296. Rev. Michael Dowd - a podcast by Rick Archer

Rev. Michael Dowd is a bestselling evolutionary theologian and pro-future evangelist whose work has been featured in The New York Times, LA Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Newsweek, Discover, and on television nationally.  His bridge-building book, Thank God for Evolution, was endorsed by 6 Nobel Prize-winning scientists, noted skeptics, and religious leaders across the spectrum. Michael and his science-writer wife, Connie Barlow, have spoken to more than two thousand groups across North America since 2002.

Michael has delivered two TEDx talks and a program at the United Nations. In 2010 he interviewed 38 Christian leaders across the theological spectrum, all of whom embrace an ecological, evolutionary worldview and are committed to a healthy future, as part of a series, titled, “The Advent of Evolutionary Christianity.” Most recently, he interviewed 55 experts on climate change, peak oil, and sustainability, as part of an online conversation series, titled, The Future Is Calling Us to Greatness.Dowd’s passion for proclaiming a pro-science message of inspiration — what he calls “the Gospel of Right Relationship to Reality” — has earned him the moniker ‘Reverend Reality’ as he speaks prophetically in secular and religious settings alike about the generational evil of anti-future / anti-Christian policies and the necessity of co-creating a just, healthy, and sustainably life-giving future for humanity and the larger body of life.

Websites:MichaelDowd.org
TheGreatStory.orgPostDoom.com


Huffington Post blog: huffingtonpost.com/rev-michael-dowdFacebook pages: facebook.com/RevMichaelDowd
Important video. According to Michael,"the single most important thing I’ve created in my lifetime": Ten Commandments to Avoid Extinction: Reality's Rules

Key quote:  “God is reality with a personality, not a person outside reality. If you don’t get personification, you can’t possibly understand the world’s myths and religions — and you’ll surely miss what God is telling us today through scientific evidence.  Few things matter more than this in a world of ecological degradation and climate chaos.  Anyone who doubts this need only watch one or two of the Hollywood star-studded ”Nature Is Speaking” videos that have gone viral in recent months.” ~ Rev. Michael DowdSuggested readings:

Overshoot: The Ecological Basis of Revolutionary Change, by William R. CattonCollapse Now and Avoid the Rush: The Best of The Archdruid Report, by John Michael Greer
Active Hope: How to Face the Mess We're in without Going Crazy, by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone
Thank God for Evolution: How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World, by Michael DowdThis Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate, by Naomi Klein

Transcript of this interview.Interview conducted 6/13/2015

Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast.YouTube Video Chapters:


00:00:00 - Buddha at the Gas Pump Interview00:04:12 - Reality as Lord
00:08:11 - Personification of Gods and Goddesses00:11:49 - The Perspective of Atheists and Secular People
00:15:29 - Shifting the Course00:19:32 - Ethics of Nature Conservation
00:23:25 - The Intimacy of Nature's Destruction
00:27:40 - Personification of Nature and Relationships00:31:17 - The Reality of Relationships and Naming the Powers
00:35:05 - Personification of Cities and Corporations00:39:27 - Interpreting Life Generously
00:43:16 - Universal Consciousness and the Decline of Civilizations00:47:08 - Book Recommendations: Overshoot, Afterburn, and Collapse Now and Avoid the Rush
00:51:10 - Pro-Future Responsibility and Deep Time Eyes00:55:11 - Regaining Humility and Sacred Eyes
00:58:59 - Honoring Time, Nature, and Mystery01:03:06 - Embracing Life's Impermanence
01:06:54 - Perspectives on Death and Afterlife

Further episodes of Buddha at the Gas Pump

Further podcasts by Rick Archer

Website of Rick Archer