Summary of the Definitions of Evolutionary Spirituality/Eco Spirituality
Evolutionary means “of or relating to a process of change,” particularly as it relates to the processes of physical change of the physical universe throughout its history. The main definitions of Evolutionary Spirituality are as follows. Evolutionary Spirituality:
1.) embraces progressive evolutionary science and the newest discoveries of cosmology.
2.) embraces and integrates the most life-affirming wisdom and tools from all of humanity's spiritual heritage to deepen the meanings discovered by the facts of evolutionary and cosmological science.
3.) embraces what is know as today's eco-spirituality movement.
4.) embraces the evolutionary history of spirituality and religion while simultaneously being engaged in evolutionizing current spirituality and religion.
5.) is a type of omni-denominational meta-spirituality and meta-religion.
6.) is embraced and embodied in its basic in a practical sense within the new Universe Principles of Life.
7.) is often also called eco-spirituality or eco spirituality.
More about Evolutionary Spirituality
Evolutionary Spirituality (also known as Universe Evolutionary Spirituality, Eco-spirituality and even sometimes process theology,) is one of the key foundational spiritual currents which runs within the New Universe Worldview and the Universe Spirituality found on this website. The ideas of evolutionary spirituality began to emerge in the 1940 and 1950's simultaneously in the east and west. As a spiritual current and theme it has rich layers of meaning.
The Evolutionary Spirituality within Universe Spirituality in part relates to the body of scientific knowledge on progressive evolution and spiritual wisdom that can be discerned or reasonably supported concerning Ultimate Reality and how to live our lives with others by looking directly at and studying the deepest reoccurring patterns, directionality and objective scientific probabilities discoverable within the progressive evolutionary processes of 14 billion years of deep time evolution within the universe.
Evolutionary Spirituality as a spiritual current is important in part because it answers the most basic and important life questions from the deep time objective scientific probabilities drawn from our knowledge about the whole progressive evolution of the universe. It also holds as a key and fundamental principle that by using this deep time objective universe knowledge each of us can become conscious and intentional partners and co-creators of the universe evolutionary process itself and thus more efficiently evolve a better world for ourselves and all of life.
Evolutionary Spirituality teaches about the intelligence and creativity that directionalizes and drives evolution itself. It holds that --- only by using the whole universe biggest picture perspective and motivation can we adequately create wise social forms that will effectively align individual, organizational, and planetary self-interests to overcome the massive planetary challenges we all now face.
Evolutionary Spirituality in answering the key life questions also creates a whole new unitive and empowering perspective to enhance, evolve, support or, challenge (when needed,) our past subjective, mystical or traditional religious answers concerning these essential and fundamental questions about life and living. The key existential questions that this new movement answers from a universe science based perspective are:
Where did we come from? (The question of origin.)
Who are we? (The question of identity.)
Why are we here? (The question of purpose.)
Where are we going? (The question of Destiny.)
What Ultimately matters? (The question of meaning.)
How are we to live with each other, the physical world and its non-human inhabitants? (The questions of ethics, morality and right action.)What happens when we die? (The question of continuity or finality.)
But evolutionary spirituality is not just evolutionary and cosmological science it also integrates the most life affirming wisdom from all of humanity's spiritual heritage to deepen the meanings discovered by the facts of science. Barbara Marx Hubbard a leading advocate of Evolutionary Spirituality defines it in consciousness and spiritual terms as follows:
"There is arising a new spirituality, experienced as a form of evolutionary consciousness. This consciousness is three-fold: Backward, Inward, and Forward. It reaches backward in time and identifies itself as the whole progressive evolutionary process of creation, recognizing that within our atoms, molecules, cells, organs, brain is the whole story of creation. At the same time, this evolutionary consciousness looks inward to Source, to Pure Awareness, to Oneness and holds that as its center. And then it looks forward, yearning to express the creative impulse within, in spirit-motivated action on behalf of the evolution of the self and the world. Evolutionary spirituality opens up the path of the co-creator... It is a new person. Its purpose and practices are to incarnate the Great Creating Process, to discover deeper life purpose, and to express that purpose through joining with others in the co-creation of a new world."
It is also the Union of Science Grounded Post Big Bang Evolutionary Spirituality and Pre Big Bang Mystical Spirituality in a New, Open Source and Integral Way
If you think about universe evolutionary spirituality as newly emerged form of post-big bang 21st century consciousness enlightened spirituality --- the mostly objective, rational, science-illuminated spirituality of everything now progressively evolving and that has come into being one instant after the Big Bang at the very beginning of the Universe, you would have a good initial understanding, but there is much more to it (see expanded descriptions of Evolutionary Spirituality and its basics in the sections below.)
If post-big bang universe evolutionary spirituality is mostly objective, rational and science-illuminated, then think of pre-big bang spirituality as mostly subjective, mythic, metaphoric and even traditional. What we call pre-big bang spirituality is what is commonly called mystical or traditional spirituality or theology, which deals with the nature of the Origin of the universe and its relationship and purposes within the physical universe in mostly subjective, mythic, metaphoric or even revelational ways. Here you find the vast accumulated treasures of humanity's spiritual wisdom.
For the first time these two essential and yet complimentary forms of spirituality now exist and are appropriately separated, sequenced and balanced so they can be studied independently and each can inform, enhance and balance the other in life affirming ways. (Believe it or not, at their very deepest levels there is a great congruence of meanings and purposes to be discovered within and between post big bang evolutionary spirituality and pre big bang traditional or mystical spirituality.)
Evolutionary Spirituality holds that discovering, understanding and practicing both of these forms of pre and post big bang spirituality are absolutely essential for a full and authentic spiritual life and practice. Although individuals enter our organization and many different spiritual levels, we always recommend that as soon as possible they balance and enhance their current spiritual lifestyle by adding the understanding and practice of the New Universe Worldview and evolutionary Universe Spirituality as well.
Why Evolutionary Spirituality is Important:
1.) The evolutionary spirituality movement also happens to be a major source of the deepest spiritual ethical and moral leverage and legitimacy, compelling motivation, support and new empowerment and vitality for the global sustainability, Gaia, deep ecology, environmentalism and previous eco-spirituality movements. Indirectly the evolutionary spirituality movement also supports the implementation of the global warming warnings and other environmental protecting scientific discoveries of the new earth sciences and geosciences.
This is critically important because “Job One” for all humanity is to rapidly come together to save the planet from its current directions toward potentially biocidal destruction. If we do not find new ways to work together using what is common and unites us, the quality of life for ourselves and for all future generations will be severely lessened and possibly ended.
At the current time due to a growing environmental crisis that both we and all future generations will face, we hold that there is no greater, more current or more embodied and important great spiritual work and daily spiritual practice than that of learning and following the practical steps of living sustainably and actively stewarding the Earth's eco-systems for ourselves, for future generations as well as to honor or give back to Ultimate Reality however you define it.
Due to this looming environmental crisis, no religious or spiritual person who feels either love or connection to Ultimate Reality and/or others can any longer ignore their logically most immediate spiritual responsibility and daily spiritual practice --- to live in a practical sustainable harmony with the eco-systems of earth and to teach others to do so as well. Until we are collectively out of this growing environmental crisis, living sustainably and educating both ourselves and others on how to live sustainably is absolutely Job One for every person, corporation, government, organization and religion on the planet!
If we do not do this Job One fast and well to protect the Earth life system that sustains all lives and activities, then the lives and dreams all people, organizations and generations will be drastically effected in unthinkably painful ways up to and including de facto planetary wide biocide!
2.) Evolutionary spirituality is also critically relevant today because it offers humanity a common and uniting genesis story and it offers each individual a new perspective on a common and uniting identity with all other individuals at the deepest levels of meaning and living. From these two vital qualities naturally emerges a myriad of rational, non-polarizing spiritual and secular behaviors as well as an implied near-universal set of ethics, morals and virtues for living both authentic and successful lives in the 21st century.
It can be well argued that the evolutionary spirituality current potentially presents the most primal, globally uniting and universal post big bang spiritual perspective existing in the world today. It's ideas are critical to understanding the most basic level of our most universally agreeable common identity, origin, nature, purposes and destiny. From a more universal sense of our most common identity, origin, nature, purposes and destiny we as a better informed and united humanity will be far better able to address our common problems and create a far better common future for all life on earth.
3.) As this new spiritual current spreads from denomination to denomination, evolutionary spirituality can both initiate and energize the environmental commitments of all religious denominations. From those religious denominations' authorities it then can leverage the environmentalism commitments of their members by spiritual directive and precept.
4.) Evolutionary spirituality produces evolutionary consciousness. Barbara Marx Hubbard says that, "conscious evolution is the worldview that has arisen precisely at this moment in history to deal with the new human condition. It is a vision and a direction to help us navigate through this transitional period to the next stage of human evolution. As Einstein admonished, humankind cannot solve its problems from the same place of consciousness in which we created them. A new place and space of expanded consciousness is required. In simple terms conscious evolution takes place when we intend to grow in consciousness and use our increasing awareness to guide our actions and partner with evolution to achieve a positive future." Bela H. Banathy, author of Guided Evolution of Society, says the following about conscious evolution:
"It is a process by which we can individually and collectively take responsibility for our future. It is a process of giving direction to the evolution of human systems by purposeful action. And most importantly, conscious evolution enables us, if we take responsibility for it, to use our creative power to guide our own lives and the evolution of the systems and the communities in which we live and work. It is a process by which individuals and groups, families, organizations, and societies can envision and create images of what should be, and bring those images to life by design.
Conscious evolution is at the core a spiritually motivated endeavor. Its precepts reside at the heart of every great faith, affirming that humans have the potential of being co-creators with Spirit, with the deeper patterns of nature and universal design. The promise of conscious evolution is nothing less than the emergence of a universal humanity capable of its guiding its own evolution into a future of unimaginable co-creativity."
Because of evolutionary spirituality's profound importance to the future of all humanity and the world we face today and will face tomorrow as an important contributing part to an emerging new form of Universe Meta-Spirituality, we offer several simple free access online courses that will cover all the basics of this vital spiritual current no matter what your education level or denominational background. (You can start our free access Universe Evolutionary Spirituality introduction 101 course or the Great Work 102 course immediately by clicking the Online Courses link at the top of this page.)
Even if you are spiritually advanced in mystical or traditional spirituality and religion, the emergence of the ideas of the evolutionary spirituality movement offers your spiritual practice and life path empowering, embodied and healing new perspectives and principles for personal, community and global success. In our organization whenever a new member joins us and has not already explored mystical or traditional religion or theology, we strongly suggest that they start off their exploration of the great spiritual adventure by doing our universe evolutionary spirituality courses first.
Evolutionary Spirituality has Numerous Variations
There are several current variations of Evolutionary Spirituality being practiced today around the world. The variation of Evolutionary Spirituality that is practiced within Universe Spirituality began in 2002 based on the evolution of Ultimate reality into and with the universe as first discussed by Teilhard de Chardin and Sri Aurobindo. From 2005-2007 our variation of Universe Spirituality moved toward the science grounding of progressive evolution. In 2008-9 that science grounding integration was expanded with the new Universe Worldview and the New Universe Principles of Life.
Today some of the other variations of Evolutionary Spirituality focus more on only the consciousness, self reflection, self awareness and being an intentional social and spiritual partner with evolution to evolve yourself and evolve your world aspects of evolution. Other variations focus on integrating the principles of progressive evolution and spirituality with a particular faith such as in what process theology does for the Christian faith. These variations of Evolutionary Spirituality sometimes call their members conscious and evolutionaries, evolutionaries, universe citizens, process theology practitioners or Evolutionary Spirituality members.
While Universe Spirituality also includes and forwards these other aspects of Evolutionary Spirituality as well, it has a stronger focus on the integration of the other important science aspects of progressive evolution as well as the new dialectical thinking skills for managing interacting complex systems. These other science focused progressive evolution aspects (as expressed within the new Universe Principles of Life,) provide a significant expansion and grounding balance to the consciousness, self reflection, self awareness and being an intentional partner with evolution aspects of other variations of Evolutionary Spirituality.
There is Much more to Learn About Evolutionary Spirituality for the Curious and Online Students
Click here to learn about the history of evolutionary spirituality, its leading thinkers, its current variations etc.
The new Universe Principles of Life are an integral part of Universe Evolutionary Spirituality values and practice and the New Universe Worldview.
Click here, if you would like to know about how the new genesis story is now evolving within our organization. (The new genesis story is derived out of the science aspects of evolutionary spirituality.)
Click here, if you would like to learn more about the following specific things because you are curious or need to know why and all the details such as,
The Core Ideas of evolutionary spirituality are Found in the Deepest Patterns, Purposes and Intentions of 14 billion Years of Evolutionary Progress (Here is a brief listing of what those patterns are.)
What the Deep Success Patterns of our 14 billion Years of Evolutionary Progress Mean for Your Personal Destiny and Success?
The New Spirituality implied within the Deepest Patterns of Physical Evolution and Evolutionary Progress
Why are the Deep Pattern Discoveries of Evolution and the Universe Evolutionary Spirituality Movement Important to the Individual's Spiritual Path?
More Spiritual Implications of the Deepest Patterns of Physical Evolution and the Evolutionary Progress ---the Human Virtues.
Why Integrative Spirituality Promotes the Ideas of Universe Evolutionary Spirituality?How is Evolutionary Spirituality supported and expanded by the Principles of Open Source Spirituality If you need it, click here for Part 2 of this article and much more detailed information about Evolutionary Universe Spirituality!
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