A new edition of Dr. Ursula Goodenough’s bestselling book The Sacred Depths of Nature releases February 10th!
Extensively revised and in full color, each chapter begins with an accessible story about the dynamics of Nature: the origins of the universe, the planet, and life; the workings of cells and organisms; the patterns of biological evolution and the resultant biodiversity; awareness and feelings; sex and intimacy; multicellularity and death; and two new chapters on human evolution and morality/ecomorality. Each is followed by a reflection on the spiritual sensibilities elicited by these science-based understandings, generating the foundations for a non-theistic religious naturalist orientation.
“Ursula Goodenough argues passionately, wisely and even lyrically for a new, modern, scientifically-informed world view that can tell us both about the Universe we inhabit and the moral rules we need to inhabit it well. This is a wonderful account of the history of life by a great biologist. It invites us to find in modern science the profound sense of wonder and belonging, and the deep ethical sense present in all the world’s religious traditions.”
-David Christian, Historian, Macquarie University,
author of Origin Story: A Big History of Everything
Dialogue with Ursula Goodenough, Professor of Biology Emerita, Washington University and Carol Wayne White, Interim Director of the Griot Center (2022-23) and Professor of Philosophy of Religion, Bucknell University. Moderated by Mary Evelyn Tucker , Co-founder and Co-director, Forum on Religion and Ecology, Yale University.
This event is part of the Eco Justice for All Dialogue Series hosted by the Temple of Understanding. A recording will be made available for later viewing.
The Forest School at the Yale School of the Environment and Orion Magazine present a conversation with Lacy M. Johnson on American history and the longleaf pine. Building off her recent essay on the longleaf pine’s integral role in the American slave trade, Johnson will discuss the ways in which trees bear witness to the evolution of culture and what they may be able to tell us about ourselves now. She will also discuss how her research into coastal flooding has expanded her understanding of how rising water levels affect trees, and what people can do to protect the landscapes they love. In conversation with her will be Mary Evelyn Tucker, co-author of Journey of the Universe and co-founder of Yale’s Forum on Religion and Ecology.
Lacy M. Johnson is the author of several books, including the essay collection The Reckonings, and is co-editor of More City than Water: A Houston Flood Atlas. She teaches at Rice University and is the founding director of the Houston Flood Museum.
Cosmogenesis: An Unveiling of an Expanding Universe
By Brian Swimme
Free Book Launch Event
Deeptime Network
February 23, 7:00 - 8:30 PM EST
"Cosmogenesis is one of the most remarkable stories of our time--not simply a pager-turner, but a life-changer." -- Mary Evelyn Tucker, Yale University
Larry Edwards and his wife Jean (pictured above) taught at Genesis Farm in Blairstown, New Jersey from 1991 to 2008. Read the story of how Larry moved from mainstream science (Harvard PhD in Chemical Physics) to design a live-in master’s degree Program, called Earth Literacy, based on the work of Thomas Berry. He also taught at times with Brian Swimme and was an unflagging supporter of The Universe Story.
Poem
This image – the first released from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope – shows the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
“James Webb Space Telescope’s 1st Image shows
deepest, sharpest view of universe ever”
(July 11, 2022, CBC News online)
“The James Webb Space Telescope”
By Joy Dubé
From the Center for Humans and Nature
They told us that we had to peer into the distant past to see the future:
ancient galaxies being birthed 13.8 billion years ago
emitting the oldest light in the universe
like echoes ricocheting off the walls of a canyon—
long after the cry has stopped the galaxy
moved on to another thought another scramble up the rock face
A patch of sky the size of a grain of sand
reflected on a smooth gold-plated
disk 6.5 mm in diameter—
your iris expands, beholds past, present, future in tiny golden flecks
Infrared light reveals multiverse realities but do we
really want them to reach out and touch our world— let them glimpse our sad, unknowable selves?
We salute the Black Hole millions of light-years away
a phantom limb, flickering, pulsing, demanding our attention—
the scientists say: “Everything is going to change completely”
Publication
Check out the latest Teilhard Perspective, the American Teilhard Association newsletter that features short articles, reviews of relevant publications, and information regarding upcoming events. Read the issue here.
Video
In the first episode of Inner Nature, Kritee Kanko and Kaira Jewel Lingo set a foundation for understanding the mutuality and reciprocity of contemplative practice and environmental action.
This conversation unfolds an acknowledgment of both the individual and systemic responses needed to the climate emergency. In doing so, Kaira Jewel and Kritee make clear the critical interconnectedness of environmental and racial justice.
Sam King hosted a film screening followed by
a cosmic meditation and discussion.
The 43rd annual Winter Solstice Celebration, in the form of a video retrospective, is available to watch for free on YouTube.
Entitled Solstice Saga, this epic three-hour journey interweaves iconic performances from the first four decades of this event at New York's Cathedral of St. John the Divine. More than 19,000 people have tuned in to watch!
Inspired by the awesome creative powers of our Universe? Forward this newsletter to your friends, colleagues, and family members. They can sign up to receive the newsletter using the button below.
