Thomas Berry
Encyclopedia
Thomas Berry, C.P. was a Catholic
priest of the Passionist
order, cultural historian and ecotheologian (although cosmologist
and geologian — or “Earth scholar” — were his preferred descriptors).
Among advocates of deep ecology
and "ecospirituality" he is famous for proposing that a deep understanding of the history and functioning of the evolving universe is a necessary inspiration and guide for our own effective functioning as individuals and as a species. He is considered a leader in the tradition of Teilhard de Chardin.
Author Michael Colebrook describes two key elements in Thomas Berry’s thinking: “Firstly, the primary status of the universe. The universe is, ‘the only self-referential reality in the phenomenal world. It is the only text without context. Everything else has to be seen in the context of the universe’. The second element is the significance of story, and in particular the universe as story. ‘The universe story is the quintessence of reality. We perceive the story. We put it in our language, the birds put it in theirs, and the trees put it in theirs. We can read the story of the universe in the trees. Everything tells the story of the universe. The winds tell the story, literally, not just imaginatively. The story has its imprint everywhere, and that is why it is so important to know the story. If you do not know the story, in a sense you do not know yourself; you do not know anything.’”.
, North Carolina
, Berry was third of 13 children. By age eight, he had concluded that commercial values were threatening life on the planet. Three years later he had an epiphany
in a meadow, which became a primary reference point for the rest of his life. He later elaborated this experience into a set of Twelve Principles for Understanding the Universe and the Role of the Human in the Universe Process. The first of these principles states:
“The universe, the solar system, and planet earth in themselves and in their evolutionary emergence constitute for the human community the primary revelation of that ultimate mystery whence all things emerge into being.”
At age 20, Berry entered a monastery of the Passionist
order (ordained 1942) and, traveling widely, he began examining cultural history
and foundations of diverse cultures and their relations with the natural world
.
He received his doctorate in history
from The Catholic University of America
, with a thesis on Giambattista Vico
's philosophy
of history. He then studied Chinese language
and Chinese culture in China
and learned Sanskrit
for the study of India
and the traditions of religion in India
. Later he assisted in an educational program for the T'boli tribal peoples of South Cotabataon, a Philippine
island, and he taught the cultural history of India
and China
at universities in New Jersey
and New York
(1956–1965). Later he was director of the graduate program in the History of Religions
at Fordham University
(1966–1979). He founded and directed the Riverdale Center of Religious Research in Riverdale
, New York
(1970–1995). Berry studied and was influenced by the work of Teilhard de Chardin and was president of the American Teilhard Association (1975–1987). He has also studied Native American
cultures and shamanism
.
Berry also contributed two introductory essays ('Economics: Its Effects on the Life Systems of the World' and 'The Earth: A New Context for Religious Unity') to the volume Thomas Berry and the New Cosmology, in which Brian Swimme, Caroline Richards, Gregory Baum and others discuss the implications of Berry's thought for a range of disciplines and paradigms. Berry's 'Twelve Principles for Understanding the Universe and the Role of the Human in the Universe Process' offer a postscript to this 1987 work.
Berry was featured in the 2007 documentary What a Way to Go: Life at the End of Empire
.
2003 Honorary Doctorate of Theology. The Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, Illinois
1998 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. The College of Mt. St. Vincent, Riverdale, New York. October 19, 1998.
1997 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. St. Mary’s University. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
1997 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California.
1994 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. St. Thomas University of Miami, Florida.
1994 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. Loyola University of New Orleans, Louisiana.
1993 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, California
2005: Thomas Berry Student-Writing Award established by the Environmental Leadership Center, Warren Wilson College, Asheville, North Carolina. To foster dialogue and quality writing on environmental themes
2003: Frederick II Peace Prize, Pax Romana Earth Charter Project. Castel del Monte, Adria Italy. March 15, 2003
2002: The Cosmological Imagination conference held in Berkeley, Califotrnia, to honor Thomas Berry organized by the Philosophy, Cosmology and Consciousness Department of the California Institute of Integral Studies. November 2 to 4, 2002
2002: Juliet Hollister Award, The Temple of Understanding, University Club, New York City. April 16, 2002
2001: Francis of Assisi Award for contribution to Earth Day Forum on Nature and Culture, presented to Thomas Berry by DePaul University's Institute for Nature and Culture, Chicago, Illinois
2000 Thomas Berry Professorship proposed for the Loyola Institute for Ministry of Loyola University, New Orleans
2000 Named to the Council of Honored Elders of the group ‘Earth Elders’, Santa Rosa, CA
1999 The Thomas Berry Hall at the Whidbey Institute of Chinook on Whidbey Island north of Seattle. Dedication July 23, 1999
1999 The Thomas Berry Lecture established by the Fine Arts Department of the University of British Columbia, 1999. Endowed by Fine-Arts Professor Emeritus Herb Gilbert, choosing the title Ecozoic Art Prize based on the term originating with Thomas Berry.
1999 David C. Korten’s book The Post-Corporate World: Life After Capitalism (Narvel-Koehler Publishers, 1999) is dedicated to Thomas Berry
1999 Inclusion in World Authors 1990 - 1995 of H.W. Wilson Co.
1998 First Annual Jerry Mische Global Service Award. Global Education Associates, on their 25th Anniversary Celebration. April 30, 1998
1998 The Thomas Berry Foundation established in Washington, DC
1998 First Annual Thomas-Berry Environmental Award and Lectureship sponsored by the Center for Reflection on the Second Law (CRSL) and the Humane Society of the United States, presented by Dr Mary Evelyn Tucker
1997 The New York Open Center Award: A Visionary Voice in the Merging of Ecology and Spirituality. October 30, 1997
1997 College of Mount St. Vincent on the Hudson first annual Thomas-Berry Environmental Award made to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Achievement in Restoring Ecological Health to the Hudson-Valley Region of New York State
1996 Inclusion in the New Catholic Encyclopedia XIX (Supplement 1989-1996).
1995 The Lannan Foundation Literary Award for Non-Fiction for The Dream of the Earth. $50,000 prize
1995 Made an honorary charter member of The Club of Budapest, June 1995
1995 First Green Dove Award of Common Boundary, November 10, 1995
1993 The Catholic University of America Alumni Award for Achievement in Research and Scholarship. October 23, 1993
1993 The Bishop Carroll T. Dozier Medal for Peace and Justice. The Christian Brothers University of Memphis, Tennessee
1992 Named Honorary Canon of the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York
1992 The James Herriott Award, The Humane Society of the United States
1992 The Prescott College Environmental Award, Prescott, Arizona
1992 Scholar-in-Residence for the Humane Society of the United States on a continuing appointment until today
1989 The United States Catholic Mission Association Annual Award
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
priest of the Passionist
Passionist
The Passionists are a Roman Catholic religious order founded by Saint Paul of the Cross . Professed members use the initials C.P. after their names.-History:St...
order, cultural historian and ecotheologian (although cosmologist
Cosmology
Cosmology is the discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole. Cosmologists seek to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and ultimate fate of the Universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it in order...
and geologian — or “Earth scholar” — were his preferred descriptors).
Among advocates of deep ecology
Deep ecology
Deep ecology is a contemporary ecological philosophy that recognizes an inherent worth of all living beings, regardless of their instrumental utility to human needs. The philosophy emphasizes the interdependence of organisms within ecosystems and that of ecosystems with each other within the...
and "ecospirituality" he is famous for proposing that a deep understanding of the history and functioning of the evolving universe is a necessary inspiration and guide for our own effective functioning as individuals and as a species. He is considered a leader in the tradition of Teilhard de Chardin.
Author Michael Colebrook describes two key elements in Thomas Berry’s thinking: “Firstly, the primary status of the universe. The universe is, ‘the only self-referential reality in the phenomenal world. It is the only text without context. Everything else has to be seen in the context of the universe’. The second element is the significance of story, and in particular the universe as story. ‘The universe story is the quintessence of reality. We perceive the story. We put it in our language, the birds put it in theirs, and the trees put it in theirs. We can read the story of the universe in the trees. Everything tells the story of the universe. The winds tell the story, literally, not just imaginatively. The story has its imprint everywhere, and that is why it is so important to know the story. If you do not know the story, in a sense you do not know yourself; you do not know anything.’”.
Biography
Born William Nathan Berry in GreensboroGreensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, Berry was third of 13 children. By age eight, he had concluded that commercial values were threatening life on the planet. Three years later he had an epiphany
Epiphany (feeling)
An epiphany is the sudden realization or comprehension of the essence or meaning of something...
in a meadow, which became a primary reference point for the rest of his life. He later elaborated this experience into a set of Twelve Principles for Understanding the Universe and the Role of the Human in the Universe Process. The first of these principles states:
“The universe, the solar system, and planet earth in themselves and in their evolutionary emergence constitute for the human community the primary revelation of that ultimate mystery whence all things emerge into being.”
At age 20, Berry entered a monastery of the Passionist
Passionist
The Passionists are a Roman Catholic religious order founded by Saint Paul of the Cross . Professed members use the initials C.P. after their names.-History:St...
order (ordained 1942) and, traveling widely, he began examining cultural history
Cultural history
The term cultural history refers both to an academic discipline and to its subject matter.Cultural history, as a discipline, at least in its common definition since the 1970s, often combines the approaches of anthropology and history to look at popular cultural traditions and cultural...
and foundations of diverse cultures and their relations with the natural world
Natural World
Natural World is the longest-running nature documentary series on British television. 2008 marked the series' 25th anniversary under its present title, though its origins can be traced back to its predecessor The World About Us which began over 40 years ago...
.
He received his doctorate in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
from The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America is a private university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by the U.S. Catholic bishops...
, with a thesis on Giambattista Vico
Giambattista Vico
Giovanni Battista ' Vico or Vigo was an Italian political philosopher, rhetorician, historian, and jurist....
's philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
of history. He then studied Chinese language
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
and Chinese culture in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and learned Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
for the study of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and the traditions of religion in India
Religion in India
Indian religions is a classification for religions that originated in the Indian subcontinent; namely Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism. These religions are also classified as Eastern religions...
. Later he assisted in an educational program for the T'boli tribal peoples of South Cotabataon, a Philippine
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
island, and he taught the cultural history of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
at universities in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(1956–1965). Later he was director of the graduate program in the History of Religions
History of religions
The history of religion refers to the written record of human religious experiences and ideas. This period of religious history begins with the invention of writing about 5,000 years ago in the Near East. The prehistory of religion relates to a study of religious beliefs that existed prior to the...
at 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...
(1966–1979). He founded and directed the Riverdale Center of Religious Research in Riverdale
Riverdale, Bronx
Riverdale is an affluent residential neighborhood in the northwest portion of the Bronx in New York City. Riverdale contains the northernmost point in New York City.-History:...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(1970–1995). Berry studied and was influenced by the work of Teilhard de Chardin and was president of the American Teilhard Association (1975–1987). He has also studied Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
cultures and shamanism
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
.
Works
Thomas Berry's books include:- The Historical Theory of Giambattista Vico (1949)
- Buddhism (1968)
- The Religions of India (1972)
- The Dream of the Earth (1988)
- Befriending the Earth (with Thomas Clarke, 1991)
- The Universe Story From the Primordial Flaring Forth to the Ecozoic Era, A Celebration of the Unfolding of the Cosmos (with physicist Brian SwimmeBrian SwimmeBrian Thomas Swimme is on the faculty of the California Institute of Integral Studies, in San Francisco, where he teaches evolutionary cosmology to graduate students in the humanities. He received his Ph.D. from the department of mathematics at the University of Oregon for work in singularity...
, 1992) - The Great Work: Our Way into the Future (1999), Bell Tower/Random House, NY, ISBN 0-609-80499-5
- Evening Thoughts: Reflecting on Earth as Sacred Community (2006), Essays, edited by Mary Evelyn Tucker, A Sierra ClubSierra ClubThe Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
Book, ISBN 1-57805-130-4, See description and TOC.
Berry also contributed two introductory essays ('Economics: Its Effects on the Life Systems of the World' and 'The Earth: A New Context for Religious Unity') to the volume Thomas Berry and the New Cosmology, in which Brian Swimme, Caroline Richards, Gregory Baum and others discuss the implications of Berry's thought for a range of disciplines and paradigms. Berry's 'Twelve Principles for Understanding the Universe and the Role of the Human in the Universe Process' offer a postscript to this 1987 work.
Berry was featured in the 2007 documentary What a Way to Go: Life at the End of Empire
What a Way to Go: Life at the End of Empire
What A Way To Go: Life at the End of Empire is a 2007 documentary film about the current situation facing humanity and the world. It discusses issues such as peak oil, climate change, population overshoot and species extinction, as well as how this situation has developed...
.
Honorary degrees
2008 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. Elon University, Elon, North Carolina, March 15, 20082003 Honorary Doctorate of Theology. The Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, Illinois
1998 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. The College of Mt. St. Vincent, Riverdale, New York. October 19, 1998.
1997 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. St. Mary’s University. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
1997 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California.
1994 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. St. Thomas University of Miami, Florida.
1994 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. Loyola University of New Orleans, Louisiana.
1993 Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, California
Other honors and awards
2007: Earth is Community conference held in London, UK to honor Thomas Berry, organized by the Gaia Foundation and Greenspirit, Septembee 15, 20072005: Thomas Berry Student-Writing Award established by the Environmental Leadership Center, Warren Wilson College, Asheville, North Carolina. To foster dialogue and quality writing on environmental themes
2003: Frederick II Peace Prize, Pax Romana Earth Charter Project. Castel del Monte, Adria Italy. March 15, 2003
2002: The Cosmological Imagination conference held in Berkeley, Califotrnia, to honor Thomas Berry organized by the Philosophy, Cosmology and Consciousness Department of the California Institute of Integral Studies. November 2 to 4, 2002
2002: Juliet Hollister Award, The Temple of Understanding, University Club, New York City. April 16, 2002
2001: Francis of Assisi Award for contribution to Earth Day Forum on Nature and Culture, presented to Thomas Berry by DePaul University's Institute for Nature and Culture, Chicago, Illinois
2000 Thomas Berry Professorship proposed for the Loyola Institute for Ministry of Loyola University, New Orleans
2000 Named to the Council of Honored Elders of the group ‘Earth Elders’, Santa Rosa, CA
1999 The Thomas Berry Hall at the Whidbey Institute of Chinook on Whidbey Island north of Seattle. Dedication July 23, 1999
1999 The Thomas Berry Lecture established by the Fine Arts Department of the University of British Columbia, 1999. Endowed by Fine-Arts Professor Emeritus Herb Gilbert, choosing the title Ecozoic Art Prize based on the term originating with Thomas Berry.
1999 David C. Korten’s book The Post-Corporate World: Life After Capitalism (Narvel-Koehler Publishers, 1999) is dedicated to Thomas Berry
1999 Inclusion in World Authors 1990 - 1995 of H.W. Wilson Co.
1998 First Annual Jerry Mische Global Service Award. Global Education Associates, on their 25th Anniversary Celebration. April 30, 1998
1998 The Thomas Berry Foundation established in Washington, DC
1998 First Annual Thomas-Berry Environmental Award and Lectureship sponsored by the Center for Reflection on the Second Law (CRSL) and the Humane Society of the United States, presented by Dr Mary Evelyn Tucker
1997 The New York Open Center Award: A Visionary Voice in the Merging of Ecology and Spirituality. October 30, 1997
1997 College of Mount St. Vincent on the Hudson first annual Thomas-Berry Environmental Award made to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Achievement in Restoring Ecological Health to the Hudson-Valley Region of New York State
1996 Inclusion in the New Catholic Encyclopedia XIX (Supplement 1989-1996).
1995 The Lannan Foundation Literary Award for Non-Fiction for The Dream of the Earth. $50,000 prize
1995 Made an honorary charter member of The Club of Budapest, June 1995
1995 First Green Dove Award of Common Boundary, November 10, 1995
1993 The Catholic University of America Alumni Award for Achievement in Research and Scholarship. October 23, 1993
1993 The Bishop Carroll T. Dozier Medal for Peace and Justice. The Christian Brothers University of Memphis, Tennessee
1992 Named Honorary Canon of the Episcopal Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York
1992 The James Herriott Award, The Humane Society of the United States
1992 The Prescott College Environmental Award, Prescott, Arizona
1992 Scholar-in-Residence for the Humane Society of the United States on a continuing appointment until today
1989 The United States Catholic Mission Association Annual Award
External links
- An Electronic Archive of Selected Papers by Thomas Berry Delivered at Harvard, April 1996
- Thomas Berry and the New Story: An Introduction to the Work of Thomas Berry by Professor Mary Evelyn Tucker
- Towards An Authentic Eco-Spirituality by Al Fritsch, SJ, PhD
- Twelve Principles for Understanding the Universe and the Role of the Human in the Universe Process by Thomas Berry
- Whole Terrain link to Berry's articles published in Whole TerrainWhole TerrainWhole Terrain: Journal of Reflective Environmental Practice is an environmentally-themed literary journal that's published approximately once a year by Antioch University New England . Each volume explores emerging ecological and social issues from the perspectives of practitioners working in the...
- Interview in Appalachian Voices
- The Earth Community - multi-media celebration of Thomas Berry
- - The Passionists