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Table of Contents
Prologue
How I stumbled into my evolutionary epiphany............................ ix
Introduction.................................................................................................................................... 1
Poem: Stardust settles on earth to learn........................................ 8
I. Reflections on Evolution and Creation ................................... 9
1. Evolution 2.0: A Big History that embraces
all the sciences ................................................................................. .................................. 11
Poem: Since the Big Bang never stopped ............................... 28
2. The Big CPU........................................................................................................................ 29
Poem: The same golden force....................................................................................................... 35
II. Reflections on Evolutionary Activism .......................... 37
3. What is the evolutionary activist worldview?................................................................. 39
Poem: Showing up....................................................................................................................................... 42
4. My evolution in to evolutionary activism............................................................................... 43
Prayer: A prayer of evolutionary affirmation ..................... 48
5. What is evolutionary activism?...................................................... ........................................................... 49
Poem: Riotous meadow people.............................................................................................. 54
6. What makes evolutionary activism different
from other forms of activism?...................................................................................................... 55
Poem: Star story children................................................... ....................................................... 65
7. Learning to be evolution....................................................................................................................... 66
Poem: Calling of Creation.................................................................................................. 82
8. Becoming evolution's conscious weavers.................................................................... 83
Poem: First of all............................................................................................................................. 92
III. Reflections on Strategy and Tactics........................... 95
9. Learning from our evolutionary past into
our evolutionary future..................................................................................................................... 97
Poem: That Great Evolving Power............................................................................ 112
10. A "Big Story" evolutionary fitness program............................. 114
Poem: A larger force works through us............................. 121
11. The strategic synergy of individual and
collective ........................................................................... 122
Poem: Journey power story questions ............................. 128
12. The evolutionary role of conversation..................................... 130
Poem: The facilitator ................................................. 144
13. Transformational leverage............................................... 146
Poem: Life like spring............................................... 153
IV. Reflections on Evolutionary Grace and
Appreciation ......................................................... 155
14. Goodness Gracious: evolutionary integrity
and our engagement with life........................................ 157
Poem: A powerful Grace .......................................... 162
15. Active appreciation....................................................... 164
Poem: The whole knows............................................ 170
V. Reflections on Crises and Democracy........................ 173
16. Six degrees of separation from reality .............................. 175
Poem: Mother Earth's message................................. 180
17. Something bigger than Life is trying to work through us....... 184
Prayer: Prayer for conscious evolution ....................... 196
18. Building wise democracy as crises emerge ........................ 197
Poem: We are on the edge........................................ 211
19. Democracy and the evolution of societal
intelligence ............................................................... 213
Poem: Ultimately global catastrophe
is about life................................................. 221
VI. Reflections on Systems ......................................... 225
20. Caring and systemic awareness: Does
compassion itself need to evolve?................................. 227
Poem: What we long for ........................................ 238
21. What makes a social system conscious? .......................... 239
Poem: You can't hide anymore ................................ 248
VII. Reflections on an Evolutionary Activist
Movement.......................................................... 249
22. A rationale and guidance for nonviolence
as a basis for conscious evolutionary activism................. 251
Poem: Together at the leading edge ........................ 268
23. Five areas to attend to when building an
evolutionary activism movement ............................... 271
Poem: Sunshine being meditation .......................... 274
24. Imagining an activist movement for the
conscious evolution of social systems........................... 276
Poem: To Martin Luther King, Jr. ...................... 282
25. Some ways to engage in co-creating this
movement ............................................................. 284
Poem: Co-aliveness .......................................... 290
Appendices................................................................. 293
A. An annotated informal glossary of basic terms ................ 295
B. Evolutionary Life...................................................... 301
C. Models of transformational leverage.............................. 303
Index ......................................................................... 315
About the author ...................................................... 335
Acknowledgments .................................................... 337
Praise for Reflections on Evolutionary Activism ......... 341
Poem: Just a moment ......................................... 344
Table of Contents
Prologue
How I stumbled into my evolutionary epiphany............................ ix
Introduction....................................................
Poem: Stardust settles on earth to learn........................................ 8
I. Reflections on Evolution and Creation ................................... 9
1. Evolution 2.0: A Big History that embraces
all the sciences ....................................................
Poem: Since the Big Bang never stopped ............................... 28
2. The Big CPU....................................................
Poem: The same golden force
II. Reflections on Evolutionary Activism .......................... 37
3. What is the evolutionary activist worldview?
Poem: Showing up
4. My evolution in to evolutionary activism
Prayer: A prayer of evolutionary affirmation ..................... 48
5. What is evolutionary activism?
Poem: Riotous meadow people
6. What makes evolutionary activism different
from other forms of activism?
Poem: Star story children
7. Learning to be evolution
Poem: Calling of Creation
8. Becoming evolution's conscious weavers
Poem: First of all
III. Reflections on Strategy and Tactics........................... 95
9. Learning from our evolutionary past into
our evolutionary future
Poem: That Great Evolving Power
10. A "Big Story" evolutionary fitness program............................. 114
Poem: A larger force works through us............................. 121
11. The strategic synergy of individual and
collective ........................................................................... 122
Poem: Journey power story questions ............................. 128
12. The evolutionary role of conversation..................................... 130
Poem: The facilitator ................................................. 144
13. Transformational leverage............................................... 146
Poem: Life like spring............................................... 153
IV. Reflections on Evolutionary Grace and
Appreciation ......................................................... 155
14. Goodness Gracious: evolutionary integrity
and our engagement with life........................................ 157
Poem: A powerful Grace .......................................... 162
15. Active appreciation....................................................... 164
Poem: The whole knows............................................ 170
V. Reflections on Crises and Democracy........................ 173
16. Six degrees of separation from reality .............................. 175
Poem: Mother Earth's message................................. 180
17. Something bigger than Life is trying to work through us....... 184
Prayer: Prayer for conscious evolution ....................... 196
18. Building wise democracy as crises emerge ........................ 197
Poem: We are on the edge........................................ 211
19. Democracy and the evolution of societal
intelligence ............................................................... 213
Poem: Ultimately global catastrophe
is about life................................................. 221
VI. Reflections on Systems ......................................... 225
20. Caring and systemic awareness: Does
compassion itself need to evolve?................................. 227
Poem: What we long for ........................................ 238
21. What makes a social system conscious? .......................... 239
Poem: You can't hide anymore ................................ 248
VII. Reflections on an Evolutionary Activist
Movement.......................................................... 249
22. A rationale and guidance for nonviolence
as a basis for conscious evolutionary activism................. 251
Poem: Together at the leading edge ........................ 268
23. Five areas to attend to when building an
evolutionary activism movement ............................... 271
Poem: Sunshine being meditation .......................... 274
24. Imagining an activist movement for the
conscious evolution of social systems........................... 276
Poem: To Martin Luther King, Jr. ...................... 282
25. Some ways to engage in co-creating this
movement ............................................................. 284
Poem: Co-aliveness .......................................... 290
Appendices................................................................. 293
A. An annotated informal glossary of basic terms ................ 295
B. Evolutionary Life...................................................... 301
C. Models of transformational leverage.............................. 303
Index ......................................................................... 315
About the author ...................................................... 335
Acknowledgments .................................................... 337
Praise for Reflections on Evolutionary Activism ......... 341
Poem: Just a moment ......................................... 344