Thomas Berry, Dreamer of the Earth: The Spiritual Ecology of the Father of Environmentalism

SPIRITUALITY / ECOLOGY "Thomas Berry, Dreamer of the Earth offers an introduction to one of the most extraordinary thinkers of the twentieth century. His stature cannot be fully appreciated unless one brings to mind such axial personalities as Pythagoras or Confucius, thinkers who gave rise to civilizations. The deep structure of human beings is undergoing a seismic shift, which Thomas foresaw and in part evoked. To understand this new planetary mode of consciousness, there is no substitute for a close study of his ideas." --Brian Swimme, California Institute of Integral Studies, coauthor, with Thomas Berry, of The Universe Story, and author of The Universe Is a Green Dragon When cultural historian and spiritual ecologist Thomas Berry, described by Newsweek magazine as "the most provocative figure among the new breed of eco-theologians," passed away in 2009 at age 94, he left behind a dream of healing the "Earth community." In his numerous lectures, books, and essays, Berry proclaimed himself a scholar of the earth, a "geologian," and diligently advocated for a return to Earth-based spirituality. This anthology presents 10 essays from leading philosophers, scientists, and spiritual visionaries--including Matthew Fox, Joanna Macy, Duane Elgin, Sean Esbjorn-Hargens, Ervin Laszlo, and Allan Combs--on the genius of Berry's work and his quest to resolve our global ecological and spiritual challenges, as well as a little-known but essential essay by Berry himself. Revealing Berry's insights as far ahead of their time, these essays reiterate the radical nature of his ideas and the urgency of his most important conclusion: that money and technology cannot solve our problems; rather, we must reestablish the indigenous connection with universal consciousness and return to our fundamental spontaneous nature--still evident in our dreams--in order to navigate our ecological challenges successfully. ERVIN LASZLO, twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, is editor of the international periodical World Futures: The Journal of General Evolution and Chancellor-Designate of GlobalShift University. The founder and president of the Club of Budapest and the author of 83 books, he lives in Pisa, Italy. ALLAN COMBS is professor of transformative studies at the California Institute of Integral Studies, codirector of integral studies at the Graduate Institute of Connecticut, and a founding member of the Integral Foundation. The author of more than 100 articles and books, he lives in Santa Rosa, California.