The Modern Goddess - Ronald Hutton

Watch the Q&A session here: https://youtu.be/0ZK1Y1QnFDg 00:00 // Introduction 00:37 // Introduction to the Modern Goddess 01:57 // Medieval and Early Modern Views 04:17 // The Romantic Era 14:40 // 19th and Early 20th Century Scholars 21:00 // The Influence of Popular Writers 22:59 // Archaeological Evidence 29:50 // The Fall of the Great Goddess Theory 31:09 // Politics of Goddess Imagery 37:30 // Feminist Revival 41:16 // British vs. American Views 42:54 // Modern Feminist Archaeology 44:01 // Conclusion and Reflections This looks at how and why a particular form of the non-Christian divine feminine came to take over the Western European imagination from the beginning of the nineteenth century. This was a great goddess representing the natural world, or the moon and stars, or both. It traces the development of belief in the importance of this being, and her impact not only on creative literature but upon the developing disciplines of ancient history and archaeology. It also confronts the problem of the different kinds of politics represented by this figure. This lecture was recorded by Ronald Hutton on 8th January 2025 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London. Ronald is the Gresham Professor of Divinity. He is also Professor of History at the University of Bristol and a Fellow of the British Academy, the Royal Historical Society, the Society of Antiquaries and the Learned Society of Wales. The transcript of the lecture is available from the Gresham College website: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/modern-goddess Gresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham's mission, please consider making a donation: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/get-involved/support-us/make-donation/donate-today Website: https://gresham.ac.uk Twitter: https://twitter.com/greshamcollege Facebook: https://facebook.com/greshamcollege Instagram: https://instagram.com/greshamcollege Support Us: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/get-involved/support-us/make-donation/donate-today