296. Rev. Michael Dowd

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.org PostDoom.com Huffington Post blog: huffingtonpost.com/rev-michael-dowd Facebook 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 Dowd Transcript of this interview. Interview conducted 6/13/2015 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Buddha at the Gas Pump Interview 00:04:12 - Reality as Lord 00:08:11 - Personification of Gods and Goddesses 00:11:49 - The Perspective of Atheists and Secular People 00:15:29 - Shifting the Course 00:19:32 - Ethics of Nature Conservation 00:23:25 - The Intimacy of Nature's Destruction 00:27:40 - Personification of Nature and Relationships 00:31:17 - The Reality of Relationships and Naming the Powers 00:35:05 - Personification of Cities and Corporations 00:39:27 - Interpreting Life Generously 00:43:16 - Universal Consciousness and the Decline of Civilizations 00:47:08 - Book Recommendations: Overshoot, Afterburn, and Collapse Now and Avoid the Rush 00:51:10 - Pro-Future Responsibility and Deep Time Eyes 00:55:11 - Regaining Humility and Sacred Eyes 00:58:59 - Honoring Time, Nature, and Mystery 01:03:06 - Embracing Life's Impermanence 01:06:54 - Perspectives on Death and Afterlife 01:10:29 - Exploring the Innate Capacity for Past Life Memories 01:14:17 - The Connection Between Mystical Experience and Changing Societal Systems 01:18:19 - Spiritual Awakening and the Environment 01:22:53 - Returning to a Mutually Enhancing Relationship 01:26:56 - The Shift in Consciousness and Creating a Healthy Human-Earth Relationship 01:30:53 - Shifting Environmental Conditions 01:34:41 - The Best and Worst of Humanity in a Changing World 01:38:32 - The Future of Solar Power and the Threat to Business Models