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Annotated Bibliography


This following Universe Story bibliography is a panoramic view crossing any disciplines. We offer you, the curious, the serious and committed, opportunities to deepen your own vision of our universe. With Elaine Prevallet, SL, enter the conversation.

“We are the universe becoming conscious of its capacity to be in communion with the Holy Mystery that lies at the Source of our being.”

Websites

An Extraordinary Moment

Traces our human story from the big bang to our present day. It reminds us all that we are part of a very long, rich history and that each one of us contributes a unique gift to that history. Highly recommended as a good place to begin.

The Great Story

The story of the emergence of the universe, with sections evolutionary Christianity.

Mysteries of Deep Space

An interactive timeline from the “Big Bang” to trillions of years into the future. It focuses on the emergence and vastness of everything in space.

Rainforest Information Center

The Rainforest Information Center website includes numerous articles and creative actions on deep ecology. A good place to explore thoughts and rituals about the universe story.

The Three Eyes of the Universe

An online educational learning center for “learning and living” the universe story.

A Walk Through Time

Imagine every step transporting you a million years in time. In a series of 90 panels of text and illustrations, this tells the story of life’s five-billion-year evolution.

Art and Music

All Our Relations
Jan Phillips, 2003

Video prayer with text and images by Jan Phillips.

Novotka, Jan

Jan Novotka’s music celebrates the presence of the sacred in creation and articulates concern for planet Earth.

The Awakening Universe
Neil Rogin, 2006  

Based on the book, The Universe Story by Thomas Berry and Brian Swimme, this beautiful and inspiring short film shows how science, spirit and ancient indigenous wisdom are now all converging to reveal that we stand in the very heart of that which created us.

Canticle to the Cosmos
Center for the Story of the Universe, 1990

Canticle to the Cosmos, a 12-part series, tells the scientific story of the universe with a feeling for its sacred nature. Cosmologist Brian Swimme’s synthesis of scientific insights provides a new interpretation of the human in the universe and the Earth community.  

Cosmic Voyage
National Air and Space Museum, 1996

Cosmic Voyage explores a resonance between all things while making sense of such inscrutable phenomena as the birth of stars and planets, black holes, supernovas, etc.

The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos
Prod. Center for the Story of the Universe, 1996

Brian Swimme’s has a rare gift for integrating science with a sense of the sacred. This 80-minute video opens up the insights from science about the birth of the universe and also how these insights can help to transform our lives.   

The Unfolding Story
Foundation for Global Community, 1993

In this program, scientists, authors, religious leaders, native people and other visionaries relate the story that is now unfolding of an interconnected, interdependent living universe.

Periodicals, Articles and Papers

Yes! A Journal of Positive Futures

This magazine provides hopeful stories of the innovations and people addressing the critical challenges of our times.

“Intelligent Design?”
Milner, Richard et. Al., Natural History Magazine, April 2002

Six scientists address intelligent design and evolution. The article offers brief position statements by three leading proponents of the theory, along with three responses.

“The Quantum Leap”
Ward, Keith, The Tablet, 2 April 2005, p. 5.

Ward brings together science and the Resurrection with new insights gleaned from modern science.

Books

The Great Work: Our Way Into the Future
Berry, Thomas

One of the basic texts for understanding The New Story of the Universe.

The Universe Story: From the Primordial Flaring Forth to the Ecozoic Era: A Celebration of the Unfolding of the Cosmos
Berry, Thomas and Brian Swimme.

Physicist Swimme and cultural historian Berry here examine and synthesize a vast body of knowledge and hypotheses from the fields of astronomy, physics, biology, anthropology and history.

God’s Ecstasy: The Creation of a Self Creating the World
Bruteau, Beatrice

This book captures the beauty and complexity of God’s evolving manifestation through vignettes from physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, economics and politics.

Radical Amazement: Contemplative Lessons from Black Holes, Supernovas, and Other Wonders of the Universe
Cannato, Judy

We are challenged to rethink and reshape our relationship to the divine in ways that resonate with the new discoveries about creation.

Awakening Universe: Emerging Personhood
Coelho, Mary Conrow

Coelho’s creatively synthesizes science and spirituality, which guides readers through contemplation of the cultural and spiritual significance of contemporary science.

At The Edge of Our Longing: Unspoken Hunger for Sacredness and Depth
Conlon, James

An invitation to embark on a common journey to meld our consciousness into a cosmic awareness that draws courage from each other and enchantment from creation as we open ourselves to the surging miracle of life.

Wayfarers in the Cosmos: The Human Quest for Meaning
Coyne, George V. and Alessandro Omizzolo

Two Vatican astronomers “use the lens of faith to show how what we know of the universe harmonizes with what we know about God.”

Thank God for Evolution: How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World
Dowd, Michael

Presents the reasons why it is now possible to view evolution as a divine process; how current science shows that evolution is not meaningless blind chance; practical methods for using evolutionary insights to achieve greater personal fulfillment and thriving relationships; and how aligning with evolutionary trends can guide activists and others hoping to make our world a better place.

Ecology at the Heart of Faith
Edwards, Denis

Connecting the living memory of Jesus with the issues that confront the global community is essential if ecological action is to be seen “not only as ethically responsible but also as radically Christian.” Edwards also addresses writings on the future of the world by theologians Pierre Teilhard de Chardin and Karl Rahner and an ecological theology of the Eucharist.

Jesus and the Cosmos
Edwards, Denis

Using the theology of Karl Rahner, Edwards combines both contemporary cosmological perspectives and theological responses to contemporary ecological crisis into a theology.

Twenty-four Spiritual Exercises for the New Story of Universal Communion
English, John, S.J., Lois Zachariah and Kuruvila Zachariah

Various aspects of the Christian tradition are integrated with the story of the universe. Email: mcvx.wclc.@agora.it.

Responses to 101 Questions on God and Evolution
Haught, John F

God after Darwin: A Theology of Evolution
Haught, John

A must-read in light of the faith questions and politics raised by science and religion in our time.

The Everything Seed: A Story of Beginnings
Martignacco, Carole. Illustrated by Joy Troyer

A book for all ages, this exquisitely illustrated book tells the story of the unfolding of the very first seed, the story of our beginnings.

Praying a New Story
Moorwood, Michael

This little book of prayers helps one know God as a sustaining Presence in all, God alive in Earth and present with us everywhere and always.

Sharing Nature with Children Book Series

Morgan, Jennifer. Illustrated by Dana Lynne Andersen.

This story of the universe is told in the first person by the Universe. Powerful illustrations, a timeline of triumphs, a glossary and a resource section contribute to making these books good resources.

The Cosmic Dance: An Invitation to Experience Our Oneness
Rupp, Joyce, OSM. Artwork by Mary Southard.

Quotes from writers such as Rachael Carson, Annie Dillard, Teilhard de Chardin and Henri Nouwen enhance the beauty as the reader experiences the oneness of all of life through reflections on the elements, the seasons, the Heavens, the Earth, creatures, people, pain and destruction and hope.

Big Bang: The Origin of the Universe
Singh, Simon

Simon Singh explains why cosmologists believe that the Big Bang is an accurate description of the origin and evolution of the universe.

The Cosmic Landscape: String Theory and the Illusion of Intelligent Design
Susskind, Leonard

Is the delicate fine-tuning which makes human life possible a result of chance or design? The author offers a clear vision to this fundamental debate over one of the fundamental theories of modern science.

At Home in the Cosmos
Toolan, David

How should we understand humanity’s place in the world and our role in valuing and protecting the natural order? In assembling his sources, Toolan draws from scientists, theologians and environmental writers. (Publishers’ Weekly)

Christ in a Grain of Sand: An Ecological Journey with the Spiritual Exercises
Vaney, Neil, SM

Readers are invited to look for Christ in all things and to find him everywhere, even in a grain of sand.

Jesus in the New Universe Story
Wessels, Cletus

How do we understand our Christian story through the lens of the New Story of the Universe?

Other Resources

Great Story Beads

Great Story Beads represent the more-than-13-billion year epic of the Cosmos, Earth and all life on it, told as a sacred story that embraces all other sacred stories.

Orbis Earth Balls

Orbis is the original creator of photorealistic Earth Balls and giant world globes, ranging in size from one to 100 feet in diameter.

Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York City – Cullman Hall of the Universe

The Cullman Hall of the Universe is a permanent exhibition hall on the lower level of the Rose Center that illuminates the stunning discoveries of modern astrophysics. Designed as a rich interpretive environment, this Hall is also the site of hands-on, interactive exhibits and extensive educational programming.

The Galaxy Song

This clever flash animation featuring “The Galaxy Song” from Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life provides a fun and educational introduction to cosmology and our place in the universe.