Thomas Berry was a Roman Catholic Priest in the Passionist Order (a religious institute within the Roman Catholic Church). Berry had a life-long interest in Culture Studies, Environment, History and Cosmology, devoting most of his life studying the various disciplines, with hopes of using his knowledge to address environmental issues. Drawing upon his vast depth of knowledge Berry provides a comprehensive basis for nurturing reciprocity between humans and for fostering reverence between humans and Earth in hopes that mankind may be able to “reverse the self-destructive cultural tendencies we have put in motion” (Grim & Tucker, 2010).
Thomas Berry – priest&environmentalist
“Scientific knowledge alone is insufficient [for environmentalism]” (Thomas Berry)
Throughout Berry’s studies, he highlighted the fact that scientific knowledge alone is insufficient to combat environmental degradation and hence the need for spirituality. He argued that spiritual components are more effective at regulating action, than mere scientific knowledge, reflecting what psychologists have observed in behavioral experiments.
Berry, drawing upon his deep knowledge of Culture and History, also noticed that the general public were headed toward post-materialistic values: interests in non-monetary goals, self-expression, aesthetic surroundings and self-esteem; he summarized that the developed materialistic societies have a “lacking in spiritual and emotional needs”.
Therefore, he reasoned that religion could fill both spiritual and emotional needs while simultaneously guiding and encouraging environmentally friendly behaviors (Grim & Tucker, 2010).
“Reverence toward the earth [will help] reverse the self-destructive cultural tendencies we have put in motion” (Grim & Tucker, 2010).
A New Story of the Universe
Thomas Berry believed that a change of worldview will result in an appropriate comprehensive ethics of reverence for all life. So he wrote New Story of the Universe, an elaborate mixing of spiritual belief with scientific knowledge, to help us get a better understanding of earth and our place in it. The New Story articulated a new “mythic consciousness” of our profound connectedness to Earth, through several key tenets.
The 5 Key Tenets of the New Story (Swimme & Berry, 1994):
- Social Justice: Equitable and just societies.
- Social Ties: Repair communal ties and reduce individual alienation
- Political: Less unequal societies
- Economic: Long range economic solutions aligned with ecological sustainability
- Environmental: Awareness of mankind’s role in guiding the evolutionary process at this crucial point in history. Heightened sense of responsibilities toward natural world
The New Story provides the alternative narrative needed for sustainability by framing in terms in the organization of social, political, and economic changes. Its intent is not simply to tell a comprehensive and personally enriching story, but to ultimately provide a basis for changing one’s worldview and ethics (Grim & Tucker, 2010).
References:
Berry, T. (2011). The great work: Our way into the future. Crown.
Grim & Tucker. (2010). “Thomas Berry: Reflections on His Life and Thought,” by John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker. Teilhard Studies. no 61 Fall 2010.
Swimme, B., & Berry, T. (1994). The universe story. Arkana.
Chicago