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Written by: Kamran Mofid

Published: 01 June 2017

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“The historical mission of our time is to reinvent the human—at the species level, with critical reflection, within the community of life systems, in a time-developmental context, by means of story and shared dream experience.” —Thomas Berry 

‘Thomas Berry was an original, creative, and comprehensive thinker, especially regarding the critical nature of our global environmental crisis. His intellectual importance resides in his response to the ecological crisis by bringing together the humanities and science in an evolutionary narrative. In addition, he articulated the need for the moral participation of the world religions in addressing environmental issues. He came to this realization largely through his study of cosmologies embedded within religious traditions. Sensing the significance of these stories as “functional cosmologies” he explored the widespread influence that these stories transmitted through a tradition, for example, in rituals, ethics, and stories…’-Thomas Berry: A Biography

Fr. Thomas Berry

November 9, 1914- June 1, 2009

“All creatures of Earth are looking to us for their destiny.  Among these are our children and grandchildren, who depend on our decisions for the sustenance and flourishing of the life systems of the planet.  This remains one of our primary challenges in the twenty first century.”-Father Thomas Berry, Evening Thoughts

Sunday 1st June 2025 marks the 15th year anniversary of cultural historian, ‘geologian’ and much-loved Gaia elder Thomas Berry’s passing.

His visionary ideas continue to inspire so many people all over the world. I am especially proud and encouraged to share a sampling of a few articles that we have posted on our website that reflect his inspiration and teachings. (See below)

“Thomas Berry was the earliest and most important voice to describe the profound importance of the disconnection between humans and the natural world, and what that could mean for the future of our species,” Richard Louv, author of “Last Child in the Woods"

In the words and sentiments of Patrick Tolan: 

 “While this humble tribute can’t approach the eloquence of Thomas Berry, whose prose was “more akin to that of poetry, art, myth, or storytelling,” it can help to introduce those who don’t know Thomas Berry to his life and work, and can serve to remind those who knew him of what made him so special. “Beloved friend and companion,” “priest, prophet and seer,” “renowned scholar,” “thinker,” “Brother”; “[h]e was the truest man I ever knew.”  These testimonies at Thomas’s funeral in Greensboro, Vermont, tell volumes about a man who epitomized truth and love.”-Patrick Tolan, Earth Jurisprudence and Environmental Justice Journal

The future that awaits the human venture: A Story from a Wise and Loving Teacher

Nature the Best Teacher: Re-Connecting the World’s Children with Nature

Thomas Berry, Writer and Lecturer With a Mission for Mankind, Dies at 94

 Dear Friends, The Time is Now, We must continue to deepen our understanding of Thomas Berry’s teachings and be guided and inspired by his wisdom, if for nothing else, but to preserve life it self:

Endangered Animals

Photo: Endangered animals G5 Exhibition

 ‘Humans are bringing about the sixth mass extinction of life on Earth, according to scientists writing in a special edition of the leading journal Nature.

Mammals, birds and amphibians are currently becoming extinct at rates comparable to the previous five mass extinctions when “cataclysmic forces” – such as massive meteorite strikes and supervolcano explosions – wiped out vast swathes of life, including the dinosaurs.

The growing human population – which has increased by 130 per cent in the last 50 years and is set to rise to more than 10 billion by 2060 – and our increasing demand for resources as we become wealthier is ramping up the pressure on the natural world.

Tens of thousands of species – including 25 per cent of all mammals and 13 per cent of birds – are now threatened with extinction because of over-hunting, poaching, pollution, loss of habitat, the arrival of invasive species, and other human-caused problems.

But the researchers said it was not “inevitable” that this process would continue. There is still time for humans to turn the situation around by protecting habitats, changing our diets to less land-intensive food, and taking other forms of conservation.’.. Humans are ushering in the sixth mass extinction of life on Earth, scientists warn

‘History is governed by those overarching movements that give shape and meaning to life by relating the human venture to the larger destinies of the universe.  Creating such a movement might be called the Great Work of a people.’ -Father Thomas Berry, The Great Work

These are the times when we desperately need inspiring and healing words of wisdom, hope and beauty.

Journey to Healing: Let Me Know What is Essential