Thomas Berry, Dreamer of the Earth Hot

Scholarly Introduction to Ideas of a Remarkable Visionary


Once in a great while, a man comes along with such a unique view of the world, its problems, and visions of solutions to those problems that all great thinkers who meet him are forever changed. Thomas Berry was clearly such a man, judging by the delicious assortment of essays written about Berry by a world-class assortment of his peers. "Thomas Berry, Dreamer of the Earth" is as much a tribute to "the father of environmentalism" as it is a primer on his ideas.

What sets Thomas Berry apart from most ecologists is his view that humanity must evolve and transform our very way of thinking from pure rational consciousness to a much more fully integrated form of integral knowingness in order to completely and fully resolve the crises initiated by our presence on the Earth. Rather than attempting to initiate 'green' changes from the inside of existing systems, Berry pointed out that only harmonious communication and cooperation with the Earth and the Universe could ever solve the myriad problems facing us today.

While many environmentalists work within the confines of a techno-centric, rational-centric worldview, Berry expresses passionate opposition to such "solutions," asserting that such attempts to return balance and natural order are destined to fail. Berry proposes an entirely new, yet extremely old remedy: dream with the Earth and the Universe, as shamans and indigenous medicine men and women do. Berry writes, "If we will the future effectively, it will be because the guidance and the powers of the Earth have been communicated to us, not because we have determined the future of the Earth simply with some rational faculty." While few details are provided as to how, exactly, we may enter into such holistic partnership with Earth, Berry also states, "We probably have not had such participation in the dream of the Earth since earlier shamanic times, but therein lies our hope for the future for ourselves and for the entire Earth community."

The ten essays in this slim volume written by Matthew Fox, Joanna Macy, Stanley Krippner, Duane Elgin, Sean Esbjörn-Hargens, Ervin Laszlo, Allan Combs, Geneen Marie Haugen, Bill Plotkin and others do an excellent job of showcasing the most fascinating aspects of Berry's remarkable ideas. I heartily recommend "Thomas Berry, Dreamer of the Earth" to readers interested in indigenous ways of knowing, consciousness, Earth-based spirituality, and shamanism. This book sparks the imagination, encourages heartfelt connection with the natural world, and inspires spiritual transformation.

The time to dream with the Earth... with the Universe... is now!