The essay “The Meadow Beyond the Stream” is the third chapter of Thomas Berry’s book The Great Work – Our Way into the Future, the Czech edition of which under the title Velké dílo – naše cesta do budukončiť is currently being prepared by Malvern Publishing House. Translation by Jiří Zemánek and David Sanetrník. “We need to understand the universe primarily as a celebration. … man can be identified as that being,…
Category: Texts
Thomas Berry: University – about transformation education for the ecozoic era
American cultural historian, cosmologist, advocate, and Earth spokesman Thomas Berry (1914-2009) was one of the most far-sighted environmental thinkers of the 20th century. In his book The Great Work – Our Way into Future (1999), he urges us to renew our intimate connection with the Earth and create a new ecologically sensitive civilization based on…
Thomas Berry: Dynamics of the Future
“We do not lack the dynamic forces we need to create the future. We live immersed in a sea of energy beyond all our comprehension. However, this energy is ultimately ours not because we control it, but because we invoke it.” Thomas Berry An excerpt from Thomas Berry’s book The Great Work – Our Journey into the Future (from chapter fifteen, “The Dynamics of the Future”), which we are preparing to publish at Malvern Publishing. Translation…
Thomas Berry: A Viable Man
“The naive assumption that the natural world is there for humans to own and use without restriction for their own benefit cannot be accepted. The Earth belongs to itself and to all members of the earthly community. The Earth is here as a fascinating celebration of life in all its enchanting qualities. Every earthly being participates in this cosmic celebration as the fulfillment of their potential to…
Thomas Berry: Wild and Sacred
“How to participate creatively in the wildness of the world around us is what we must learn. For great visions must arise from the wild depths of the universe and from the wild depths of our own being.” Thomas Berry Here is an excerpt from the book The Great Work – Our Way into Future by cultural historian and cosmologist Thomas Berry (1914-2009),…
Luděk Čertík: The Gift of Listening
The art of ecological or broad listening is nothing new. All natural peoples knew that those who do not listen attentively to the world around them are doomed to destruction. It is simple: acoustic sensations convey to us the message about changes in our immediate surroundings, and therefore also about impending danger. We will have to reevaluate our role in the great planetary orchestra, become more in tune with it and respect individual…
Barry Lopez: Invitation
“Stories hold everything together. The only thing that binds us together: stories and compassion.” Barry Lopez Barry Lopez (1945–2020) was a respected American traveler, naturalist, and writer, the author of countless refined essays, as well as short stories, novels, and nature and travel publications. In his work, he dealt mainly with the ontology of place, the influence of natural landscapes on the human imagination, and the relationship between humans and non-humans…
Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone: Active Hope / Three Stories
Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone's book Active Hope / How to Face Today's Confusion and Not Go Crazy? (Alferia 2020, translated by Hana Bernardová) reflects on current global challenges – climate change, species extinction, biodiversity loss, economic collapses – within the framework of an eco-philosophical concept. It names individual steps on the path to self-empowerment and also offers practical exercises for discovering your own creative contribution…
He Feels Everything: On the Erotic Ecology of Andreas Weber
Here we bring the text of the lecture by Luďek ČERTÍK, which he delivered at the fifth seminar of the Traveling University of Nature "Everything around me lives, feels, as I do - paths to a regenerative culture" at the Rychleby Ecocenter on August 12, 2020. In it, he presents the ideas of the leading contemporary German biologist and philosopher Andreas Weber, his concept of revival, or rather erotic ecology, which he places in the broader context of the development of biological thinking and...
Jiří Zemánek: How to revive the world and human culture?
Our association PILGRIM held its fifth seminar of the Traveling University of Nature from August 10-15 this year at the Rychleby Ecocenter near Javorník in Silesia and at the Dance Hall in Račí údolí, this time entitled "Everything around me lives, feels like me... paths to a regenerative culture". We addressed the question of how to move away from the current destruction of ecosystems, extinction of species and climate change...