The Thomas Berry Forum for Ecological Dialogue at Iona
“The Thomas Berry Forum is an open and inclusive space for ecological education, exploration, and transformation."
In 2009, after the death of the celebrated geologian and cultural historian, Father Thomas Mary Berry, CP, four of his students gathered at Iona University to initiate The Thomas Berry Forum for Ecological Dialogue to celebrate and promote his wisdom legacy: Dr. Brian Brown, Dr. Kevin Cawley, CFC, Dr. Kathleen Deignan, CND, Dr. Daniel Martin, and Rabbi Lawrence Troster.
It is our hope that this Forum will be a creative resource for the entire Iona University community, and for the many other dialogue partners – regional, national and global – whom we hope to engage in Berry’s Great Work to awaken the ecological phase of human development. In particular, we wish to serve Iona’s interdisciplinary and integral Environmental Studies Program as a hosting platform for conferences, convocations, lectures, retreats, campus sustainability initiatives, and eco-pilgrimages that will enhance our academic enterprise.
Mission
The Berry Forum is a creative resource for the entire Iona University community, and for the many other dialogue partners – regional, national and global – whom we hope to engage in Berry’s Great Work to awaken the ecological phase of human development.
The Mission of The Thomas Berry Forum for Ecological Dialogue at Iona is to:
- Educate for awareness of the integral Earth community
- Facilitate deeper understanding of human responsibility for care of Earth
- Promote scholarly dialogue and engagement around significant ecological concerns
- Celebrate our communion in the family of God’s creation
- Inspire hope and empower action for a sustainable and environmentally just world, with special concern for the most vulnerable members of the Earth community