As a pioneer in
the field of spirituality and ecology, Thomas Berry has created a quiet
revolution. He is a monk, a cultural historian, an author, a teacher,
and a mystic.
The film opens
displaying the beauty of the natural world as Berry unfolds the story
of creation. He sees his life work as waking us up to that sacred
story. He calls us "mad" for the way we are despoiling our home, our
planet, its beauty, and its living systems. He is a force that reminds
us that we are living through the greatest extinction spasm of the past
65 million years. We are the ones responsible. Berry urges us to change
our ways.
At the heart of
the film is Berry's experience of the universe as a cosmic liturgy. He
reminds us that "we are not a collection of objects but a communion of
subjects." His values are rooted in this sacred cosmology which
includes the entire natural world. The mountains, rivers, birds, fish,
all living organisms are not there for our use but for a union which is
needed for us to become who we are. As Berry says, "I am not myself
without everything else."
DVD version:
The DVD contains 47 minutes of additional interviews with Thomas Berry
on The Great Work (History, Reinventing the Human, The Corporation),
Universe (Spirit/Matter, Linear Time vs. Seasonal Time, Existence), and
Art (Poems, Creative Disequilibrium), plus scene selection.
Reviews:
"Tom gave us the
picture--it's a picture of the earth as the center of everything...of
our consciousness, of our physical being, of our world. As a
theological person, that really turned my whole thinking upside down."
Rev. James Parks Morton
"We are grateful to Thomas Berry and to the makers of this marvelous
film who have captured some of his spirit and his deep message so
important for our times." Matthew Fox
Related Subjects:
American Studies
Biography
Cosmology
Ecology
Environmental
Ethics
Religious Studies
Related Titles:
Crossing the Stones: An intimate
biography of the Norwegian founder of deep ecology.
Helen Nearing: A moving
portrait of the lives and deaths of homesteading authors, Helen &
Scott Nearing.
John Livingston:
Naturalist John Livingston questions whether humans are the "chosen
species".
For Earth's Sake:
Portrait of David Brower, America's leading environmentalist.
The Art of Being Human: A
remarkable artist who helps us see the humanity in others.
Gaia: A portrait of
James Lovelock, originator of the theory that the earth is a living
organism.
Small Is Beautiful:
Portrait of E.F. Schumacher, the first to question unbridled economic
growth.
Home Place: Putting the
role of human beings in the biosphere back into proper perspective.
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