Category Archives: Cosmology
‘The Living Universe: Where Are We? Who Are We? Where Are We Going?’ by Duane Elgin
How many of us, staring up into the unfathomable reaches of the Milky Way on a clear, moonless night, have felt a shiver run through us? Who could not feel a shiver of awe – perhaps even of terror – in contemplating his or her puny insignificance against a background of stars? Compared to the immensity of even this visible fragment of the mysterious universe, we are mere specks of dust. And yet… perhaps we are less puny and less separate than we think. Continue reading
Posted in Cosmology, Important Titles, Psychology, Religion, Science, Spirituality
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‘The Science of Oneness: A worldview for the twenty-first century’ by Malcolm Hollick
Readers of GreenSpirit will be profoundly aware of the ecological stress now facing our planet as a result of human action, and of the call which many of us feel, to respond by embracing the earth more closely, connecting with it more intimately, so that we can know in our bones what is happening and respond more with our whole being. Many of us also feel that the underlying cause of what is happening is the progressive loss of any meaningful worldview within our society. Continue reading
Posted in Cosmology, Creation Spirituality, Gaia, Philosophy, Psychology, Science, Spirituality
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‘Galileo’s Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith, and Love’ by Dava Sobel
This is a very readable presentation of the life and tribulations of Galileo Galilei enlivened and enlightened by extensive extracts of letters, translated for the first time, written to him by his daughter, Marie Celeste. We see, through her eyes, not simply Galileo the scientist, philosopher and martyr but also Galileo concerned about his son, his wine casks, his weak health, and his financial and other day to day affairs. We learn about the affairs of the convent and about the steady stream of medicines prepared by Maria Celeste—who was the apothecary to the convent—which she supplied to her much loved father.
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‘Living in Connection: Theory and Practice of the New World-View’ by Chris Clarke
In this book, Chris links his extensive, first-hand knowledge of modern physics with a deeply-felt creation spirituality, aided by a powerful grasp of the history of science and philosophy. He wants to tell us what it means to really live in moment-by-moment connection with all-that-is, or, to use a favourite term of his, with the Other. To do this, he sets out the new world-view that makes living in connection possible.
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Posted in Cosmology, Creation Spirituality, Gaia, Philosophy, Science, Spirituality
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‘The Acentric Labyrinth: Giordano Bruno’s Prelude to Contemporary Cosmology’ by Ramon Mendoza
Ramon maintains that Giordano Bruno, who was burned at the stake in 1600, is the true founder of modern cosmology, and that he goes far beyond modern physics in linking cosmology and spirituality. Bruno put forward a view of the Universe which is close to that – indeed goes further than that – which is held by early twenty-first century physics. Continue reading
Posted in Cosmology, Gaia, History, Science, Spirituality
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‘The Symbiotic Planet. A New Look at Evolution’ by Lynn Margulis
Margulis’ research has shown that symbiosis, the term used to describe the phenomenon of organisms living together to their mutual advantage, has played a major role in biological evolution. This represents a significant shift from classical neo- Darwinism which sees competition as the virtually the only selection mechanism. Continue reading
‘The Living Goddesses’ by Marija Gimbutas (Edited and supplemented by Miriam Robbins Dexter)
In this book Marija Gimbutas provides us with a scholarly but also readable account of the Goddess tradition of Europe from the late Palaeolithic and Neolithic eras, through the megalithic and henge building periods and into recorded history. Continue reading
Posted in Cosmology, Gaia, History, Religion, Science, Spirituality, Uncategorized
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‘Becoming Animal: An Earthy Cosmology’ by David Abram
An essential first step in repairing the damage we have done to the planet and to ourselves may be to go back to basics and, literally, to come to our senses.
Not only must we fully re-inhabit our animal bodies but we must also become aware of our vital interconnectedness with all other creatures. And for tutoring us and inspiring us in these twin tasks I have never met a better teacher than David Abram. Continue reading
Posted in Cosmology, Gaia, Health and wellbeing, Important Titles, Philosophy, Practical, Psychology, Spirituality
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‘The Universe Story’ by Brian Swimme and Thomas Berry
Most cultures have creation stories. And for many centuries, those creation stories have served to bond people together in a shared sense of history and of destiny. Our modern, Western culture, with all its book learning and its technology and its scientific knowhow has long since outgrown tales of Adam and Eve and fig leaves and yet there has been nothing coherent to put in their place. For a long time now, we have been a people in need of a creation story. Continue reading
Posted in Cosmology, Education, Gaia, History, Important Titles, Philosophy, Science, Spirituality
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‘The Science Delusion: Freeing the Spirit of Enquiry’ by Rupert Sheldrake
The aim of this book is to encourage a fundamental and beneficial re-evaluation of the way the sciences are defined and practised in our modern world. It does so by carefully and systematically examining ten core beliefs that most scientists accept without question, all of which are in fact untested and untestable and which severely limit the ability of our modern sciences to respond convincingly to the challenges we face in the twenty-first century. Continue reading
Posted in Cosmology, Gaia, Philosophy, Psychology, Religion, Science, Spirituality
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‘Planet as Self: An Earthen Spirituality’ by Sky McCain
‘Planet as Self’ argues for a radical rethink of our relationship with Mother Earth or Gaia and points out how beliefs – scientific or religious – can so easily be mistaken for truths. Nothing less than a paradigm shift in our basic beliefs is called for. Continue reading
Posted in Cosmology, Gaia, History, Important Titles, Philosophy, Religion, Spirituality
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‘Evolutionaries: Unlocking the Spiritual and Cultural Potential of Science’s Greatest Idea,’ by Carter Phipps
We have, as a human race, to combat climate change, over population, the destruction of species and more. These have to be addressed collectively by humans, no one country or group can go it alone. How can we do this? This book provides sign-posts, sometimes answers, sometimes questions, but at least broad pointers to the ways in which we can integrate an overarching story to help us to address the pressing issues of today.
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Posted in Cosmology, Philosophy, Science, Spirituality, Uncategorized
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‘Journey of the Universe’ by Brian Swimme and Mary Evelyn Tucker
Though a little book, it tells a big story–one that inspires hope for a way in which Earth and its human civilizations could flourish together. Continue reading
Posted in Cosmology, Important Titles
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‘Weaving the Cosmos: Science, Religion and Ecology’ by Chris Clarke
“The Cosmos in its power and splendour provides all we need in order to move into our full humanity in harmony with the earth. It is up to us to accept this gift of the cosmos, and to take up our part in its constant ongoing weaving of itself.” Continue reading
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‘Walking the Sacred Story: A New Ritual for Celebrating the Universe’ by Erna & Michael Colebrook
The ‘sacred story’ referred to in the title is the awe-inspiring story of our Universe from the so called Big Bang to the present day, as revealed by modern science. In this booklet, Erna and Michael Colebrook invite us to literally walk this story in our imaginations, by scaling the 14 billion years of our still-expanding universe to a human walk of 1.4 kilometres (just over one mile). Continue reading
Posted in Cosmology
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