A Tribute to Thomas Berry (1914-2009),

Scholar, Visionary, Planet Lover

by

Mary Evelyn Tucker

Friends, students, and colleagues are mourning the passing of one of the great philosophers of our time. Thomas Berry, teacher, visionary, and author, left us with a story of the emergence of the universe and our extraordinary place in its unfolding.

“The basic mood of the future might well be one of confidence in the continuing revelation that takes place in and through the Earth. If the dynamics of the Universe from the beginning shaped the course of the heavens, lighted the sun, and formed the Earth, if this same dynamics brought forth the continents and the seas and atmosphere, if it awakened life in the primordial cell and then brought into being the unnumbered variety of living beings, and finally brought us into being and guided us safely through the turbulent centuries, there is reason to believe that this same guiding process is precisely what has awakened in us our present understanding of ourselves and our relation to this stupendous process. Sensitized to such guidance from the very structure and functioning of the Universe, we can have confidence in the future that awaits the human venture.”

—Thomas Berry, "The New Story" from The Dream of the Earth

A journey of nearly four decades with Thomas Berry has been one of the greatest gifts of my life, as it has been for countless others.

What is it that we all share—those of us who admire his unflagging spirit, his self-effacing manner, his compassionate visage, his penetrating insights, and his comprehensive vision?

It is a feeling of deep companionship that Thomas evokes—we are walking together somehow. Yes, the journey is long, and difficult. We may stumble or lose our way. But with Thomas another future is possible for the Earth community, and he empowers us to engage in the great work of imagining that future. In a time saturated with false promises and misplaced hopes amidst ecological destruction and economic unraveling, his steady evocation of an emerging Ecozoic era ignites human energy in vibrant and unexpected ways.

Thomas, in his brown corduroy coat, year after year while teaching at Fordham University and beyond, called us into the vast sweep of evolutionary dynamics. He lit up our imagination with a story of universe emergence from star birth and galaxy formation to life on Earth.

But there was more. Thomas wove us into the story—seeing us as beings who are biologically and historically grounded. He understood us as arising out of an immense journey of Earth and universe. He helped us to see our connections from the microcosm to the macrocosm, from the great flaring forth to the beauty of flowers and seeds, fish and birds. Thomas’ enduring appreciation for the communion of subjects in this process is something that has profoundly reshaped our minds and hearts.

Thomas’ inclusion of all of life in his own large embrace is what fills us with an ever greater capacity to enter into life’s rhythms and demands—shaping, against all odds, the clay of a life-giving future. There is no one who has held us to such high aspirations so steadily and with such humor and grace.

It is this remarkable gift that we celebrate in Thomas. Over and over again he stuns us with language that evokes companionship on a great journey—universe formation, Earth’s unfolding, life’s arising, human dreaming. He calls us to find our deep alignment with the powers that have sustained this remarkable epic.

Here now in the early 21st century, a new journey is beginning where the life story and the human story are becoming realigned. Thomas has planted the seeds to sustain this great transition and given us remarkable companions for the road ahead. For all of this gratitude, indeed, abounds.

A Brief Biography of Thomas Berry (1914-2009)
Thomas Berry was born in Greensboro, North Carolina in 1914. From his academic beginnings as a historian of world cultures and religions, Berry developed into a historian of the Earth and its evolutionary processes. He described himself as a “geologian.”

He received his PhD in European Intellectual History with a thesis on Giambattista Vico's philosophy of history. Widely read in Western history, he also spent many years studying the cultural history of Asia. He lived in China and traveled to other parts of Asia. He authored two books on Asian religions, Buddhism and Religions of India (distributed by Columbia University Press).

For two decades, he directed the Riverdale Center of Religious Research along the Hudson River just north of New York City. During this period he taught at Fordham University where he established and chaired the history of religions program. He attracted students from all over North America and directed some 25 doctoral theses. Along with Ted deBary he founded the Asian Thought and Religion Seminar at Columbia.

In 1995 he “retired” to his home city of Greensboro, North Carolina, where he continued to write, lecture, and receive visitors. His major contributions to the discussion on the environment are in his books The Dream of the Earth (Sierra Club Books, 1988 reprinted, 2006), The Great Work: Our Way into the Future (Random House, 1999) and, with Brian Swimme, The Universe Story (Harper San Francisco, 1992). Sierra Club Books and University of California Press jointly published his collection of essays, Evening Thoughts: Reflecting on Earth as Sacred Community in 2006.

Two new books of Berry's will be available this fall:

The Sacred Universe (Columbia University Press); and

The Christian Future and the Fate of Earth (Orbis Books).

Mary Evelyn Tucker and her husband, John Grim, are long-time editors of Thomas' work. They were graduate students of Thomas at Fordham University and he inspired them in founding the Forum on Religion and Ecology which they direct at Yale University.

Interested?
See a more complete biography and some of his essays at www.thomasberry.org
Source from Yes Magazine

Further reading:

Thomas Berry's Earth Spirituality and the “Great Work”;

Thomas Berry and the Earth Community;

Remembering Thomas Berry C.P.;

Thomas Berry dies at 94; cultural historian became a leading thinker on religion and the environment

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HAVE YOU BEEN INFLUENCED BY THOMAS BERRY?

Please continue to his Month's Mind.

If you would like to contribute your experience of Thomas Berry

in and on your life

- and especially, but not exclusively, in an Australian context -

please send a paragraph or so to

misseaglesnetwork(at)gmail(dot)com

John Greenleaf Whittier: First-Day Thoughts

FIRST-DAY THOUGHTS

In calm and cool and silence, once again
I find my old accustomed place among
My brethren; here, perchance, no human tongue
Shall utter words; where never hymn is sung,
Nor deep-toned organ blown, nor censer swung
Nor dim light falling through the pictured pane!

There, syllabled by silence, let me hear
The still small voice which reached the prophet's ear;
Read in my heart a still diviner law
Than Israel's leader on his tables saw!
Here let me strive with each besetting sin,
Recall my wandering fancies, and restrain
The sore disquiet of a restless brain;
And, as the path of duty is made plain,
May grace be given that I may walk therein,
Not like the hireling, for his selfish gain,
With backward glances and reluctant tread,
Making a merit of his coward dread,
But, Cheerful, in the light around me thrown,
Walking as one to pleasant service led;
Doing God's will as if it were my own,
Yet trusting not in mine, but in His strength alone!

--J.G.W.

Discovered in The Peaceable Table.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009

Building...stone upon stone

Our own small stone of activism,

which might not seem to measure up

to the rugged boulders of heroism we have so admired

is a paltry offering toward the building of an edifice of hope ...

For we can do nothing substantial toward

changing our course on the planet, a destructive one,

without rousing ourselves, individual by individual,

and bringing our small, imperfect stones to the pile.

- Alice Walker,

The Impossible Will Take a Little While:

A Citizen's Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear.

A reprieve for specialist religious broadcasting at RN?

Readers of Desert will recall a series of posts regarding new programming at the ABC's Radio National in 2009 which would result in the axing of the Religion Report. Please see posts here, here and here.

This afternoon Crikey has published the following article:

Glenn Dyer writes:

Is the head of ABC Radio, Sue Howard, about to leave the national broadcaster?

Talk around the ABC is that the Corporation's Managing director, Mark Scott, has decided to find a new head of radio and Ms Howard doesn't fit his view of what's need for the gig.

Michael Mason, the current head of ABC Local radio, Kate Dundas, who has served in various positions in ABC radio is another contender, but a late bloomer is Linda Bracken, who heads up the Triple J Network.

There's talk Ms Howard's future at the ABC would have been clarified late last week, but there was a Radio National function on Friday and then in the Australian's Media section on Monday, Mark Scott was named media person of the year, so an announcement about Ms Howard's future might have been a bit off.

Mr Scott is understood to have been less than impressed with the way the restructuring of some of Radio National's programming next year was handled by the network's management and the management of the division.

Discontent with Howard apparently dates to the bungled decision to reshape Radio National programming, including the rescheduling and abolition of several specialist programs. Management's intentions only came to light after an unauthorised early morning editorial from the Religion Report's Stephen Crittenden in October. The changes might have been the sort of thing of which Mark Scott might approve, but the implementation was a PR disaster for Radio National. 

Calls to ABC Corporate were not returned by deadline.

Guantanamera: the woman from Guantanamo

There is something about the song, Guantanamera. Belting out that one word somewhat musically does something to one's spirit. Aaaah, I feel Latin, Spanish, Cuban. My Anglo-Irish genes have tucked away in them another gene that rolls its r's and speaks Spanish. And my foot taps: boots with cuban heels making staccato noises. Any moment now a tango, a salsa will come - all because of that woman from Guantanamo whose 90th annivesary of memory in song will be celebrated next year, in 2009.

Which brings me to Roger Cohen. Each day the email edition of The New York Times drops in. I don't read it every day and, when I do, I don't read it all. There's a cursory glance at the headlines as I head for the Op-Ed - the opinion pieces. And I'm picky. My favouritest is Paul Krugman whom I have been reading for years and who, just this year, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Economics. Nice to know I can still pick 'em. I used to read Thomas Friedman. But not since, some years ago, he complained that no one was helping the USA in the Iraq war - when Australia was, first in after the USA, because of the conservative PM at the time and Australia's penchant for following the USA into hell and high water. I used to read Maureen Dowd all the time - but then everyone in Australia caught on and her columns would make it into the Australia press and I moved on. I read the occasional Gail Collins - not quite as smart and not as politically sharp as Ms Dowd but very amusing. Frank Rich is getting more reading time - and, because of his Cuban columns, Roger Cohen is stirring my heart. See what I wrote about his last column over here.

And now he has written with the dateline, Guantanamo Cuba. Guantanamo: the sounds of music, desire, and inhumanity all in one word. In Cuba, Cohen found a surprise:

A surprise awaited me. The church was full. A young priest in luminous green vestments was holding Mass. His words met me as I entered: “La Misa es siempre un encuentro con Dios” — “Mass is always an encounter with God.”

Read his words for yourself - food on which the mind may meditate and which will touch the spirit.

Third Sunday of Advent 2008: Gaudete Sunday - Rejoice!

Went over to Eltham last night for their Multi-faith Carols by Candlelight. The Carols were to have been held in the Eltham Town Square - with a rain-affected strategy of retreat to the Catholic Church. Well, it was at the Catholic Church - but not because of rain. It was because of the cold - following all the rain of Friday and Saturday. Imagine - December in Australia and Carols have to be indoors because of the cold!!!

The Rev Stephen Delbridge whose wife Libby is the Vicar of St Margaret's Anglican Church wrote his very first song for the occasion called "Dreaming". 

DREAMING

Chorus:

Dreaming God is with us

Dreaming God is here

Jesus born among us

Born afresh each year.

~~~

Listening to the rising wind,

Tossing the leaves,

teasing the night,

God is calling across the sky,

Jesus in love is coming in light.

Whispering to the sleeping Joseph,

Baby unseen, gift to the world,

Mary alerted holds her breath,

Joseph in trembling,

wonders unfurl.

Jesus is born love and tears,

Held in embrace, hope amongst fear.

Mary knows God is born this night,

Joseph holds promise

new life so dear

(c) Stephen Delbridge 2008

Please note:

The words of Stephen's song are published here by permission.

If you wish to use the words and if you wish to obtain the music that accompanies them,

please email Stephen at 

stephen(dot)delbridge(at)mh(dot)org(dot)au

PS:  The Christmas Bowl collection was for "Disaster Risk Reduction" in the Pacific Islands. The money will go to help people reduce the damage from cyclones which have increased in frequency due to climate change.

Breath, Hope and Light

My friend Belinda and her blog, Belinda's place, are very inspirational.

Even more so is this thought for the journey.

Thoughts for the Journey

Behold, behold I make all things new,

beginning with you and starting from to-day.

Behold, behold I make all things new,

my promise is true, for I am Christ The Way

Second Sunday of Advent: 2008

Prayer of the day - Advent 2

Merciful God, you sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: give us grace to heed their warning and forsake our sins, that we may greet with joy the coming of Jesus Christ our Redeemer, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever - Amen

~~~~~~

From the Pew Sheet, All Saints, Mitcham

Rev'd Dianne Sharrock, B. Theol

The first reading today is from the prophet Isaiah [Isaiah 40 1.11] and brings a message of hope and comfort to the people of Israel who wee in exile in Babylon.  Despite their failings God is merciful and has promised them a new beginning.  John the Baptist appears in the line of that great prophet and again promises Israel the chance of a new beginning if they repent and turn again towards God.

The emphasis in Mark's portrait of the Baptist is very much that of the subordinate.  John's self-effacing manner makes it clear that he is not the one who is promised, but the one who is to prepare the way.  The emphasis in John's preaching is non judgment, for Jesus it is salvation.

The wilderness or the desert can be a silent and frightening lace - and yet it is into this silence that both John and Jesus withdraw to pray.  For them it became a place of deep intimacy with God.

Advent is also a time of new beginnings and John the Baptist's 'voice in the wilderness' is also a personal invitation to each of us to prepare a way for the Lord into our lives now.  The church recognizes the need to be in a kind of wilderness and so we do not have flowers, except for the Advent wreath, no water in the font, no Gloria nor Creed and we could also use a pottery chalice, paten and candle holders.

John speaks of repentance and to repent is to have a change of heart or mind.  Have you ever had a change of heart or mind over a significant person, issue or task which has led to a new approach or way of thinking?

Make time this week to spend a while in the wilderness within, listening to the voice that is there.

Pax, Dianne