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How can the wisdom of Deeptime 

offer guidance and resilience in these turbulent times?

Join Two Courses

with Sam King

#1: JOURNEY of the UNIVERSE

Seven Tuesdays, March 25 – May 6, 7:00 – 8:30 pm ET

#2: The WORLDVIEW of THOMAS BERRY

Six Tuesdays, May 20 – June 24, 7:00 – 8:30 pm ET

Register for each course individually, or for the combo pack.  Scroll down for discounts and to register, or click here.

“Sam King is a creative teacher and inspiring next generation leader. His deep understanding of Journey of the Universe and Thomas Berry’s thought is a gift to us all.”

— Brian Thomas Swimme, Mary Evelyn Tucker, John Grim, Authors and Executive Producers of Journey of the Universe

The JOURNEY OF THE UNIVERSE

and THE WORLDVIEW OF THOMAS BERRY courses

are based on the Yale/Coursera courses, with the same names, developed by Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim.

They will explore how the emerging story of cosmic evolution can help guide us toward a more just and flourishing future.  You may register for each course individually or both together and receive a discount.

To watch one minute video about the course, click above.

Studying the Universe Story and Thomas Berry offers a profound experience of expansion, like traveling through a spiral where each and every part opens infinite depths and possibilities.

— Sam King (Scroll down to see Sam’s bio.)

Course #1

JOURNEY OF THE UNIVERSE

Seven Tuesdays, March 25 – May 6, 7:00 – 8:30 pm ET

Journey of the Universe weaves together the discoveries of the evolutionary sciences with the cultural wisdom of our planet to tell an integral story of who we are, where we come from, and where we are going. This course draws on the Emmy-award winning film and book, Journey of the Universe, the book from Yale University Press, and the Conversations series with influential scientists, artists, spiritual leaders, and environmentalists.   The book and film, Journey of the Universe, were written by Brian Swimme and Mary Evelyn Tucker; John Grim was executive producer of the film. 
The Journey course is based on a new integration that is emerging from the dialogue of the sciences and humanities. Journey tells the story of evolution as an epic narrative, rather than as a series of facts separated by scientific disciplines. This changes our perception so that we begin to see ourselves as an integral part of this narrative.

By situating ourselves within this story we can better appreciate the complexity and beauty of processes such as self-organizing dynamics, natural selection, emergence, symbiosis, and co-evolution. As we discover these intricate processes of evolution, we awaken to the beauty and complexity of our natural environment at this critical moment in our planetary history.

Journey of the Universe Film Trailer

Course #2

THE WORLDVIEW OF THOMAS BERRY

Six Tuesdays, May 20 – June 24, 7:00 – 8:30 pm ET

This course will complement our course on JOURNEY OF THE UNIVERSE, the Emmy Award-winning film and multimedia project inspired by Thomas Berry’s call for a New Story. Together we will explore Berry’s deep insights about the unfolding Universe and our role in co-creating a flourishing future for the Earth community.  

Description of the Course

Thomas Berry (1914-2009) was a historian of world religions and an early voice awakening moral sensibilities to the environmental crisis. He is known for articulating a “new story” of the universe that explores the implications of the evolutionary sciences and cultural traditions for a new understanding of the Universe, our place within it, and our role in creating a flourishing future.

Adapted from Yale/Coursera, this course investigates Berry’s life and thought in relation to the Journey of the Universe project. It draws on his books, articles, and recorded lectures to examine such ideas as the New Story, the Great Work, and the emerging Ecozoic era. The course explores Berry’s insights into cosmology as a context for locating the human in a dynamic unfolding universe and thus participating in the creative work of our times. In particular, we will examine Berry’s reflections on renewal and reform in the areas of ecology, economics, education, spirituality, the arts, and jurisprudence.

Thomas Berry was an original, creative, and comprehensive thinker, especially regarding the critical nature of our global environmental crisis. His intellectual importance resides in his response to the ecological crisis by bringing together the humanities and science in an evolutionary narrative. In addition, he articulated the need for the moral participation of the world religions in addressing environmental issues. He came to this realization largely through his study of cosmologies embedded within religious traditions. Sensing the significance of these stories as “functional cosmologies” he explored the widespread influence that these stories transmitted through a tradition, for example, in rituals, ethics, and stories.

A 2019 book — Thomas Berry: A Biography, by Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim — provides an overview of his life and work.

 

Deeptime Leadership, Personal Empowerment Leadership, Climate change, Evolution Leadership, Big Bang Theory

Sam King is an educator, speaker, writer, facilitator, and environmentalist. He serves as Research Associate for the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology, and Project Manager for the Emmy Award-winning Journey of the Universe film and multimedia project, curating a monthly newsletter and hosting the Journey of the Universe: 10 Years Later podcast. As Director of Sustainability for the U.S. Marist school network, he also works with youth leaders across the country to galvanize grassroots engagement on climate change, species loss, pollution, and environmental justice. 

Sam has taught at The Hotchkiss School, Phillips Academy Andover Summer, and the University of Sri Jayewardenepura as a Fulbright scholar in Sri Lanka. He holds a M.A. in Religion and Ecology from Yale and a M.A. in Creative Writing from Dartmouth. An avid gardener, forager, and outdoorsman, he lives on ancestral Quinnipiac land in New Haven, CT.

How each session works:

Each week, participants read articles, watch videos, and engage in embodied practices before meeting with the DTN course via Zoom on Tuesdays at 7:00 PM EST.

Session Descriptions, Week by Week

(Sessions are live with Sam King. Recordings of all sessions will be accessible inside the course space for up to one year.  You may participate in online discussions between sessions.)

Course 1

Journey of the Universe: The Unfolding of Life

Week 1 (March 25, 2025)
Introductions
Instructions for Navigating the Course and Using Zoom

Week 2 (April 1, 2025)
Introduction – The Beginning of The Universe
In module two, we explore how humans are part of the larger Universe Story from its inception.

Week 3 (April 8, 2025)
The Formation of Galaxies and Stars
This module explores many of the world’s greatest stories and how they begin our journey, a quest to answer life’s most intimate questions like where we come from and why we are here.

Week 4 (April 15, 2025)
Our Solar System and Life’s Emergence
Here we look at several milestones in scientific discovery that have expanded our understanding of the solar system.

Week 5 (April 22, 2025)
Living and Dying and the Passion of Animals
We now invite you to think about the coevolution of the human with other species within this broad time scale. Completing this module may change the way that you understand what it means to be human.

Week 6 (April 29, 2025)
From the Origin of the Human to Becoming a Planetary Presence
In this module, we hope you come to understand the human species to be “planetary” in a unique way through our symbolic consciousness.

Week 7 (May 6, 2025)
Rethinking Matter and Time Within the Emerging Earth Community
What does it mean to live in cosmological time? How is thinking like this different than other conceptions of time? What implications does it have for your understanding of yourself and your sense of your relationship to the world around you? This module explores answers to these questions in relation to contemporary issues and ethical responsibilities for the well being of the Earth community.

Course 2

The Worldview of Thomas Berry

Week 1 (May 20, 2025)
Welcome to the Worldview of Thomas Berry: The Flourishing of the Earth Community 

This week will introduce participants to one another and to Thomas Berry (1914-2009), a historian of world religions and an early voice awakening moral sensibilities to the environmental crisis and the possibility of human-Earth flourishing.

Week 2 (May 27, 2025)

Thomas Berry’s Study of World Cultures and Religions
Widely read in Western history and theology, Thomas Berry studied and taught widely in Chinese, Indian, and Native American traditions, seeking to understand how diverse human communities have related to the Earth and Universe across time.

Week 3 (June 3, 2025)

Influence of Pierre Teilhard De Chardin
Learn how the Jesuit paleontologist Pierre Teilhard de Chardin inspired Berry through his understandings of cosmogenesis, spirit-matter, the psychic zest for life, and the emerging noosphere.

Week 4 (June 10, 2025)

“The New Story”
We will discuss Berry’s seminal essay, “The New Story,” (1978) calling for an integral narrative of our shared cosmic origins to awaken awe and orient humanity to a mutually-enhancing presence within the Earth community.

Week 5 (June 17, 2025)

Cosmology and Ecology
We will explore Berry’s vision of the human as embedded in the larger Earth and Universe processes of differentiation, subjectivity, and communion.

Week 6 (June 24, 2025)

The Great Work and the Ecozoic Era
Our final unit will explore the enduring relevance of what Berry calls the Great Work of our time — to reinvent the human species, within the Earth community, by means of story and shared dream experience — to usher in an Ecozoic Era of human-Earth flourishing.

This is a course for you if you:

  • have heard about Thomas Berry and wish to study his work.
  • know Thomas Berry’s work and want to have a deeper understanding of how to apply it to personal-to-civilizational change.
  • are unfamiliar with Thomas Berry and would like to know about him, his work, and how it may be applied.

Key Resources:

Key Resources:

“Two things are needed to guide our judgment . . . for the challenges ahead: A certain alarm at what is happening at present and a fascination with the future available to us only if we respond creatively to the urgencies of the present.”

-Thomas Berry

Deep Time Video Awards Butterfly, Deeptime Leadership, Personal Empowerment Leadership, Climate change, Evolution Leadership, Big Bang Theory

Thomas Berry, A Biography by Mary Evelyn Tucker, John Grim, and Andrew Angyal

Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim are the co-founders of the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology. They are, also, trustees of the Thomas Berry Foundation, which has established a website on Thomas Berry’s work, thomasberry.org. This will be valuable to participants as it contains biographical materials about him, articles by and about him, and audio and video presentations by him.        

What You’ll Receive in These Courses!

  • 1 1/2 hour live weekly sessions on Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30 pm ET
  • Video recordings of large group sessions that you can access at any time
  • Access to videos and readings posted on each session page in the course space
  • Online asynchronous discussion forum to explore topics of interest to you
  • The opportunity to interact with Sam King and other course organizers. 
  • Access to course space recordings, resources and messaging with fellow participants for up to one year
  • Participation in a rich and supportive global community
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What people are saying about the Deeptime Network . . .

" It is so supportive to have a whole community, from around the world, working together to embody and live out a deep connection to the new cosmology in its ethical and spiritual dimensions. We are the Universe emerging. "
- M.J. Zimmerman

" After 20 years of living into the Universe Story, I was reawakened to how truly empowering it is through what is emerging for others on parallel paths from around the globe. "
— Penny Andrews

" If you're seeking a meaningful story that explains our place in our Universe and in Nature, and like-minded global citizens, this course may be your next step on that journey. " - David Morton Rintoul

" Everything I have known in life is being integrated into unifying perspectives and connectedness which come like seeds being nourished from a deep space of love, abundance, and creativity "
— Marides "Madett" Virola-Gardiola, Philippines

Deeptime courses are not just about learning new ideas, they are a way to commune together to help each other spiral upwards to new heights of wisdom and awakening. "
— Sarbmeet Kanwal

" I am co-creating a space for children older than 7 years old and this course has been granting me a deeper understanding of how I want to position myself and act in this space while deep listening to children. " — Joana Benetton, Brazil

" Being around so many talented and confident people has helped me with developing a children’s book for Montessori Sunday school. " — Nancee Cline

It is all and more than I expected – I am not new to the material though have certainly learned and gained new insights into the wonderful planet we call “home”. 

The assignments are doable, interesting, and inviting.  I am enjoying the course very much.

Am loving it. The small groups are wonderful. It is such a marvelous group of participants. The networking is fabulous.  Love the opening and thoughtful reflections.

I look forward to every session.

I had to miss two weeks and was aware there was something missing in my life, so I know I am finding it really useful and challenging.  Also good to make connections.

I am feeling inspired, energized, and more-connected-than ever!  I am also enjoying the arc of the course, the meditations, quote sharing, and especially the content. 

Apply Now

Our Learning Management System

We use Sensei integrated with Buddypress so that participants can engage in asynchronous course discussions, and share resources, profiles, and information about their organizations.  We’ve had experience using this technology with people of all levels of technical capability.  If you have any questions, we’re right there to help you.  All meetings are recorded.  The course will remain open for one year so you can view recordings, stay in touch and continue to share thoughts and resources with others sharing the journey with you.  Our fearless developer, Mohit Sharma, stands at the ready to solve any tech problems that might crop up a long the way.

 Sign Me Up!

If you’re not a member yet, sign up for free before purchasing this course.  Paid membership discounts will appear after you log in.

  • Premium members receive a 10% discount.  Become a premium member before purchasing this course and save.
  • Check out the installment plan by clicking on payment plan and then “View” to see individual payments.
  • Do you need scholarship support?  We have some scholarship funds available, particularly for young people.  Write to [email protected].

Purchase both courses

and save! 

Professional Development

Hours available! 

(See below)

Be sure to log in first before making your purchase by clicking here! 

Journey of the Universe

(March 25 – May 6)

Without PD Hours – $125

With 10.5 PD Hours- $300

Click Here to Purchase

Thomas Berry Course

(May 20 – June 24)

Without PD Hours – $95($125 after May 6)

With 9 PD Hours –   $220($260 after May 6)

Click Here to Purchase

BOTH COURSES

(March 25 – June 24)

Without PD Hours – $230

With 19.5 PD Hours – $520

Click Here to Purchase

 

Questions?   Write to us at [email protected].

 

 

Anthony Robert Zelle, Esq., Tony is an Earth lawyer. While serving as Chair and President of the Earth Law Center, following 30 years in private practice trying cases and arguing appeals, he served as lead editor and author of the only comprehensive book on the subject: Earth Law: Emerging Ecocentric Law-A Guide for Practitioners. Developed for law school curricula, and now part of developing LLM programs internationally, the book has also become the primary reference source for practitioners.

The focus of Tony's current work is developing Earth law in practice and creating revenue-generating opportunities for Earth lawyers.

Learn more about Tony’s journey from a recent Boston College Law School Magazine profile.https://lawmagazine.bc.edu/2025/02/voice-for-the-earth/

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Maisie Paddon, Maisie is spearheading the advancement of Earth Law by integrating its principles into transformative policies and business strategies that resonate with Earth-centric practices and Nature's patterns. At the helm of Project 2040, she seeks to revolutionize financial systems, foster circular economies, and develop regenerative food systems. Her extensive experience in top-tier management consulting, with roles at Ernst & Young and Capgemini, showcases her ability to lead complex innovation programs and engage with C-suite leaders. With a solid foundation in Philosophy and Climate Science, Maisie is deeply committed to beneficial systemic change. She champions the inclusion of Nature's voice in discussions that tackle the multifaceted crises of today's modern world, while aligning her efforts with global frameworks like UN SDGs, ESG principles, and ISO standards. Her holistic and emotionally intelligent approach underscores her pursuit of sustainable and equitable solutions.

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Kerry Hudson, Hudson works as an activist and public interest lawyer with a focus on social justice, and an academic and employment history addressing heirs' property reform and protections of the Florida aquifer. He served as co-founder and manager for a medical practice that focused on Environmentally Acquired Diseases, and the effects of that most macro of human phenomenon—climate change, on the most granular, personal issues—individual health and the chronic and intractable maladies brought on by changing climate. He has served as Education Director for Rights of Nature and eco-centric education, creating informational content addressing topics such as environmental protections and property law, and the Public Trust Doctrine, and creating supplemental educational content for the law school textbook Earth Law: A Practitioner’s Guide. He holds an MFA in writing, has a publication history with both fiction and non-fiction, and has authored funded grants examining strategies to mitigate generational heirs' property abuses. He holds a J.D. with a focus on Environmental Justice, social equity, and restorative justice and has created informational and educational content addressing the intersection of environmental and legal issues such as the one-percenters' climate change preparations. Currently based in London, He works on a long-form manuscript addressing the importance of property law, social justice, and the climate change crisis.

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April Elizabeth Finlayson, April Elizabeth Finlayson is an “Edu-neer” dedicated to designing holistic and transformational learning experiences. She has a fervent commitment to reimagining education, promoting lifelong learning and creating uniquely curated, humanizing educational experiences for youth, and the young at heart. This has led to the development of nearly a dozen innovative schools and numerous educational programs in the K-12, after-school learning, adult development and Higher-Ed spaces.

April’s style of leadership and service is rooted in making space for learner voice, agency and empowerment. She believes that the best teaching and learning is reciprocal, interwoven and interchangeable. April asserts that “if a learner knows that they are seen, affirmed, “in-powered” and protected while learning, they will feel loved, and will henceforth thrive!”

April's students and graduates have gone on to international and national renown in philanthropy, entrepreneurship, professional athletics, entertainment, and being great, enjoyable people. April was cross culturally raised and educated between The Bahamas, the USA and Canada. She completed her undergraduate degree in International Development Studies, Political Science and Management from McGill University, and earned both her Master's Degree in Mind, Brain and Education and her Doctorate Degree in Education Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education.

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Tara A. Pierce, Tara holds degrees in painting, the humanities, a J.D., and an LL.M. in Oceans, Environment, & Sustainability. This transdisciplinary background enriched her legal studies and contributed to the successful publication of several papers on Earth Law and Restorative Ocean Farming. Her latest thesis synthesised her entire academic and hands-on experiences into an approach to transforming the law into a healing practice. Tara regularly guest lectures on Ocean & Coastal Law developments for various institutions in the United States and Europe.

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Cat Haas, Cat Haas is the Director of the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor (EJM), where she oversees the research and development of the world’s most comprehensive database of ecological jurisprudence initiatives globally. Since 2022, she has led efforts to document and analyze the global evolution of Earth-centered law, with a particular focus on the Rights of Nature movement, ecological law, and Indigenous ontologies. Cat holds an M.A. in Global Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where her research explored the influence of Indigenous cosmologies and pluriversal ontologies on the development and globalization of the Rights of Nature movement.
She also serves on the Steering Committee of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN) Academic Hub, an interdisciplinary network of scholars specializing in ecological law and governance.
With a background in environmental education, Cat is passionate about fostering awareness and advocacy for sustainable, equitable legal frameworks that address the climate crisis and center ecological well-being

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Ava Roche, Ava is currently a pre-law focused senior at Columbia University studying Political Ecology, conducting her senior thesis on the socio-political effects of deep-sea mining in the Cook Islands. She is attending Columbia University’s Climate School next fall, and aspires to be an earth lawyer, with experience as the student director of the Earth Law Centers, “Earth Law: Emerging Ecocentric Law- a Guide for Practitioners” course last summer. She is an avid scuba diver who is passionate about protecting earths vital oceanic ecosystems, and is interning at Columbia Law Schools, "Sabin Center for Climate Change Law” this coming summer under Michael Gerrard. Above all, she can’t wait to TA with Earth Law Practice and work in such an impactful environment.

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Joseph O’Brien, Joseph recently graduated from Brown University with a concentration in environmental studies. At Brown, he organized an experimental climate negotiation simulation featuring non-human, non-state, and state actors. With a background in regenerative agriculture, political theory, and contemplative education, he is excited to support this year's cohort jump into the chaotic, beautiful, and generative world of Earth Law.

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Janet Marley is completing an MA in Ecopsychology at Naropa University. She is currently researching styles of governance in traditional indigenous societies of Turtle Island and how such wisdom ways can positively influence modern ecocentric regenerative residential communities and bioregional initiatives. She has a BA in Religious Studies from Brown University. Janet is a community organizer with an abiding interest in designing and co-creating intentional living and learning centers that model and teach connection, communication, and reciprocity with the natural world. Her gifts and roles include Teacher, Naturalist, Healer, Event Producer, and Facilitator of ceremony, council, rites of passage, vision quests, ecotherapy, and trauma integration work. She is a Montessori-trained educator and mom of two young children. She currently serves as a board member for The Circle for Change Initiative and is the Director of Programming and Events at the Manitoulin Eco Park, an indigenous-led nature connection facility in Ontario, Canada.

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