Rev. Axel Gehrmann and Mary Kay Hamilton

To read a transcript of the sermon for this service please click on this link: The Altruistic Impulse

If economists and evolutionary biologists are correct, human actions are largely guided by individuals’ self-interest and survival instincts. Various religious traditions offer an alternative perspective, which moves beyond dichotomies of selfishness/selflessness. At first blush it may seem paradoxical to claim, “The more you give, the more you gain.” What truths are contained in such counter-intuitive teachings?