The Great Work: Our Way into the Future

This review is long, and my apologies, but this book is potent and spells-out what is one of the most important subjects of the 21st century- our drifting from physical reality and responsibilities and the need to wake-up and realize this dilemma and how we can accomplish that possible , but daunting task. Thomas Berry does this with eloquence and wisdom here and this is truly, a "Great Work"! Thank you, Mr. Berry!In his earlier book, "The Dream of the Earth", Thomas Berry so eloquently stated the need for humanity to realize what a beautiful foundational life-support gift we have in planet Earth and the need to treat it with the profound sense of respect and good stewardship it deserves and needs in to order to provide a healthy life-sustaining platform.An understanding of the dynamics of Earth's resource cycles and regulatory systems can teach us how to live sustainably and regeneratively- most importantly, carrying that understanding into the formation and dissemination of religion, politics and economy.We see God's handy-work, i.e., the blue prints and operating system for Earth through the dynamics of Nature's regenerative, life providing bounty and we then see what is required to maintain this perfect system. Indeed, we are entering the "Eco-zoic" faze of our existence- the realization and implementation of an ecologically sustainable reality.So how could Berry top that beautiful piece of work? Almost ten years after "The Dream", he comes out with "The Great Work", a powerful and compelling continuation of the earlier theme of a beautiful Earth with attentive humans at the helm and with proper stewardship, only now with an exacting historical dialogue of how the Earth formed, settled and eventually became a biological life-support system and where we, as humans have lost our original awe and respect of God's creation through the many distractions of living in a human only, "civilized" and complex material world, forgetting our interconnectedness to all life.This separation has culminated in an insane, parasitic and cancerous existence not only for us humans, but for all life on this planet. Isn't it curious that cancer of our bodies is one of our biggest worries and nemesis? Mass over-population, pollution, unsustainable resource use and habitat destruction have left us in a burn-out, dire mess. Our sense of economy is no "economy" at all, rather a predatory take all shark frenzy fully supported by governments through corporate purchase and manipulation and misguided `human only' pseudo-religious zealotry.An un-Godly, reckless "Manifest Destiny" attitude of anthropocentric endeavors has been prevailing since the industrialization of our societies exploded on the human scene, blinding us with delusions of superiority, yet to the detriment of our shared and threatened environment.Exactly in the middle of this fine book, is a chapter called"Ethics and Ecology". Here, Berry relates our combined human sense of making like nothing is wrong on spaceship Earth (a closed-loop eco-system) with a parallel to the tragedy of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. A course was set and could not be deviated from, regardless of the warnings of known dangerous icebergs ahead. An attitude that the Titanic was a perfect, fool-proof and unsinkable human manifestation prevailed.The Titanic parallel underscores our misguided human notions that we can control Nature and that we are on a safe course in our activities on Earth. We see our creation of the Titanic (the micro), but not the big picture (the macro), i.e., Nature along with it's icebergs, etc., but especially, the need for our attention to it's requirements for a safe, healthy existence.As Berry states, our "extractive" (exploitive, parasitic) economies have become "terminal" economies (dead-end) and need to be reformulated to sustainable/regenerative economies for the continuation and enjoyment of life- only in a more sane and quality existence.For those that don't think it can be done, it would be educational to look at the turn-around of attitudes and subsequent successes of corporations that have been able to wake-up to what sustainable/regenerative/eco-friendly formats offer in terms of long lasting, profitable returns, let alone peace of mind. A good outline of that can be seen in the book, "Natural Capitalism" by Hawken and Lovins.Further, religions need to continue with their return to the inclusion of all Creation and away from the current deviation of anthropomorphism. Understanding the dynamics and importance of interconnectedness with all of God's Creation is a matter of survival now and should not be interpreted as "Nature Love" vs. "Biblical Dogma". It's all one reality. Berry gently opens our eyes to this!The consideration of an all-inclusive creation- man and nature in harmony instead of man vs. nature- both created by God to coexist, is also touched upon in the 'great work' of Chet Raymo's books "Skeptics and True Believers", sequealed by his "Climbing Brandon"- in a sermon by Saint Columbanus, there is in part: [Those who wish to know God, he says, "must first review the natural world."]. Indeed, a good place to start!There is a good bibliography in "The Great Work" that provides a multitude of resources for further research and education on sustainable awareness and consciousness.

This is an important and beautifully written book. The unfolding narrative of the cosmos and the importance of cosmogenesis was lost on me before I engaged in this masterwork. I felt compelled to read this, as if the very Universe was passing on wisdom through the emerging consciousness of Earth through every written word. It is for people who are awake, or are awakening, to what has been present from the beginning-we are all part of a whole that must not be reduced down to individual parts for exploitation and abuse. We all need each other and everything to flourish. Reversing what's been created and destroyed through our misappropriation of power on the Earth is the great challenge before us, the great work to which we are being called. It is a daunting task, but Thomas Berry has helped illuminate the way forward in this book.

this book was recommended by a friend; i'm very happy with it; it's a good time in my life to be reading it and learning; it could have been written yesterday; it's so timely

Such a great book makes you wake up and realize we need to love mother nature.

Thomas Berrty was way ahead of his time in what he writes in this book. I wonder if Pope Francis read it because Berry's vision appears to be reflected in the concepts central to Laudato Si'. Berry's theology is creation-centered and recognizes the essential unity of nature, the complexity of ecology, and species interrelationships that must be protected in the expansion of technical civilization. I think this work will be cited often in the future.

This book tells us we have a work to do to start the universe into progress to achieve it's goal according to God's purpose for it.It is a serious book. Humanity should know what their purpose is this book helps a lot in this. This work of ours is the gGreat Work.

Berry is a humanist, visionary, with much wisdom to impart. His writing is deep and well documented. But it is difficult to slog through each paragraph to get the meaning inherent in the words. Tried as I might I never got through more than the first quarter of the book, then donated it to the local library. Think he needs a co-writer or ghost writer that can translate his thoughts into plain English. It would help the world to have this.

Thomas Berry has a deep insight into the human-earth predicament. He calls on the human to become conscious of the human responsibility of care for creation. The human IS the universe come to consciousness of itself and realizing behavior must change if we are to be faithful to intergenerational justice claims of generations yet unborn; all life depends on the human response.

The warning signs are everywhere and despite efforts to minimise the impending catastrophes, the scientific facts speak for themselves. What is most impressive about this book is that it was written over 20 years ago and this makes it prophetic as Berry signals for us the changes which he could see on the horizon as a result of global warming. His profound ecological insights illuminate the paths we need to take even more urgently today. Writing on a very large canvas which encompasses physics, biology, cosmology, astrophysics, history and philosophical thinking he writes in a style which is immediate and thought provoking while at the same time accessible to the ordinary reader. His passion oozes from these pages as he urges a pervasive change in consciousness which he believes is our best hope for developing a sustainable future. We are in the next stage of an evolutionary process and will be sustained, if we are open to it, by the wisdom of indigenous people, women, classical traditions and science itself. If you are to read one book on the implications of climate change and on a way forward, read this. It will change you forever.

The Great Work: Our way into the future, by Thomas Berry, Bell Tower, New York, 1999, 256 ff.An inspiration for the futureBy Howard A. JonesThomas Berry, who died in June 2009, was a Roman Catholic priest who had a unique vision of what religion, and Christianity in particular, should be about - not primarily about individual salvation but care of the planet for the wellbeing of all living things. The Great Work of the title is an exhortation to all of us to embrace this philosophy of the love of others through care of the environment. The great age of 94 at which he died is a measure of the depth of wisdom of his message.Though the book contains warnings enough of the perils for humankind if we continue on our path of materialistic self-interest, overall this is a message of hope, of what we can become if we have the moral strength and courage to shift the focus of our existence from ourselves with our short-term goals to the continuing existence of life on the planet: `We think of the Earth more as the background for economic purposes or as the object of scientific research rather than as a world of wonder, magnificence and mystery for the unending delight of the human mind and imagination.' A primary concern for humankind `must be to recover an integral relation with the universe'.Like some other contemporary futurists Berry lays great emphasis on the importance of the role of education in schools and universities. The whole emphasis of education has become the acquisition of facts rather than to `hear the voice of the rivers, the mountains, or the sea. . . We have disengaged from that profound interaction with our environment that is inherent in our nature' and which finds natural expression in the indigenous peoples of the world. `The other-than-human world is not recognised as having any inherent rights or values . . . we have silenced too many of those wonderful voices of the universe that spoke to us of the grand mysteries of existence.'This is an inspirational book for anyone who is sensitive to the plight of the planet and who wants to immerse themselves in the spiritual journey towards what another futurist, Frank Parkinson, called metanoia - a fundamental shift in our outlook on the world.Dr Howard A. Jones is the author of The Thoughtful Guide to God (2006) and The Tao of Holism (2008), both published by O Books of Winchester, UK. The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos: Humanity and the New Story (Ecology & justice) Teilhard De Chardin - the Divine Milieu Explained: A Spirituality for the 21st Century The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight: Waking Up to Personal and Global TransformationThe Hidden Heart of the Cosmos: Humanity and the New Story (Ecology & justice)Teilhard De Chardin - the Divine Milieu Explained: A Spirituality for the 21st CenturyThe Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight: Waking Up to Personal and Global Transformation

An extremely well written book - it is a pleasure to listen to the voice of wisdom. It is a wake up call to our role and responsibility to our planet.Read this book and get a feel for how you can take up 'the great work' - how you can find your own way of contributing to a future for all.

There is a geat need to put meaning back into our living. This book offers us a way of visioning the past, the present and the future with the challange to re-envision the same past and present so that the present will renew our hope for the future - and once again give meaning to it all.

A view from outer space. A must. A human talking for all humanity.