Nature & The Human Soul (Ch2-entry2- KimberlyT)

more of my thoughts and notes on this book. Still in chapter 1. I need to just read and stop taking notes or I'll never get through this book.


THE GREAT TURNING-
- Author says we can’t predict the outcome. I say the Bible tells us the outcome (though we can’t predict the time)
- Cataclysm is a neat word.
- I don’t think the earth dreams. It is a not alive. It is a planet. The trees don’t have dreams of what they want to become and the rivers and rabbits don’t dream of all they can be. But God does have plans for us. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
- In this section the author talks about taking care of the earth. God talked about that too, and made man the caretakers of what He created.
- Some terms. Ecozoic.
o ECO- from the Greek for Housekeeping or relationships of life.
o ZOIC from the Greek ‘zoo’- meaning animals or living beings.
o Paleozoic. Pale from Greek for Ancient. So this word means Ancient Life.
o Cenozoic/Cainozoic- Greek~ Kainos- new. This word means New Life.
Wheel of Life- no real comment here.

BECOMING FULLY HUMAN
- These things the author views as symptoms of arrested growth/lingering adolescence are things I view as deviations from God’s plan for us. Deviations from God’s order. Basically, they are symptoms of our sin nature.
- The author doesn’t view these as part of our natural human nature. They are not part of our natural human nature as God designed for us, but they are part of our sin nature.
- So, in conclusion, I agree to what things are wrong with society and I just disagree as to the underlying cause of these issues.
- Uh-Oh… they are starting to uses phrases like ‘politicians’. I don't do politics in any way shape or form.
- inscendence (noun) : the state of fully inhabiting each moment of life by consciously entering into each aspect of the lived experience, the physical, emotional and intellectual
- “The Great Turning must be overseen by true elders like Thomas Berry and Joanna Macy and others like them……[this venture] cannot be guided by … adolescent politicians… not even by mature initiated adults…but by genuine council of wise elders”
Ø Really? The word “exclusivism” comes to mind here. ONLY genuine followers of the elders Thomas and Joanna(and others like them, which I assume means think the same and have the same viewpoints) can carry out what is needed to change the world?
Ø I think this one quote really almost turned me off for the whole book. The concept of ‘We alone have/can interpret/underderstand the truth’. But I will get past it and continu to read the book and not throw out the baby with the bathwater.