‘You will find that your beliefs are enriched by reading Abrams’s [A God That Could Be Real]. I am thrilled that we have the creativity and originality that is exhibited in this book, and I recommend it highly to all, religious or secular, believer or atheist, who are ready to explore honestly their understanding of the divine in our beautiful, expanding universe.’
Nancy Ellen Abrams is the author of A God That Could Be Real. This episode will be of special interest for those who wrestled with the science vs. religion debate wondering if there was another perspective out there that transcends the typical binary conversation on this debate. In this episode, Abrams unpacks a new vision of God based on an agreed upon cosmology from today’s leading cosmologists. The implications have the potential to lead this generation of humans to become the ‘esteemed ancestors of the future’. You can learn more about Nancy Ellen Abrams work at nancyellenabrams.com or follow her on Twitter @cosmicsociety.
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EPISODE SHOW NOTES
Books by Nancy Ellen Abrams
- A God That Could Be Real: Spirituality, Science and the Future of Our Planet
- The View from the Center of the Universe
- The New Universe and the Human Future
Resources Mentioned
- The Weavers
- The Republic by Plato
- The View from the Center of the Universe
- The Bible
- Draw Down by Paul Hawken
- Blessed Unrest by Paul Hawken
- ‘Historian Timothy Snyder: “It’s pretty much inevitable” that Trump will try to stage a coup and overthrow democracy’
People
- Joel R. Primack
- Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
- Jesus
- Margaret Mead
- Desmond Tutu
- Paul Davies
- Timothy Snyder
- C.G. Jung
- Paul Hawken
Practice (4m 40s)
- Listening to the Birds
Drinks Pairings
- Water
Highlights
2m40s When you hear the word “contemplative”, how does that moniker relate to you?
4m40s What is your contemplative practice?
6m26s If someone were going to teach a class on the formation of Nancy Ellen Abrams, what would be the 3 mandatory readings or works for that syllabus?
11m44s Your husband plays an integral story in the manifestation of this book, can you share what his discovery was and how it has shaped you?
20m In this day and age, how do you see the image of God limiting our participation in this universe?
27m42s You quote Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, ‘Mankind will not perish for want of information, but only for want of appreciation. The beginning of our happiness lies in the understanding that life without wonder is not worth living.’ (p. 59), Can you unpack what Heschel is evoking about your understanding of the God you put forth on the book?
30m18s This may be too big of a question for our limited time, but in your brilliant explanation of the cosmic uroboros (snake eating it’s own tail), you say that ‘there is just as much universe within us as there is without.’ Can you unpack that for us?
33m40s What does prayer mean to you in your cosmology?
37m52s Can you share how you experience this love of God?
39m40s I really resonated with your phrase ‘thinking about ourselves as ancestors’, what potential impact would that have on an evolutionary path?
45m Principles express aspirations, can you share your vision of planetary morality? Where do you see signs of life for a realistic future?
51m30s ‘Our popular trend toward cynicism (and it’s cousins, snark and irony) will pass. Cynicism currently is considered smart and cool, certainly cooler than sincerity and ideas cooler than idealism. But on the scale of evolution, cynicism is not a survival strategy, and it cannot last.’ These words are welcome, can you say why cynicism is not a promising survival strategy?
54m56s How have religious leaders responded to your book?
59m48s We always pair an episode with a drink, what drink of choice goes best with this conversation?
Photo credit: Death To Stock Photo
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