Colloquium Explores Valley of the Dawn Religion

The final Global Issues Colloquium of the semester will take place at 7 p.m. April 6 in the Student Union Building Activities Room.

Kelly Hayes, associate professor of religious studies at Indiana University, will present “Intergalactic Space-Time Travelers: Envisioning the New Age in Brazil’s Valley of the Dawn.”

Founded in the 1960s, the Valley of the Dawn is a Brazilian religion known for its synthesis of elements drawn from Christianity, Spiritualism, Afro-Brazilian religions and various esoteric traditions. Its adherents believe they are descendants of a race of extraterrestrials originally sent to earth to advance humanity’s spiritual evolution in preparation for the Third Millennium.

In this talk Hayes explores the Valley’s imaginative reconstruction of the past and its utopian vision, contrasting it with Brasília, the great modernist capital in whose shadow the Valley was founded and whose construction promised to catapult Brazil into the future.

To learn about upcoming speakers for next semester, check the Global Issues website, Facebook account or Twitter profile.