“Time is only experienced by the events which occur within it; and I maintain that the early universe had very little going on and consequently time moved very, very slowly. The character of time as we approach the present is that there are more and more physical domains, and energetic domains in which change can occur. For example, the early universe was a pure plasma, a pure swarm of unassociated electrons. You didn’t even have atomic systems, let alone chemistry, molecular chemistry, life, complex speciated life, and dynamically balanced planetary ecosystems. Each one of those more complex phenomena crystallized out, or emerged, if you will, from the previous systems that had come into existence.
So when I say time is speeding up, what I mean really is, more and more is happening. And if you ask the question, ‘Well, what would be the ultimate state of connectivity, or of happening?’ It’s when all points are connected to all other points. Somehow this concept of connectivity is intimately linked to the concept of complexity, and so really what I’m saying is that the universe is getting its act together. It’s connecting the dots. It’s bringing everything into co-relationship with everything else. And somehow it does this through the production of consciousness.”
This film series explores many aspects of our society. To rethink what is possible in our world, we need to consider what kind of world we want to live in. Although we refer to it as civilization, it is anything but civilized. Visions of global unity & fellowship have long inspired humanity, yet the social arrangements up to the present have largely failed to produce a peaceful and productive world. While we appear to be technically advanced, our values and behaviors are not. The possibility of an optimistic future is in stark contrast to our current social, economic, and environmental dilemmas. The Choice Is Ours includes interviews with notable scientists, media professionals, authors, and other thinkers exploring the difficulties we face.
Living Cosmology: Christian Responses to Journey of the Universe
Panel: Ecofeminism
Sharon Kugler, Yale University (Chair)
Mary Hunt, Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics and Ritual
Chung Hyun Kyung, Union Theological Seminary
Rosemary Radford Ruether, Claremont Graduate University
Organized by the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale in honor of Thomas Berry’s 100th birthday, “Living Cosmology” offered participants an opportunity to hear from dozens of scholars and religious practitioners on the Christian response to the Emmy Award winning film, Journey of the Universe. This free conference opened Friday evening with a reception and screening of the film and closed Sunday evening with a celebratory service.
November 7-9, 2014. Yale Divinity School, 409 Prospect St., New Haven, CT
Support for the Living Cosmology Conference is gratefully acknowledged from:
Yale Divinity School
Porter Fund, Berkeley Divinity School
Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies
Germeshausen Foundation
Engelhard Foundation
Reverend Albert Neilson
Marianne and Jim Welch
