Overview
Ecology and Justice Series
With essays by Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim
“Brian Edward Brown's Earth's Journey into Hope is a rare book. It serves both as an introduction to Thomas Berry and a lucid distillation and commentary on what, to my mind, is Berry's own best work; namely, The Great Work: Our Way into the Future. Brown's volume will sit next to my worn copy of The Great Work as its treasured companion.” –Larry Rasmussen, Reinhold Niebuhr Professor Emeritus of Social Ethics, Union Theological Seminary, NYC
“Elegant, timely, and lucid. Brian Brown explores and explains central themes in Thomas Berry’s call for a deep reorientation of societies that are headed towards ecological ruin and social deterioration. . . . With clarity and purpose, Brown probes the meaning of Berry’s proposals in his writings about the ‘great work,’ a new story, the problems of advanced capitalism, the necessity of a new ecological and social orientation, and the need for grace and hope. This profound book is academically sound and accessible to all seeking a viable and hopeful future. What could be more needed in these troubled times?” –Heather Eaton, professor, University of Saint Paul, Ottawa, Canada
“This brilliant commentary on Thomas Berry's essays joins Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim's Thomas Berry: A Biography, having the distinction of being written by scholars who knew Thomas personally, who lived with him, who taught his vision for decades. These rare books provide insights that will be cherished for centuries as unique pathways for understanding Thomas' historic work.” –Brian Thomas Swimme, professor, California Institute of Integral Studies; author, Hidden Heart of the Cosmos and The Story of the Noosphere
On the 25th anniversary of publication of Thomas Berry’s The Great Work, a pioneer in ecological theology offers insights not only to Berry’s work but to the vital work before all of us.
While collective attention to and action for ecological justice has gained momentum in recent years it has been accompanied by a rise in despair, gloom, and an insidious fatalism in the face of multi-national intransigence.
Earth’s Journey into Hope considers the impact of Berry’s landmark text amid the dire immediacy of present ecological crises. With Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim, Brian Edward Brown reflects on where we have been to energize today’s movements for ecological well-being.
For all readers concerned with this dilemma Earth’s Journey into Hope provides a way forward, encouraging us to remember our cosmic past and to step into our planetary future with the spiritual energy of Thomas Berry.
Brian Edward Brown, an undergraduate and graduate student of Thomas Berry at Fordham, earned his doctorate in History of Religions. He is the co-founder of The Thomas Berry Forum for Ecological Dialogue at Iona University, NY where he has taught for decades in religious studies. He also holds a juris doctor, focusing on Earth jurisprudence in both Berry’s work and in Indigenous American tribal traditions.
Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim are co-editors of the Ecology and Justice Series.
Cover design: Ponie Sheehan
Cover photo: “Great Red Oak” by Judy Emery. Used with permission.
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