The Relevance of Thomas Berry for 21st Century Catholicity

The ecological crisis continues to be identified as the most significant social breakdown in the world. One of the important foundational influences on the development of an adequate religious response is the thought of cultural historian Thomas Berry. He affirmed the critical role that the world's religions have in developing a spirituality that supports the sacrifices, visions, and dreams needed to live in an integral way with the Earth's community of life. Such a spirituality provides the psychic energies we need to adequately respond to the crisis. The author of this article argues that Berry's thoughts continue to be relevant, especially in the context of the emergence of a renewed sense of Catholicity. This article presents an overview of the breadth and depth of the study that led to Berry's articulation of a new human orientation needed to reverse the path of devastation. It offers Berry's insights into the reasons why it is difficult for Christianity to effectively respond to the present crisis and calls for a new Catholicity that functions out of the comprehensive context of an evolutionary and emergent universe

Berry · Environmental ethics · Epistemology · Political science · Sociology · Spirituality · Vision · Anthropology · History · Law · Philosophy · Religion, Ecology, and Ethics · Theology and Philosophy of Evil

• Creation, Thomas Berry, and the Church in Africa

  Open Access•Idara Otu•Religions•2024

  Add to list