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sustaining-time
Time is not merely followed but actively sustained as a cosmic order.
1 chapter across 1 book
Clock of the Long Now: Time and Responsibility (1999)Stewart Brand
CHAPTER 8, OLD-TIME RELIGION
Chapter 8, "Old-Time Religion," explores ancient and mythological conceptions of time as cyclical, eternal, and sustaining rather than linear and progressive. It draws on diverse sources, including Michel Serres, Joseph Campbell, Elise Boulding, Mircea Eliade, and Daniel Boorstin, to illustrate how traditional religions and mythologies conceive of time as a cosmic breath, a revolt against historical time, and a sacred order maintained by figures like the Pharaoh. The chapter emphasizes the contrast between modern, historical time and the timelessness central to many ancient worldviews.