|
|
| |
|
Click below for Michael's BLOGS at . . .
|
|
THE REVEREND MICHAEL DOWD is a former pastor, veteran sustainability activist, and big history / big integrity evangelist. An outspoken religious naturalist, he is the author of the bestselling bridge-building book, Thank God for Evolution: How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World (Viking 2008 / Plume 2009), which was endorsed by 6 Nobel Prize-winning scientists and other science luminaries, including noted skeptics, and by religious leaders across the spectrum.
Michael and his wife, Connie Barlow, an acclaimed science writer and gifted evolutionary educator, permanently travel North America and have addressed more than 1,700 religious and non-religious groups since 2002 — ranging from Unitarian Universalists and secular high school, college, and university students, to Catholic, Protestant, and Evangelical Christian churches, to New Thought, New Age, and Integral groups. They show how the science-based history of everything and everyone can be interpreted in ways that inspire people to cooperate across political and religious differences in service of a just and thriving future for all.
In December 2010 Rev. Dowd hosted the acclaimed conversation series (now a digital audio educational series), "The Advent of Evolutionary Christianity", and in June 2011 he and Connie launched a 5-week online course titled, "Evolutionize Your Life".
Celebrated by liberals and conservatives alike and uniquely gifted at building bridges between believers and non-believers, Michael shares "The Great Story" — humanity's common creation story — in ways that uplift and expand heart, mind, and soul. His passion is showing how a sacred view of death, human nature, and the trajectory of big history can inspire and empower each of us to live with greater integrity, joy, and zest for life.
Michael and Connie are co-creators of the leading Religious Naturalism / Epic of Evolution educational website: TheGreatStory.org.
|
|
| |
"ONE-ON-ONE WITH MICHAEL DOWD"
This 27-minute documentary, produced by New Hampshire's public television station, first aired in December 2010. The camera crew filmed Dowd at one of seven presentations he made during November 2010 at UCC and Congregational churches in New Hampshire.
The documentary centers on an interview with Dowd that was conducted by the television team just before an event. Interspersed are fragments of Dowd during his actual presentation, along with excerpts of video made years ago (an obviously younger Dowd!) that are available on the Evolutionary Christianity DVD sold on this website.
You can freely access online the entire, hour-long digital program Michael used as the content for that evening, with his voice overlayed, by clicking here Evolutionize Your Life". |
|
|
|
 |
"Reality is my God and integrity is my religion. Scientific, historic, and cross-cultural evidence is the first place I go for divine guidance and inspiration — not ancient texts or mythic beliefs. My ultimate commitment is living in right relationship to reality and assisting others and our species in doing the same."
— Michael Dowd
|
Praise for Michael's 2008 book from NOBEL LAUREATES
full list of endorsements
"The universe took 13.7 billion years to produce this amazing book. I heartily recommend it." — JOHN MATHER, NASA CHIEF SCIENTIST, 2006 NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS
"The science vs. religion debate is over! Michael Dowd masterfully unites rationality and spirituality in a world view that celebrates the mysteries of existence and inspires each human being to achieve a higher purpose in life. A must read for all, including scientists." — CRAIG MELLO, 2006 Nobel PRIZE IN PHYSIOLOGY OR MEDICINE
19 June 2008 Viking/Penguin released the new hardcover edition of Dowd's Thank God for Evolution. The book website provides links to the news articles about it, including New York Times Magazine and Washington Post.
|
| |
 |
 |
|
"God Rebukes Religious Right: Repent or Face Hell and High Water" Rev. Michael Dowd delivered an entirely new sermon on January 6, 2013 at the two Sunday morning services at Jefferson Unitarian Church in Golden, CO. Dowd presents "God" (Reality personified) as rebuking scriptural literalists for stalling collective action in response to climate change by engaging in denial or distortion of facts.
Listen to an AUDIO of the same sermon title delivered the following Sunday at Wellshire Presbyterian Church in Denver, Colorado. |
 |
|
CLICK LEFT: "49-minute VIDEO: "Climate Change and Intergenerational Evil"
In December 2012, Michael Dowd (with wife, Connie Barlow) "woke up" to the magnitude and immediacy of rapid and profound climate shift already underway. In this video they embed clips of videos and talk about new developments that brought them to this awakening. Video clips include TED talks by James Hansen and David Roberts, and a 3-minute interview with Bill McKibben during his autumn 2012 "Do the Math" climate tour.
Also posted on Michael's Huffington Post blog.
|
 |
|
CLICK LEFT: "30-minute VIDEO: "Ecology Is the New Theology"
In February 2013, Dowd presented a guest sermon at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Santa Fe, NM. His opening line: "Ecology is the new theology; big history is the new Genesis. Those who fail to understand that evidence is modern-day scripture, and that the world we live in is an honorable world, betray God and humanity in the most egregious of ways." Dowd calls fellow baby boomers to attend to their legacy re: climate change and the enormous costs of medicalized death. Also available in audio format.
|
|
|
Thank God for Evolution
How the Marriage of Science and Religion Will Transform Your Life and Our World
2008: Viking / 2009: Plume
Endorsed by 6 NOBEL LAUREATES and other science luminaries, including noted skeptics, and by religious leaders across the spectrum
Visit the Thank God for Evolution website for
the full text of endorsements
samples of audio and video clips from Rev. Dowd's media interviews and live presentations
the entire 432-page book downloadable for free in PDF
Rev. Dowd's BLOG: "The Evolutionary Evangelist"
link for purchasing the book and related merchandise (tee-shirts, caps, bumper stickers)
|
Chapters 1 & 2
Free Download |
|
|  |
LEFT: 75-minute VIDEO
of Michael's
"Evolutionize Your Life"
multi-media program
 Free viewing
with high-speed internet |
|
Click below for Michael's current BLOGS at . . .
 |
|
Visit Michael Dowd's BLOG ARCHIVE:
The Evolutionary Evangelist
Titles include: "A Story of Awakening (Teen Boys)" ♦ "Evolve or Perish" ♦ "I'm a Human with Mismatched Instincts" ♦ "Making Death Right" ♦ "The Unnaturalist Fallacy" ♦ "Teach Both Sides of What Controversy?" ♦ "Sex and the Olympics" ♦ "Evolution Theology: Religiion 2.0" ♦ "Why I Thank God for Charles Darwin" ♦ "Why Evangelize Evolution?" ♦ "Lizard Legacy Bites Three More Alphas" ♦ "Evolutionary Morality and Ethics" ♦ "Clergy Letter / Emerging Churches" ♦ "Thank God for the New Atheists and Creationists!" ♦ "The Gospel of Evolution" ♦ "Evolutionary Christianity" and many more
|
 |
|
♦ Publicity PHOTOS
Listen to 6-minute AUDIO
of Michael reading his PREFACE to the 2009 softcover edition of
Thank God for Evolution.
RIGHT: Dowd's sermon 2011 at All Souls Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma
|
|
"Ecology Is the New Theology" 2013 (in SpiritEarth magazine)
(with Connie Barlow) why the teachings of Thomas Berry are now even more urgent. (1 page in PDF)
"An Evangelical Pentecostal Naturalist?!", invited post in Emergent Village Voice, 31 January 2012.
"Why Understanding Our Instincts Is Vital for Living in Integrity and Unleashing Our Greatness"
Dowd interviewed by Craig Hamilton for The Way of the Evolutionary Man audio series, June 2011. AUDIO.
"Thank God for the New Atheists", in Skeptic Magazine Vol 16 No.2, 2011.
"Thank God for the New Atheists", in Australasian Science Magazine December 2010.
"Biblical Christianity Is Bankrupt", online essay published 16 August 2010; 9 pages in PDF.
"Thank God for the New Atheists!" sermon delivered by Dowd at Mayflower UCC, Cathedral of Hope, and St. Paul's Episcopal
in Oklahoma City, OK (Aug 1-8, 2010); 5 pages in PDF.
"Evolutionary Spirituality: Coming Home to Reality", essay published in Michael Dowd's blog of 20 January 2010. 8 pages in PDF.
1:15 hr AUDIO of Michael speaking about these concepts with Craig Hamilton, as part of the "Awakening to the Impulse to Evolve" series on the website: EvolutionarySpirituality.com.
"Thomas: My Great Red Oak" chapter contributed by Dowd to The Thomas Berry Tribute of Ecozoic Reader, 2009. 2 pages in PDF.
"Giving God Glory in Evolution", Lent 2004 issue of Benedictine Bridge.
"4 Reasons Why Nothing Matters More Than What We Think About Evolution" - 2008
This is a blogpost that is now available in PDF on this website.
"Evolutionary Evangelism" - 2005
This is a contributed entry for the Encyclopedia of Religion and Nature, edited by Bron Taylor, Dept. Religion, University of Florida, Gainesville.
"My Road To Damascus" - 2003 (5 pages)
First published in the Spring 2003 issue of EarthLight: The Magazine of Spiritual Ecology, this essay explores Michael's personal journey from a worldview that did not accept evolution to one that completely embraces it, without diminishing his faith.
PDF.
"A Great Story Perspective on the UCC Statement of Faith" - 1990 (8 pages)
An interpretation of the United Church of Christ Statement of Faith, in light of the epic of evolution, biblical revelation, tradition, and personal life experience. It was originally Michael's ordination paper. webpage
"Ecozoic Activism" EarthLight, 2001 - (2 pages)
The inner work that will guide environmental activism toward, what Thomas Berry calls, the Ecozoic Era (co-written with Connie Barlow). PDF
"The New Cosmology: Understanding the Gaia Hypothesis" - 1998 (2 pages)
published in the June/July issue of Simply Living; available online in
PDF
"Earth or 'the earth': What's in a Name?" - 1991 (2 pages)
Have you ever heard anyone refer to our celestial neighbors as "the mars", "the jupiter", or "the venus,"? Of course not. Why, then, refer to the physical ground of our being as "the earth"? This short essay suggests that how we refer to our home planet is far more than a matter of semantics. It is ultimately a question of honor, which, as Thomas Berry argues, may be the most important issue before us as we enter the twenty-first century. webpage
|
|
