After the sun and moon, after day and night, after the flood and plagues, came priests and prophets who began to ask, Why did a perfect God create so imperfect a world? One response was a belief in the coming of an age of perfection led by a figure called variously, savior, messiah, and mahdi.

The messiah concept is part of all major western religions. It has impacted billions worldwide and has led to dozens of variations each thought to be the true concept. The November talk will outline the origin, history, and status of the concept. It will be drawn entirely from historical sources and will leave supernatural explanations to others at other times.

Art Rosen, along with his wife Maureen, has offered over twenty courses in religious studies at both Osher@Dartmouth and Colby-Sawyer’s Adventures in Learning. They have been Newbury residents for over 30 years.

Free and open to all.