Kurt Johnson (entomologist)
Encyclopedia
Dr. Kurt Johnson is an entomologist who is also a recognized figure in comparative religion
and consciousness
studies. His scientific career began while he was a Christian monk
, during which time he completed his doctoral studies in evolution
and ecology
. He is known in science for his writing on taxonomy
, evolution and ecology (especially about butterflies
) and in particular for his published research and popular writing on the scientific career of famous Russian-American novelist and lepidopterist
Vladimir Nabokov
. His book Nabokov's Blues (co-authored with journalist S. Coates) was named a "top 10 book in science" in 2000 at the Washington Post, Library Journal
, Booklist
and HMS Beagle.
However, Johnson also became a significant figure, and writer
-lecturer
in comparative religion, spirituality
, consciousness and integral studies, having continued as a Christian monastic for a number of years during his active scientific career and thereafter continuing as a seminary
professor, writer and guest lecturer. These aspects of Johnson's life and work are reviewed separately below.
from 1976 until 1998 and subsequently with the Florida State Collection of Arthropods (McGuire Center
, University of Florida, Gainesville). During this time he published some two hundred scientific articles (and several books) on aspects of butterfly taxonomy, evolution and ecology (especially regarding tropical rainforest
and high mountain habitats). These publications are listed in numerous bibliographies and catalogues of the scientific literature
in this discipline.
Johnson's publications, and hundreds of species
and generic
names created by him and a number of co-authors during that period, involved mostly "hairstreak
" and "blue" butterflies. The latter is the common name for the same butterflies studied by Vladimir Nabokov during his scientific career (first at the American Museum of Natural History and later at Harvard University
) before his fame as a novelist. Accordingly, after completing scientific studies on the butterfly groups pioneered by Nabokov, and the publication with Coates of Nabokov's Blues, Johnson was a significant figure in Nabokov centennial programs and events in 1999-2000. Johnson continues to work, with a number of colleagues, on DNA
studies of Nabokov's butterfly groups as followup to the work he accomplished from 1976-1998 with anatomists Zsolt Balint (of the Hungarian Museum of Natural History, Budapest
) and Dubi Benyamini (an Israel
i scientist).
In addition to taxonomic work, Johnson, Balint and Benyamini published significantly on the evolutionary and biogeographic origins of the high mountain butterflies of South America
, an ongoing biogeographic mystery originally explored by Nabokov This work, and Johnson's many popular articles on science in world periodicals (including Natural History
and The New York Times Science Times) also involved him in significant conservation
work, as an advisor, especially in association with The Nature Conservancy
(regarding American plains-prairie habitats), The World Wildlife Fund (regarding the Monarch Butterfly overwintering grounds in Mexico
) and several endangered species
, one of which "The Karner Blue
" had been discovered by Nabokov himself.
in New York state) and began his association with the American Museum of Natural History in New York City
during that time (from 1972), and after completion of his doctoral studies in 1980. Shortly before, but mainly after, his retirement from fully active scientific work in 2000, Johnson concentrated more on activities with a monastic colleague, Brother Wayne Teasdale
, a Roman Catholic monk who had become an influential pioneer in interfaith and interspiritual dialogue after publication of his books The Mystic Heart: Discovering a Universal Spirituality in the World's Religions and A Monk in the World. Johnson and Teasdale shared a background in Christian contemplation and the Hindu
spirituality known as "Advaita". Johnson was ordained in both traditions and Teasdale was a well-known writer in both, with a PhD in Christian theology
from Fordham University
(Teasdale's last book, on the commonalities of Christian and Hindu contemplative experience was his doctoral dissertation in Theology
at New York's Fordham University ). This collaboration led to them, and others, founding InterSpiritual Dialogue in Action (ISDnA) in 2002, an international association for the discussion of contemplative and mystical experience across traditions
ISDnA was active with the Parliament of the World's Religions
and other inter-religious discussions. After Teasdale's death in 2004, Johnson and other colleagues of Teasdale continued and expanded ISDnA, first to include an education
program based on the work and writings of Teasdale, at the One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in New York City (where Johnson joined as a faculty member in 2005). Given his academic background, Johnson also maintained ties with the Humanist
community, serving on the faculty of the Humanist Institute and also with American Ethical Union's United Nations
representative agency The National Service Conference, and publishing on religious issues in Humanist publications. Johnson also involved himself with integral philosopher Ken Wilber
and the integral community in establishing an array of programs on integral spirituality at One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in New York City and Johnson and another colleague of Teasdale, Gorakh Hayashi, published additional articles on Teadale's thought
In 2009 ISDnA created the website
resource "The InterSpiritual Multiplex: A Guide and Directory to InterSpirituality Worldwide" and, partnering with the Universal Order of Interfaith and the World Council of Interfaith Congregations founded "The Universal Order of Sannyasa" which Bro. Wayne Teasdale had envisioned and described in his books of 1999-2003. Soon after its founding in January, 2010, the Universal Order of Sannyasa grew rapidly and modified its name to become "Community of The Mystic Heart (CMH), a Circle of Interspiritual Mystics and Contemplatives originally envisioned as The Universal Order of Sannyasa by Bro. Wayne Teasdale". As Teasdale envisioned, this association (organized as a religious order
) serves to encourage spiritual life practice, sacred activism and advancement of the interspiritual message pioneered by Teasdale and others. ISDnA and CMH work closely, among others, with The Aspen Grove associates of Fr. Thomas Keating
and the Christian "Centering Prayer
" movement and Eckhart Tolle
, Michael Brown and others' publishers Namaste Publishing and their Namaste Global Community.
Johnson was born Kurt Duane Johnson, on July 21, 1946 in Iowa Falls, Iowa
. He grew up primarily in Nebraska
pursuing his BA and MA degrees at universities in Wisconsin
and Iowa
before entering the religious life in New York in 1969 and completing his PhD in the Graduate Center of the City of New York's
program with the American Museum of Natural History in 1980. He continues to live in New York City.
Comparative religion
Comparative religion is a field of religious studies that analyzes the similarities and differences of themes, myths, rituals and concepts among the world's religions...
and consciousness
Consciousness
Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
studies. His scientific career began while he was a Christian monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
, during which time he completed his doctoral studies in evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
and ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
. He is known in science for his writing on taxonomy
Taxonomy
Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...
, evolution and ecology (especially about butterflies
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
) and in particular for his published research and popular writing on the scientific career of famous Russian-American novelist and lepidopterist
Lepidopterist
A lepidopterist is a person who specialises in the study of Lepidoptera, members of an order encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was a multilingual Russian novelist and short story writer. Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Russian, then rose to international prominence as a master English prose stylist...
. His book Nabokov's Blues (co-authored with journalist S. Coates) was named a "top 10 book in science" in 2000 at the Washington Post, Library Journal
Library Journal
Library Journal is a trade publication for librarians. It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey . It reports news about the library world, emphasizing public libraries, and offers feature articles about aspects of professional practice...
, Booklist
Booklist
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
and HMS Beagle.
However, Johnson also became a significant figure, and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
-lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
in comparative religion, spirituality
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
, consciousness and integral studies, having continued as a Christian monastic for a number of years during his active scientific career and thereafter continuing as a seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
professor, writer and guest lecturer. These aspects of Johnson's life and work are reviewed separately below.
Science
Johnson was associated with the American Museum of Natural HistoryAmerican Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
from 1976 until 1998 and subsequently with the Florida State Collection of Arthropods (McGuire Center
Florida Museum of Natural History
The Florida Museum of Natural History is the State of Florida's official state-sponsored and chartered natural history museum. Its main facilities are located on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida....
, University of Florida, Gainesville). During this time he published some two hundred scientific articles (and several books) on aspects of butterfly taxonomy, evolution and ecology (especially regarding tropical rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
and high mountain habitats). These publications are listed in numerous bibliographies and catalogues of the scientific literature
Scientific literature
Scientific literature comprises scientific publications that report original empirical and theoretical work in the natural and social sciences, and within a scientific field is often abbreviated as the literature. Academic publishing is the process of placing the results of one's research into the...
in this discipline.
Johnson's publications, and hundreds of species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
and generic
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
names created by him and a number of co-authors during that period, involved mostly "hairstreak
Theclinae
Subfamily Theclinae is a group of butterflies, including the hairstreaks, elfins and allies, in the family Lycaenidae. There are many tropical species as well as a number found in the Americas. Tropical hairstreaks often have iridescent blue coloration above, caused by reflected light from the...
" and "blue" butterflies. The latter is the common name for the same butterflies studied by Vladimir Nabokov during his scientific career (first at the American Museum of Natural History and later at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
) before his fame as a novelist. Accordingly, after completing scientific studies on the butterfly groups pioneered by Nabokov, and the publication with Coates of Nabokov's Blues, Johnson was a significant figure in Nabokov centennial programs and events in 1999-2000. Johnson continues to work, with a number of colleagues, on DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
studies of Nabokov's butterfly groups as followup to the work he accomplished from 1976-1998 with anatomists Zsolt Balint (of the Hungarian Museum of Natural History, Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
) and Dubi Benyamini (an Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i scientist).
In addition to taxonomic work, Johnson, Balint and Benyamini published significantly on the evolutionary and biogeographic origins of the high mountain butterflies of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, an ongoing biogeographic mystery originally explored by Nabokov This work, and Johnson's many popular articles on science in world periodicals (including Natural History
Natural History (magazine)
Natural History is an American natural history magazine. The stated mission of the magazine is to promote public understanding and appreciation of nature and science.- History :...
and The New York Times Science Times) also involved him in significant conservation
Conservation biology
Conservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction...
work, as an advisor, especially in association with The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is a US charitable environmental organization that works to preserve the plants, animals, and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive....
(regarding American plains-prairie habitats), The World Wildlife Fund (regarding the Monarch Butterfly overwintering grounds in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
) and several endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
, one of which "The Karner Blue
Karner Blue
The Karner Blue, Lycaeides melissa samuelis, is a small, blue butterfly found in small areas of New Jersey, the Great Lakes region, southern New Hampshire, and the Capital District region of New York. The butterfly, whose lifecycle depends on the wild blue lupine flower , is classified as an...
" had been discovered by Nabokov himself.
Spirituality and Religion
Johnson was a Christian monastic (initially with the Anglican Order of the Holy CrossOrder of the Holy Cross
The Order of the Holy Cross is an international Anglican monastic Order that follows the Rule of St. Benedict.-History:The Order was founded in 1884 by the Rev. James Otis Sargent Huntington, an Episcopal priest, in New York City. The Order moved to Maryland briefly before settling in West Park,...
in New York state) and began his association with the American Museum of Natural History in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
during that time (from 1972), and after completion of his doctoral studies in 1980. Shortly before, but mainly after, his retirement from fully active scientific work in 2000, Johnson concentrated more on activities with a monastic colleague, Brother Wayne Teasdale
Wayne Teasdale
Wayne Robert Teasdale was a Catholic monk, author and teacher from Connecticut, best known as an energetic proponent of mutual understanding between the world's religions, for an interfaith dialogue which he termed Interspirituality...
, a Roman Catholic monk who had become an influential pioneer in interfaith and interspiritual dialogue after publication of his books The Mystic Heart: Discovering a Universal Spirituality in the World's Religions and A Monk in the World. Johnson and Teasdale shared a background in Christian contemplation and the Hindu
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
spirituality known as "Advaita". Johnson was ordained in both traditions and Teasdale was a well-known writer in both, with a PhD in Christian theology
Christian theology
- Divisions of Christian theology :There are many methods of categorizing different approaches to Christian theology. For a historical analysis, see the main article on the History of Christian theology.- Sub-disciplines :...
from Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
(Teasdale's last book, on the commonalities of Christian and Hindu contemplative experience was his doctoral dissertation in Theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
at New York's Fordham University ). This collaboration led to them, and others, founding InterSpiritual Dialogue in Action (ISDnA) in 2002, an international association for the discussion of contemplative and mystical experience across traditions
ISDnA was active with the Parliament of the World's Religions
Parliament of the World's Religions
There have been several meetings referred to as a Parliament of the World’s Religions, most notably the World's Parliament of Religions of 1893, the first attempt to create a global dialogue of faiths. The event was celebrated by another conference on its centenary in 1993...
and other inter-religious discussions. After Teasdale's death in 2004, Johnson and other colleagues of Teasdale continued and expanded ISDnA, first to include an education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
program based on the work and writings of Teasdale, at the One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in New York City (where Johnson joined as a faculty member in 2005). Given his academic background, Johnson also maintained ties with the Humanist
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
community, serving on the faculty of the Humanist Institute and also with American Ethical Union's United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
representative agency The National Service Conference, and publishing on religious issues in Humanist publications. Johnson also involved himself with integral philosopher Ken Wilber
Ken Wilber
Kenneth Earl Wilber II is an American author who has written about mysticism, philosophy, ecology, and developmental psychology. His work formulates what he calls Integral Theory. In 1998, he founded the Integral Institute, for teaching and applications of Integral theory.-Biography:Ken Wilber was...
and the integral community in establishing an array of programs on integral spirituality at One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in New York City and Johnson and another colleague of Teasdale, Gorakh Hayashi, published additional articles on Teadale's thought
In 2009 ISDnA created the website
Website
A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
resource "The InterSpiritual Multiplex: A Guide and Directory to InterSpirituality Worldwide" and, partnering with the Universal Order of Interfaith and the World Council of Interfaith Congregations founded "The Universal Order of Sannyasa" which Bro. Wayne Teasdale had envisioned and described in his books of 1999-2003. Soon after its founding in January, 2010, the Universal Order of Sannyasa grew rapidly and modified its name to become "Community of The Mystic Heart (CMH), a Circle of Interspiritual Mystics and Contemplatives originally envisioned as The Universal Order of Sannyasa by Bro. Wayne Teasdale". As Teasdale envisioned, this association (organized as a religious order
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
) serves to encourage spiritual life practice, sacred activism and advancement of the interspiritual message pioneered by Teasdale and others. ISDnA and CMH work closely, among others, with The Aspen Grove associates of Fr. Thomas Keating
Thomas Keating
For the famous art forger of the same name, see Tom Keating.For the American football player of the same name, see Tom Keating .Fr...
and the Christian "Centering Prayer
Centering prayer
Centering prayer is a popular method of contemplative prayer or Christian meditation, placing a strong emphasis on interior silence.Though most authors trace its roots to the contemplative prayer of the Desert Fathers of early Christian monasticism, to the Lectio Divina tradition of Benedictine...
" movement and Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle is a German-born Canadian resident, best known as the author of the The Power of Now and A New Earth, which were written in English. In 2011, he was listed by the Watkins Review as the most spiritually influential person in the world...
, Michael Brown and others' publishers Namaste Publishing and their Namaste Global Community.
Johnson was born Kurt Duane Johnson, on July 21, 1946 in Iowa Falls, Iowa
Iowa Falls, Iowa
Iowa Falls is a city in Hardin County, Iowa, United States. Iowa Falls is the home of Ellsworth Community College. It is also a regional transportation center, located along U.S. Routes 20 and 65 and the Canadian National and Union Pacific Railroads. The population was 5,193 at the 2000 census. A...
. He grew up primarily in Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
pursuing his BA and MA degrees at universities in Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
before entering the religious life in New York in 1969 and completing his PhD in the Graduate Center of the City of New York's
CUNY Graduate Center
The Graduate Center of the City University of New York brings together graduate education, advanced research, and public programming to midtown Manhattan hosting 4,600 students, 33 doctoral programs, 7 master's programs, and 30 research centers and institutes...
program with the American Museum of Natural History in 1980. He continues to live in New York City.