devolution and decay. A singular exception can be found in one of the five Confucian Classics, the Book of Rites 7.3, where it states: “Formerly the ancient kings had no houses. In winter they lived in caves which they had excavated and in summer in nests which they had framed. They did not yet know the transforming power of fire, but ate the fruits of plants and trees, and the (raw) flesh of birds and beasts, drinking their blood and swallowing their fur and feathers.”[1] Another singular exception appears in the book of Geneses, where it states: “At that time humans began to invoke YHVH by name” (Gen. 4:26). Most of the rabbinic commentators translate the verb hukhal to mean ‘profane’, taking this as a negative statement. But ‘began’ is the more normal meaning of the verb. The Torah asserts that prior to Enosh humans did not practise religion with the divine insight of revelation that they did later. Mystical and spiritual experiences were interpreted by human intelligence without the benefit of prophetic revelation. In the spirit of this Torah insight, I offer the following reflection on the evolution of pre-historic spirituality.