Always and everywhere, it is the universe that holds all things together and is the primary activating power in every activity.

BRIAN SWIMME AND THOMAS BERRY,The Universe Story, p. 27

" When we exile the scientific telling of the story from the humanities..., we do not allow them to be an integral expression of the great story."

THOMAS BERRY, “The Place of the Human,” in Evening Thoughts p. 31

" The human is neither an addendum nor an intrusion into the universe. We are quintessentially integral with the universe. "

THOMAS BERRY, “The Earth Story,” in TheGreat Work, p. 32

" …the universe, by definition, is a single gorgeous celebratory event. "

THOMAS BERRY, “Returning to Our Native Place,” in The Dream of the Earth p. 5

" The present is not a time for desperation but for hopeful activity. "

THOMAS BERRY, “The Meadow Across the Creek,” in The Great Work, p. 19

" We are not lacking in the dynamic forces needed to create the future. We live immersed in a sea of energy beyond all comprehension. But this energy, in an ultimate sense, is ours not by domination but by invocation. "

THOMAS BERRY, “The Dynamics of the Future” in The Great Work, p. 175

" The universe is a communion of subjects, not a collection of objects. "

THOMAS BERRY , “Petrochemical Age” in Evening Thoughts p. 96

New Story

“Here we might observe that the basic mood of the future might well be one of confidence in the continuing revelation that takes place in and through the Earth. If the dynamics of the universe from the beginning shaped the course of the heavens, lighted the sun, and formed the Earth, if this same dynamism brought forth the continents and seas and atmosphere, if it awakened life in the primordial cell and then brought into being the unnumbered variety of living beings, and finally brought us into being and guided us safely through the turbulent centuries, there is reason to believe that this same guiding process is precisely what has awakened in us our present understanding of ourselves and our relation to this stupendous process. Sensitized to such guidance from the very structure and functioning of the universe, we can have confidence in the future that awaits the human venture.”

Thomas Berry, “The New Story,” in The Dream of the Earth, p.137.

Thomas Berry: A Biography

By Mary Evelyn Tucker, John Grim, and Andrew Angyal
Columbia Press, 2019

Thomas Berry was one of the twentieth century’s most prescient and profound thinkers. As a cultural historian, he sought a broader perspective on humanity’s relationship to the earth in order to respond to the ecological and social challenges of our times. This first biography of Berry illuminates his remarkable vision and its continuing relevance for achieving transformative social change and environmental renewal. At a time of growing environmental crisis, this biography shows the ongoing significance of Berry’s conception of human interdependence with the earth as part of the unfolding journey of the universe.

Order this book from Columbia Press and receive a 30% discount with this code: CUP30

Click here to learn more and view the Press Kit, an excerpt from the book, and photos.

“The Worldview of Thomas Berry: The Flourishing of the Earth Community”

Yale / Coursera Online Class. Free and open to the public!

Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim, co-directors of the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology, offer a course on “The Worldview of Thomas Berry: The Flourishing of the Earth Community.” They also offer two courses on Journey of the Universe. Each of these courses can be taken independently. Learn more about these courses here.

Rights of Nature

Watch a video by Kosmos Journal and see more resources
on our Rights of Nature page.

Thomas Berry (1914-2009)
Photo by Lou Niznik 10–6–1999

Publication & Media Highlights

Books »

Thomas Berry: Selected Writings on the Earth Community

Edited by Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim

Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2014Published for the centenary of his birth.Thomas Berry (1914-2009) was a cultural historian and “geologian.” He was an early an…

Audio »

The Collected Thoughts of Thomas Berry

Thomas Berry in conversation with Brian Thomas Swimme in 1998. Produced by Bruce and Pamela Bochte. Released in digital format in 2023-2024.

Videos »

The Universe Story, with Thomas Berry

This video was filmed in Ojai, California in 1992, just after the release of The Universe Story volume, and sponsored by the Center for Respect of Life and Environment…

Essays »

“The New Story”

Comments on the Origin, Identification, and Transmission of Values First published in Teilhard Studies no. 1 (winter 19…

ADDITIONAL FEATURES

The Intellectual Journey of Thomas Berry: Imagining the Earth Community

Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2015

Evening Thoughts: Reflecting on Earth as a Sacred Community

San Francisco: Sierra Club, and Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006; reprint Berkeley: Counterpoint, 2015

The Dream of the Earth

San Francisco: Sierra Club, 1988; reprint Berkeley: Counterpoint, 2015