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The Beginning of Another World. " Advent marks the beginning of the church year—an invitation to step out of the empire's time and into God's time, where the last are first, the mighty are scattered, and a child born in occupied territory changes everything." ~ Diana Butler Bass Here are some links to some upcoming online and Rogue Valley in-person eco-spiritual activities that may interest you. Check back, as this post will be updated during December as we get additional information, and a new calendar listing will come out in late December 2025. Don't be intimidated by the scope of this list; choose to participate in just what calls to you. Nov. 17, 2025 - December 15, 2025  - Earth Literacies is presenting:  " The Cosmos Within Us: Living A Path of Transformation " with Betsey Crawford,  based on Brian Swimme's Powers of the Universe . Be sure to check out her website ahead of time. November 18, 2025 , at 11 a.m. PST - Join Tripp Fuller and Diana Buttler Bass for an introduction to a four-part class on Advent Against Empire , which will commence December 2-23, 2025 . " This course invites you into an alternative calendar and rhythm. While our modern world races through December toward consumption and productivity, Advent calls us to a different time—a counter-imperial waiting, a subversive hope, a radical reimagining of how God enters the world." November 30, 2025 , at 10 a.m. PST = Rev. Dr. Carol Kilby will present: S8 - Remembrance for Lost Species: Dance of Remembrance ,  " an evolutionary ritual to invoke a gentler human presence, to commemorate lost species and reorient human culture." On the International Day for Remembrance of Lost Species, we will join in ritual as an expression of sacred activism and in loving intention for a future of reconciliation and respect in the Earth Community. Register here. December 2 and 16, 2025 , at 3:30 p.m. PST- The American Teilhard Association is presenting a Zoom webinar: Advent 2025: Living into Incarnation with Teilhard, presented by   Kathleen Duffy, SSJ. Register here. December 2-23, 2025, at 11 a.m. PST - Diana Butler Bass and Homebrewed Christianity  present the start of four livestreamed sessions on   Advent Against Empire . This transformative four-week Advent journey  will explore how the four gospels speak their own revolutionary word against empire—both in their ancient context under Roman occupation and for our contemporary world shaped by capitalism, militarism, and nationalism. Each session includes a mini-lecture followed by a conversation between Diana and Tripp. Register here . December  4, 2025,  from 2-3:30 p.m. PST - Center for Christogenesis   has announced their next live webinar with Ilia Delio: The Christian Mutation: Why God Cannot be Static. ' Racism persists. Gun violence claims the innocent. Immigrants are scapegoated. Nationalism wraps itself in the flag and claims the name of Christ. Together we’ll ask who the God of Jesus truly is—relational, becoming, and present in the world’s suffering and creativity—and why that changes public life." Learn more and register: https://buff.ly/BWmYJOL   December 6, 2025 , at 8 a.m. PST - Practicing Presence is having a Community Conversation: Awakening to Presence . Join author Jim Heaney and presence guides Jim Taylor and Brian Mueller for a 90-minute community gathering on Zoom. Register here. "The Practice of Presence is a form of contemplative prayer , meditation, and mindful breathing that helps individuals to ground themselves in the peace of the present moment. This practice is described in Jim Heaney's book Choosing Presence: How to Access God’s Peace and Release Fear, Anxiety, and Stress " December 10, 2025 , at 4 p.m. PST - Third Act 's All-in call will feature Heather Cox Richardson as a special guest, who will be joined in conversation with Third Act co-founder, Bill McKibben. They will share campaign updates, hear from our local elder activists, and gain insight into what is coming up next! Register here. December 11, 2025 , at 9 a.m. PST - Institute For The Future (IFTF) is having a free Foresight Talk: Using Strategic Foresight to Imagine the Future of Connected Communities featuring two senior leaders at YUSA,   Alison Huppert , Director of Strategy and Quality Practices, Innovation, and   Heather Hughes , Senior Vice President, Strategic Alignment, They will speak about centering foresight methods during a full-day gathering of 200 staff members to develop 10-year forecasts reimagining the future of community.  Register here. At 11 a.m. the same day Jane McGonigal will be presenting IFTF Fast Futures: Foresight for Beginners - a 90-minute, introductory-level online learning experience that will teach you how to get started with your own creative foresight. Foresight is the ability to think effectively about how the future might be different, so you can prepare for anything and start to make changes in your own life and in society for the better. The fee is $99. Register here . December 11, 2025 , at 4 p.m. PST - Aspen Chapel is offering a free webinar Becoming an Evolutionary Catalys t. " In this webinar, Andrew Gaines will look at what it means to be an Evolutionary Catalyst within the crisis that we are currently facing in the world, as well as offering practical ways that we can all help." More information and registration here. January 15, 2026 - February 12, 2026 , three Thursdays at 4 p.m. PST - Creation Spirituality Communities is offering a three-week course - ReImagine: Self & Worldview with Theodore Richards . The first two courses have five sessions. Participation in the third course is contingent on completing the first two and involves collaborative, network-building, project-based work with mutual support. Registration here.   Rogue Valley Voice aggregates and curates information from many third-party sources and does not necessarily endorse all aspects of others' work. Still, we find their viewpoint provocative and interesting enough to encourage the reader to engage with and come to their understanding and actions, as they deem appropriate.

. Churches take to the streets: WCC joins massive climate justice march in Brazil at COP30. COP30 in Brazil is in its final days, mid-November, Bloomberg reports : " Dozens of countries are pushing for the COP30 summit to deliver a ' road map away from fossil fuel use ' as its key outcome,.. At the United Nations meeting, representatives from the Marshall Islands, Colombia, the UK, Germany, Kenya, and Sierra Leone led a group of about 20 countries in calling for a path to shift away from oil, gas, and coal. Organizers of the push claimed to have more than 80 nations supporting the effort." Anthropogenic Global Warming Pew Research reports that "Most Americans say the Earth is getting warmer, including a narrow majority (53%) who say it is mostly because of human activity, such as burning fossil fuels. Most also view global climate change as an extremely or very serious problem . Assessing potential consequences, 62% foresee rising numbers of extreme weather events 58% think an increase in refugees and displaced people is likely within the next 30 years because of global climate change. 54% expect food and water shortages 46% expect climate change to impact the quality of life." "Members of non-Christian religions and people who do not identify with any religion – particularly self-described atheists and agnostics – consistently express the highest levels of concern about climate change." However, other than evangelicals, many religious/spiritual communities also believe that it is vital to take climate action now. " Quiet Religious Leaders A very interesting and recent (2025) study of U.S. Christian religious leaders (1,600 of them) found that nearly 90% believe in anthropogenic (human-caused) climate change to some degree . PubMed+2Phys.org+2 Among those leaders, 60% said humans play a major role; 30% said humans play a minor role. PubMed However, despite this high belief among leaders , many rarely talk about it: roughly half have never mentioned climate change to their congregation, and only a quarter have spoken about it more than once or twice . Phys.org +1 Furthermore, many congregants underestimate how many of their leaders accept human-caused climate change. In a surveyed group of Christians, people thought climate-denying leaders were much more common in their own church than they actually are — by a factor of about 5! The biggest challenge may be communication , not disbelief — many religious leaders believe in climate change but just don’t bring it up. Religious leaders not only need to speak out , but to encourage congregants to take action - divestment from fossil fuel is a concrete action. Evangelicals "Evangelical Protestants are among the most skeptical Christian subgroups about anthropogenic climate change. For example, only about 32% of evangelicals say the Earth is getting warmer mostly because of human activity, while 36% say it's due to natural patterns, and another big chunk are “unsure or not convinced." Evangelical tend to focus on individual salvation, life after death, and 'end times' rather than stewardship of the earth is partly responsible, but political identity plays a big role. Pew notes that "climate views often align with party affiliation (e.g., many evangelicals lean Republican), which is strongly correlated with climate skepticism." Pew Research Center Speaking Out about Divestment from Fossil Fuels Meanwhile, a growing number of faith-based groups are speaking out. The Laudato Si Movement reports that as COP30 meets in Brazil, 62 faith institutions announce fossil fuel divestment commitments . A full list of the 62 institutions divesting from fossil fuels and statements from leaders can be found here . This list highlights religious institutions in Canada, Italy, Ecuador, and Germany, and is not an exhaustive list. The United States, along with Canada, Australia, and Norway, is among those most responsible for fossil fuel expansion since the Paris Agreement. "Together, these four countries increased fossil fuel production by nearly 40% between 2015 and 2024, while production in the rest of the world combined fell by 2% during the same period." "Globally, more than 1,700 institutions, with combined assets of over $40 trillion, have made some form of fossil fuel divestment commitment. Faith groups have led the way, with more than 600 faith institutions around the world making divestment commitments . Religious institutions manage a combined $3 trillion of investments globally. As well as divesting from fossil fuels, faith communities are calling on governments and banks to phase out their support for fossil fuels and to scale up investment in clean energy. More than 600 faith institutions have supported calls for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty . " Climate leadership to accelerate the transition to a fossil-free future continues, even as the Trump administration continues to call global warming a hoax. State and local governments, as well as faith organizations, are responding to the climate emergency. Practical Pathways WCC suggests six practical pathways for churches to implement climate justic e : Transform theology and worship :  Reframe theology to reflect care for creation as central to Christian faith. Observe the Season of Creation annually. Create space for lament while nurturing hope rooted in the resurrected Christ. Promote holistic analysis:  Help churches understand how climate connects with gender, race, economics, and colonialism —recognizing that vulnerable frontline communities bear the greatest burden. Equip faith communities:  Provide practical Climate Justice Toolkits and training programmes. Teach ecological  metanoia . Train "climate chaplains.” Mobilize collective action:  Build momentum through Global Climate Justice Fasts, climate pilgrimages, and interfaith campaigns. Collaborate with ACT Alliance , Lutheran World Federation , and other ecumenical and interfaith partners. Advocate for systemic change:  Churches exercise their moral responsibility to speak prophetically, compelling governments to raise climate ambition. Campaign for Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, support climate litigation, and push for ecocide recognition. Support the " Turn Debt into Hope " campaign and strengthen Indigenous Peoples' territorial rights. Invest in grassroots solutions: Remove funds from fossil fuel companies and redirect resources towards renewable energy projects, Indigenous-led protection, and solidarity funds. Install solar panels, reduce waste, create community gardens - practices that embody the Economy of Life, replacing extraction with regeneration. "It's absolutely critical for churches to be where the climate-impacted communities are. Churches have to be in the streets. Churches have to be with the people demanding climate justice, demanding debt justice." ~ Athena Peralta, director of the WCC Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development . Some of the many organizations engaged in climate justice divestment include : Laudato Si’ Movement is a global movement of grassroots leaders and member organisations, mobilising and inspiring the Catholic community to achieve climate and ecological justice . The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of 356 Churches from more than 120 countries, representing over 600 million Christians worldwide. It includes most of the world’s Orthodox churches, scores of Anglican, Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist , and Reformed churches, as well as many United and Independent churches. Read its Save Children’s Lives resource on responsible banking: Green Anglicans is "a movement started by the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, which is focused on empowering, encouraging, and holding the church accountable in caring for the earth that God has graciously placed us in." GreenFaith is "a grassroots, international, multi-faith climate justice organization with staff in 12 countries across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas. GreenFaith campaigns to stop new fossil fuel development, to upscale renewable energy development in an ethical manner, and to pressure historic climate polluters – governments and corporations – to pay for the damage they have caused." Third Act in 2023 had a Day of Action to demand that banks stop financing the expansion of fossil fuels. Bank of America, Chase, Citibank, and Wells Fargo have invested more than $1 trillion in fossil fuels since the Paris Climate Accord. Find out more here. UCC Environmental Justice  asserts, " The climate crisis is not a moral issue located in a distant future. It is a life and death struggle right now. It is a justice issue right now. Not everyone suffers equally from the pollution of fossil fuel industry." They support putting pressure on banks that invest in fossil fuel s. Divest Oregon in 2025 was an advocate for divestment, supporting t he PAUSE Act: SB681, which would have created a five-year moratorium on new PERS investments in private fossil-fuel funds. But they faced opposition from the Oregon lobbying firm Public Affairs Counse l and Oregon PERS Retirees Inc. (OPRI) , which was "lobbying on behalf of the Koch Companies, which are one of the biggest funders of climate denialism. In 2025, this Koch-friendly firm helped defeat Divest Oregon’s Pause Act." F Minus has uncovered these lobbying conflicts with its first-of-its-kind database of every fossil fuel lobbyist in Oregon–and in every other state.

While I am encouraged by The Center from Christogenesis ' and support Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's original notion of the noosphere, I am disturbed by a techno-optimist push toward planetary nationalism. On May 13, 2025, Boris Shoshitaishvili  and Lisa H. Siderismay  wrote about   The New Planetary Nationalism .   in   NOEMA, a magazine " exploring the transformations sweeping our world" p ublished online and in print by the Berggruen Institute . Praxis Nation describes itself as the “world’s first Sovereign Network” or “network empire.” This “new form of nation — one that exists wherever its citizens gather, whether in physical space or across the digital expanse” — aims to “restore Western Civilization and pursue our ultimate destiny of life among the stars.” Dryden Brown, Praxis’s founder, is searching first on Earth for a place to establish "a proof-of-concept, crypto-based, libertarian-minded dream city" and sees Greenland as a potential site. Trump-Vance donor Peter Thiel along with investors like Palantir ’s Joe Lonsdale and the Altman brothers' (Sam, Max, and Jack) Apollo Project , helped to fund Praxis Nation , On November 15, 2024, TechCrunch reported that " Praxis is one of the prominent examples of a 'network state,' a term defined by former a16z investor Balaji Srinivasan , as "an internet community that acquires a physical home and “gains diplomatic recognition from pre-existing states.'” Srinivasan wrote an e-book on The Network State and has a podcast . A Network State Conference was held in Singapore on September 22, 2024. Marc Andreessen has praised the concept; see Andreesen’s Techno-Optimist Manifesto . Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin created his own network state experiment . " Mother Jones on September 7, 2023 , described Praxis as “a free-market city-state' which the company hopes to build under the leadership of a CEO [ Dryden Brown ] who, former employees said, is interested in fascist authors and occultism and has touted a book that argues Black people are intellectually inferior to whites.” The article details accounts and associations of the Praxis CEO and employees with Nazi-ism, occultism, race science, and various fascist ideologies; the account is substantial and another piece of evidence that venture colonialism is fascist in character, and is being spearheaded by fascists." Venture Ca p ital Status has a rundown of Network States, Tech, and Crypto Cities . saying " Tech fascists are building The Network State -- a distributed nation-state made up of tech and crypto cities around the world. " You might also be interested in reading OpenAI's Infrastructure Blueprint for the U.S. , November 13, 2024: Trump's Weird New 'Freedom Cities' and the Network State Cult ; and billionaire Elon Musk ‘s November 2024 proposal to turn Starbase (the South Texas site where SpaceX builds and launches its massive Starship rockets) into a new tech city. Meanwhile, in June 2025, Praxis is proposing Atlas, California: a defense-focused spaceport city on 3,850 acres at Vandenberg Space Force Base. NOEMA noted " Big Tech figures who drive projects that engage planetary themes have aligned themselves more closely with nationalism in recent years. A subset of this ' broligarchy ' sat prominently in the front row at Donald Trump’s second inauguration. For instance, major Silicon Valley figures embrace the nationalist narrative that besting China in the A.I. race should be a primary U.S. focus . But positioning a transformative planetary technology like AI as a zero-sum contest between adversary nations impedes progress toward governing it on a planetary scale." On another end of the political spectrum, neither am I comfortable with explicit appeals to planetary concepts by nationalists like Steve Bannon , who has voiced a misguided interpretation of the “noosphere" - a planetary sphere of entwined human and technological activity. See the article published on July 9, 2024 by Counterpoint: Navigating Knowledge for clarification and a more appropriate contemporary interpretation of Teilhards' reference to the noosphere. # TeilharddeChardin #Noosphere # BerggruenInstitute # NOEMA #NetworkState #PraxisNation #broligarchy #SteveBannon

PBS aired an important half-hour program in fall 2025: Interconnections , produced by the Connectivity Project. " This powerful film explores how our actions create ripples in an interconnected world. Featuring Indigenous elders, scientists, and activists, it highlights shared cultural wisdom and inspiring real-life stories. From butterfly conservation to youth environmental advocacy, it empowers viewers to recognize their impact and embrace a deeper sense of responsibility and belonging." The Interconnections film includes thoughts from indigenous leaders, the perspective of Fritjof Capra, and a story about collective action in Portland, OR. The systems view of life is a change from seeing the world as a machine to seeing it as a living network. Everything is profoundly connected to all that is. The material world is a pattern of interdependent relationships. As a people, and as an earth, we need all of these parts. Every little piece of the earth needs to be there for it to exist. Our role in that system is not to harm. "When we see ourselves as being parts of a larger whole, that gets us to the point of feeling empowered, but it also gives us a sense of responsibility. And everything we do does have a ripple effect on the larger system. Each of our choices is an economic choice, but it's also a social choice, a political choice, an ecological choice." "Since everything is interconnected, it doesn't matter where you start. So if you ask, "What can I do?" I would say, "Do what you are already doing, but do it differently. If you are a teacher, teach differently. If you're an architect, build different buildings. If you are a farmer, farm in a different way." So it doesn't matter, wherever you are, you know, you keep the interconnectedness of problems in mind, and you act accordingly." Every decision is an opportunity to affect our shared world. The choice is up to every one of us. Keeping these interconnections in mind, what will you do with your opportunities? The Connectivity Project To learn more about what you can do to make a difference, visit their website at ConnectivityProject.com . Follow the Connectivy Project on Facebook . The Connectivity Project has many links  that show some smart and well-thought-through ideas on how to take action, and how your actions can have large impacts, Fritjof Capra Fritjof Capra is an Austrian-born American author, physicist , systems theorist, and deep ecologist . In 1995, he became a founding director of the Center for Ecoliteracy in Berkeley, California . Capra Course offers an online course, based on Capra's 2016 book The Systems View of Life , Join Fritjof Capra and explore the new systemic conception of life at the forefront of science and its application in economics, management, politics, design, medicine, and law. This course will give you the conceptual tools to understand the nature of our systemic problems and to recognize the systemic solutions that are being developed by individuals and organizations around the world. Registration for the Spring 2026 course is now OPEN. The Spring course will start on February 11, 2026 . Visit the Capra Course Vimeo page  for additional videos featuring Fritjof Capra. "We have choices every day, to decide to be in conflict, or to be in harmony -to  feel the oneness, or to feel the separation."~ Kealoha

N O Here's a list of some upcoming online and Rogue Valley in-person eco-spiritual activities that may interest you. Check back, as this post will be updated during November as we get additional information, and a new calendar listing will come out in late November 2025. Don't be intimidated by the scope of this list; choose to participate in just what calls to you. October 22  at 4:00–5:30 p.m. PDT - Center for Christogenesis will have special guests Brian Thomas Swimme and Monica DeRaspe‑Bolles for a live webinar t hat explores this cosmic story and the role every person plays in its unfolding. More information here . October 23, 30, 2025, and  November 13, 20, 2025 , at 4 p.m. PT  - Convergence  is hosting a 4-part series: In Search of a New Story: Reimagining What Comes Next . Each session is 90 minutes, online via Zoom, exploring "what it means to search for a new story—one rooted in interconnection, courage, sacred imagination, and collective renewal." Register here. "Join spiritual pioneers Dr. Matthew Fox and Rev. Cameron Trimble  for a timely and transformative four-part series featuring conversations with some of the most compelling wisdom voices of our time: Ilia Delio , Carolyn Myss , Rabbi Rami Shapiro , and Diana Butler Bass. " October 23, 2025 , at 5 p.m. PDT - Greenfaith is inviting everyone to join them for a movement-wide call to connect with folks from across the country, share next steps to strengthen and create GreenFaith Circles —local, faith-rooted hubs for action, care, and community—and preview our next national campaign. Register here. October 24-26, 2025 , from 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. PDT - Humanity's Team is celebrating the 16th Annual Global Oneness Summit - Awakening the Divine Within . October 24-26, 2025  - Center for Action and Contemplation  is offering   ReVision 2025: The Webcast  -  " reimagining a Christianity that empowers us to meet this moment in history with clarity, courage, and compassion" featuring  Fr. Richard Rohr, Brian McLaren, Carmen Acevedo Butcher, James Finley, Diana Butler Bass, Fr. Greg Boyle, Lerita Coleman Brown, Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis, Carlos Rodríguez, Mirabai Starr, and Randy Woodley   Live online with after-event replay. Cost:   $250, $175, or $99. More information and registration here. October 27-29, 2025 - Institute for the Future (IFTF) is having its Ten-Year Forecast 2025–2035: Strategy in the Age of Chaos. October 28, 2025 , from 6-9 p.m. PT - SOCAN's monthly meeting at the Medford Public Library will be on the topic: Heat Beneath the Waves: How Climate Change Transforms Our Seas  with Dr. Bill Gorham, Coastal SOCAN Co-Facilitator and longtime climate educator. Gormal "will dive into the hidden impacts of greenhouse gases on our oceans—revealing how rising temperatures and acidification are reshaping marine ecosystems, disrupting coastal communities, and accelerating global climate feedback loops. Through vivid examples and accessible science, Dr. Gorham will illuminate how ocean changes ripple outward—affecting food security, weather patterns, and the health of coastal economies." October 29, 2025, at 7 p.m. PT - Join Asia Philanthropy Circle and Project Drawdown for the launch of a groundbreaking new report, Drawdown Roadmap for Food, Agriculture, and Land Use (FALU) in Southeast Asia. Register now >> October 29, 2025 , at noon PDT - Pachamama Alliance is hosting Resilience and Possibility in These Times - a conversation with Chris Ategeka, a Ugandan-born systems thinker, engineer, and author who asks a simple, urgent question: " What does it mean to be human in an age that keeps pulling us away from ourselves?" Register here to join the call. October 29, 2025 - Peace House i n Ashland, OR has been running a 4-week Resisting Militarism training series , challenging attendees to think: how would you respond if federal agents are deployed in our community? Session 4 is on Land, Space, and Direct Action. Controlling space, whether it’s a government building for staging operations or public land for mining uranium, is necessary for military action. How do we support land defenders and resist the building of new spaces for militarized policing? Sign up at https://donorbox.org/events/808433/steps/choose_tickets . This is the last session with just a few spots left. Email Meg ( meg@peacehouse.net ) if you’d like to join or get on the waitlist for the next time we run the series. Dates coming soon! November 4, 2025 , at 10 a.m. PT - Are you feeling burned out, bored, or disillusioned with your faith or ministry? Do you long for a revitalized spirituality that speaks to both your heart and your head? Join book editor Sheri Kling and Bruce Epperly, plus several other contributing authors, to Renewing Faith: Reigniting Faith and Ministry through Process and Open & Relational Theologies  as they join the weekly Process Explorations conversation to talk about the book’s essays and how its ideas can renew individual and communal faith. Learn more and register here. November 5, 2025 , at 5 p.m. PT - Join Process & Faith with Nish Dubashia and Marie Murtagh for an engaging talk on A Brief History of God: From Nature Spirits to Cosmic Consciousness . Tracing the evolution of human spirituality from ancient beliefs to modern visions of unity and awareness, this conversation blends history, philosophy, and personal insight. Includes a presentation and interactive Q&A inviting reflection on the future of faith, meaning, and consciousness. Learn more and register here . November 6, 2025 , at 9 a.m. PT -  Institute for the Future   (IFTF) is having a 30-minute public conversation: Signal Swap: How to Discuss Signals . Register here . November 9, 2025 , at 2 and 3 p.m. PT - Anima Mundi Productions is having two showings of Mass for the Endangered - a multisensory film experience of music and animated artwork at ScienceWorks Museum, 1500 E. Main Street, Ashland, OR. November 10, 2025 , at 3 p.m. PT - GrayPAC and Lead Locally are hosting a “Climate on the Ballot” 2025 Election Debrief . They will have conversations with newly elected climate champions and organizers to discuss the November 4th election results and how to build on them for the climate movement in 2026. Register here . November 11, 2025 , at 7 p.m. PT - Human Energy is presenting a livestream on YouTube: The San Francisco Salon:  Alignment for a Major Evolutionary Transition: The Future of Humanity and AI  will be livestreamed on YouTube as part of the  Human Energy Global Salon Series. Here ’s how to join us in real time: Subscribe to our YouTube Channel  and turn on the 🔔 notification bell — you’ll receive an alert the moment we go live.→   Subscribe on YouTube Sign up for the Global Salon Series Newsletter  to receive an email notification with the livestream link.→   Join the Global Salon Series newsletter Be part of the conversation as we explore how humanity and technology can align toward our next great evolutionary leap. Click here for the replay. November 13, 2025 , from 9-10 a.m. PST - Climate Action Now is presenting a free, online event: Monthly Dose of Climate Hope! With Brett Walter, CEO, and Sam Matley, Editor in Chief. CAN says: " The presidency of Donald Trump has plunged the U.S. climate movement into a deep funk. It's easy to succumb to despair and conclude that nothing we do can make a difference. Our guest this month begs to differ. He’ll make the case that the climate movement has enormous UNTAPPED strength ,  and, with the right strategy and tools, concerned citizens can mobilize that strength to blunt the damage being done and eventually turn the tide." More information and registration here. November 15, 2025 , at 8 a..m. PT - Charter for Compassion presents a live broadcast of the 2025 Karen Armstrong Humanitarian Awards: Threads of Compassion; Recognizing Those Who Heal. Learn more and get your tickets here . Nov. 17th - Dec. 15th, 2025 - " The Cosmos Within Us: Living A Path of Transformation "   based on Brian Swimme's Powers of the Universe with Betsey Crawford. November 13, 2025, at 10 a.m. PT -  Join climate scientist Kate Marvel, Ph.D. ,  as she explores climate science and solutions through the lens of different emotions, from wonder to anger and fear, and finally to hope. Register now >> November 13, 2025 , from 6-9 p.m. PT - SOCAN is having its fall fundraiser, Sips for Sustainability, at Ashland Elks, 255 E. Main Street, Ashland, OR, with guest speakers Rep. Pam Marsh and Senator Jeff Goden. December 4, 2025 - From Oregon Climate Action Hub : Central Oregon LandWatch will host two special presentations by National Geographic Explorer Kiliii Yüyan at the Tower Theatre, as the closing events of the 2025 Livable Future Forum .. In appreciation of the many groups and organizations that make Central Oregon a more just and vibrant place to live, they are making 100 complimentary tickets available to their 3 pm event . Click here by October 25th for tickets. Postponed until 2026  - Earth Literacies '   Sisters of the Earth Community   offers:   The Great Work of our Time: Loving Earth, Saving Humanity ,   Gail Worcelo, Holly Wilkinson, Amie Hendani & Maria Dipal   bring a wealth of wisdom and knowledge to this subject, beginning  |12:00 Noon Eastern. Registration is now open .   Rogue Valley Voice aggregates and curates information from many third-party sources and does not necessarily endorse all aspects of others' work. Still, we find their viewpoint provocative and interesting enough to encourage the reader to engage with and come to their understanding and actions, as they deem appropriate.

On October 18, 2025, Philip Clayton gave a lecture at Tripp Fuller's Homebrewed Christianity Theology Beer Camp 2025 on a Theology of the Groaning of Creation (A Cosmic Account) . Clayton's talk first covered the origins and evolution of the universe, including images from space telescopes and discussions on star formation and potentially habitable planets. He explored scientific and spiritual perspectives on the nature of life and consciousness, including insights into biological processes, brain function, and animal intelligence.. He drew connections between ecological crises, human suffering, and Christian doctrine. He argued that believers and scientists should collaborate on environmental issues, noting Christians' paradoxical resistance to climate science. Perhaps we fail to see reality through emerging science, a deep-time, cosmic, and evolutionary perspective? He explored the biblical concept of creation's groaning as a metaphor for birth and suffering, emphasizing its implications for Christology, anthropology, and ecological justice. He concluded by advocating for a theology of lament that leads to action against ecological and social injustices, citing liberation theology's emphasis on the epistemic privilege of the poor and suffering. It is my guess that Clayton was referencing New Testament texts from Romans and Mark to offer a bridge to more traditional, biblical Christians a broader, cosmic understanding of our participation in the Divine unfolding of evolution and salvation as the unfolding of the Kindom of God on earth. Clayton was followed with a powerful presentation by Dr. Shaleen Kendrick , about the groaning, suffering and joy of childbirth: a buffalo herd mentality that responds to an approaching storm by running into it rather than retreating; and a neuro-relational spirituality that contributes to humanity's forward momentum by helping the integration of humanity’s three intelligence centers—mental (mind), instinctual (body), and emotional (spirit)—in unique ways and with interdisciplinary insights. I loved Shaleen's spontaneous remark about her "scholarly crush" on Ilia Delio , wanting to "make brain babies with her." Check out Desert Voices and Shaleen's website Neuro-Relational Integration. "In Neuro-Relational Spirituality (NRS), we know that true power lies in integration, where mind-body-spirit synthesize to create transformative action…or not! Kendrick says we have three “brains”—the head-brain, heart-brain, and gut-brain—each with unique insights: MIND: Our prefrontal cortex engages with values and vision. This mindful awareness grounds our decisions in purpose. BODY: Our “second brain” (gut) guides us with intuition and courage, grounding us in belonging and resilience. SPIRIT: The heart’s neural network enables empathy and connection. Through voting, we expand beyond ourselves, holding space for community well-being.

"The EcoCiv Institute (EcoCiv) first emerged as a vision of the scholar and activist John B. Cobb, Jr.  A professor at the Claremont Graduate University and Claremont School of Theology and a leader in ecological thinking. Prof. Cobb wrote the founding work in eco-theology in 1971,   Is It Too Late? A Theology of Ecology . Over the decades that followed, Cobb published over 50 books, inspired two generations of scholars and activists, founded multiple organizations, and organized scores of conferences, most notably through the Claremont Center for Process Studies (CPS). - a nonprofit think-and-action tank, now based in Portland, Oregon, that conducts interdisciplinary research and education to cultivate holistic understanding for human and planetary flourishing." The non-profit Institute for Ecological Civilization was initially incubated within the Center for Process Studies. Founded by Philip Clayton and Wm. Andrew Schwartz, the Institute for Ecological Civilization, was created to be a catalyst for advancing the vision of ecological civilization worldwide. Its first event, “Ecology and Community,” was held in Fall 2015. Many of the signature features of the organization were seeded and developed during this first event: carrying out preparatory research, convening experts, facilitating visioning and back-casting, and producing a roadmap for action." Visionary thinker, President  Philip Clayton  led EcoCiv  to expand and deepen its mission at the intersections of environment and humanity. With several decades of experience in university-based research, teaching, and lecturing, Philip conceptualized all EcoCiv’s projects and ensures their mission. In particular, he helped project leaders think about relevant intersectional societal changes for their projects. Clayton holds a PhD from Yale University; has held guest professorships at Harvard, University of Cambridge, and University of Munich; and is the author or editor of several dozen books and some 300 articles on science, ethics, and religion. In 2025 the non-profit changed its name to the Ecocivilization Coalition with a new website and visionary author Jeremy Lent as new Acting President. "Their new name marks a deeper commitment to global transformation:  Supporting grassroots movements  Amplifying system-wide change  Building a life-affirming future, together "Jeremy Lent is an author and speaker whose work investigates the underlying causes of our civilization’s existential crisis and explores pathways toward a life-affirming future. His 2922 award-winning book, The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity’s Search for Meaning , examines the way humans have made meaning from the cosmos from hunter-gatherer times to the present day. His 2021 award-winning The Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to Find Our Place in the Universe, offers a solid foundation for an integrative worldview that could lead humanity to a sustainable, flourishing future. He has written extensively about the vision and specifics of an ecological civilization, and is the founder of the Deep Transformation Network , a global community exploring pathways toward a life-affirming future on a regenerated Earth. Follow him on his author website." "Our economies must change with our changing climate to ensure a sustainable future for all. What could it look like to design an economy that simultaneously serves people and planet? This was the question addressed in April 2024 at the inaugural California Just Economy Summit that EcoCiv co-hosted with the California Wellbeing Economies Coalition in Sacramento, California. #Ecocivilization   #SystemsChange   #ClimateJustice   #GlobalCoalition   #JeremyLent   #EcoCiv

Land use decisions are a powerful lever for shaping the future. These research-driven scenarios demonstrate how foresight tools can help communities imagine and design a more equitable and sustainable future—one that works for both people and the environment. ~ Rachel Hatch, Chief Operating Officer, IFTF On December 11, 2024 , the Institute for the Future (IFTF) published a study: Oregon 2035: Four Alternative Scenarios on climate change . This alternative futures project was a collaborative effort involving policy advocates, community members, and partners from 1000 Friends of Oregon with futurists and creatives at IFTF. They summarized their scenarios in four brief but spectacular YouTube videos: A Growth Future : INSATIABLE ( A future driven by the desire for continued economic growth, even at the expense of equality and sustainability.) A Collapse Future: SCRATCH ( A future ravaged by climate, economic disparities, and breakdown of core systems.) A Constraint Future: PRUNING ( A future driven by difficult choices and the acceptance of fewer individual freedoms for the benefit of all.) A Transformation Future: LIMINAL ( A future accelerated by technological breakthroughs and a re-definition of reality.) Download the IFtF document, Oregon 2035: Four Alternative Scenarios Prepared by Institute for the Future for 1000 Friends of Oregon here. 1000 Friends of Oregon is now over 50 years old. It was founded by Henry Richmond and Governor Tom McCall in 1974. The previous year, Governor McCall had signed Senate Bill 100 into law, creating Oregon’s iconic land use planning system. He and a young attorney named Henry Richmond realized that the fledgling legislation would need a champion – or rather, 1000 champions. The non-profit organization's current Executive Director is Sam Diaz . Our mission is to promote healthy working lands, great communities, shared prosperity, and a strong democracy with and for all Oregonians. This year, the Institute For The Future, at their October 27-29, 2025 Summit , explored many provocative futurist themes, among them: Tech as New Religion: Emergence and influence of Silicon Valley's movements, such as Rationalism and Effective Altruism. How Babies Will be Made: The reimagining of human reproduction and creation Gamblification Economy: Rise of markets that appear and disappear like casino games Public Option AI: Efforts to build artificial intelligence tools and platforms as public utilities and other common goods Post-Epistemological Truth: New ways of knowing beyond traditional systems Self-Determined Learning: Education by, for, and with learners Hot Planet: Living in a world where the 1.5 °C threshold in global temperature rise has been crossed IFTF brought these "thought leaders" to the 2025 Summit: Author, futurist, and IFTF Distinguished Fellow, Jamais Cascio Neuroscientist, Author, Technologist, Entrepreneur,  David Eagleman IFTF Emerging Media Lab Director, Toshi Hoo Author, futurist, and IFTF Distinguished Fellow , Bob Johansen Author, futurist and IFTF Research Director, Jane McGonigal Television and media executive, Wendy McMahon White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under President Biden , Arati Prabhakar Scholar in Residence at Andus Labs, media theorist and writer, Douglas Rushkoff Author and Professor, Stanford Graduate School of Education, Maisha Winn "Today, as never before, we need a multiplicity of visions, dreams, and prophecies. We need sanctuaries for social imagination."—Alvin Toffler, Future Shock

Here's a list of some upcoming online and Rogue Valley in-person eco-spiritual activities that may interest you. Check back, as this post will be updated during October as we get additional information, and a new calendar listing will come out in late October 2025. Don't be intimidated by the scope of this list; choose to participate in just what calls to you. September 30, 2025, to October 21st, 2025 , at 10 a.m. PT - Earth Literacies is presenting   A Human Spiritual Vision for the 21st Century , based on Diarmuid O’Murchu's most recent book, Divine Radiance in Human Evolution . C heck out the video (podcast) interview with Diarmuid discussing some of the key ideas from his most recent work. Click here to view . October 1 - November 5, 2025 , Wednesdays from 5-7 p.m. PT - The Cobb Institute Learning Lab is offering: Process Thought and Science 2025 with Matt Segal. and Josh Hogins. This six-session course introduces students to Alfred North Whitehead’s process philosophy, emphasizing its application to modern science and cosmology. It explores the applications of process thought to physics, biology, and neuroscience, as well as its potential for integrating natural science and the humanities. In addition to providing an introduction to Whitehead’s way of thinking about the philosophical presuppositions of science, the course will also include sessions with guest lecturers offering examples of process-oriented approaches to physics, biology, neuroscience, and consciousness studies. Register here. October 1-3, 2025  - Catholics for Our Common Home   is having a “ Raising Hope” Conference   in Rome to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the encyclical   Laudato Si '   Voices of faith, science, and communities from around the world, led by Pope Leo XIV, will gather in Rome to discern, pray, and act for our Common Home. Here are links to the Conference Calendar and Speaker Lineup. Register  here for the livestream. October 16, 2025,  at 6:00 p.m. - Saturday, October 18, 2025,  at 6:00 p.m. PT - Tripp Fuller  will produce Theology Beer Camp  in person in St. Paul, MN, and online . "Theology Beer Camp is a unique three-day conference that brings together theology nerds and craft beer for a blend of intellectual engagement, community building, and fun." Organized by   Homebrewed Christianity ,  this event features a lineup of well-known podcasters, scholars, and theology enthusiasts who come together to "nerd out" on theological topics while enjoying loads of fun activities." Register here. October 16, 2025 - Programs in Earth Literacies is presenting a life-changing program   Transformational Movement with Robyn Roper , Oct 16th - Nov. 20th, 2025 over 6 Thursdays from 1:00 - 2:30 PM Pacific - Both Online & In-Person (Victoria, BC). As well, we are excited about a new program from  Sisters of the Earth Community: Gail Worcelo, Holly Wilkinson, Amie Hendani & Maria Dipal: The Great Work of our Time: Loving Earth, Saving Humanity ,   beginning  Oct. 28 - Nov. 18, 2025 @ 9:00 AM Pacific |12:00 Noon Eastern. Registration is now open. Also, this Nov. 17 - Dec. 15, 2025 is " The Cosmos Within Us: Living A Path of Transformation "   based on Brian Swimme's Powers of the Universe with Betsey Crawford. October 22, 2025 , from 4:00–5:30 p.m. PT - Center for Christogenesis presents Brian Thomas Swimme and Monica DeRaspe‑Bolles for a live webinar The Story of the Noosphere that explores this cosmic story and the role every person plays in its unfolding. The fee is $30. Register here. October 23, 30 , and November 13, 20, 2025 , at 4 p.m. PT  - Convergence  is hosting a 4-part series: In Search of a New Story: Reimagining What Comes Next . Each session is 90 minutes, online via Zoom, exploring "what it means to search for a new story—one rooted in interconnection, courage, sacred imagination, and collective renewal." Register here. ​"We are living through the unraveling of many old stories—about who we are, why we’re here, and how we are meant to live together on this Earth. As these inherited narratives collapse under the weight of the climate crisis, social fragmentation, and spiritual disconnection, the question becomes clear: What story will guide us now?" "Join spiritual pioneers Dr. Matthew Fox and Rev. Cameron Trimble  for a timely and transformative four-part series featuring conversations with some of the most compelling wisdom voices of our time: Ilia Delio , Carolyn Myss , Rabbi Rami Shapiro , and Diana Butler Bass. " October 24-26, 2025  - The Center  for  Action and  Contemplation  (CAC) is holding its annual fall conference,  ReVision: What Do We Do With Christianity? , in person in New Mexico and online. More information and registration are available here. October 28, 2025 , from 6-9 p.m. PT - SOCAN's monthly meeting at the Medford Public Library will be on the topic: Heat Beneath the Waves: How Climate Change Transforms Our Seas with Dr. Bill Gorham, Coastal SOCAN Co-Facilitator and longtime climate educator. Gormal "will dive into the hidden impacts of greenhouse gases on our oceans—revealing how rising temperatures and acidification are reshaping marine ecosystems, disrupting coastal communities, and accelerating global climate feedback loops. Through vivid examples and accessible science, Dr. Gorham will illuminate how ocean changes ripple outward—affecting food security, weather patterns, and the health of coastal economies."   Rogue Valley Voice aggregates and curates information from many third-party sources and does not necessarily endorse all aspects of others' work. Still, we find their viewpoint provocative and interesting enough to encourage the reader to engage with and come to their understanding and actions, as they deem appropriate.

The N2 2024: The Noosphere & The Global South conference took place on December 16-18, 2024, in Ben Guerir, Morocco 🌐 The N2 Conference "looked to deepen our present understanding and future vision for the noosphere, the sphere of human consciousness and mental activity, especially regarding its influence on the biosphere and in relation to evolution." N2 2024 was "an international, interdisciplinary conference bringing together leading scientists, scholars from across the disciplines, thought leaders, creative artists, and all those who are interested in the meaning and possibility of the noosphere for our collective future." In this insightful talk, Teilhard’s Noosphere: Why Evolution and Religion Belong Together, t heologian and Teilhardian scholar Ilia Delio explores the profound connections between science, religion, and the noosphere. Drawing on Pierre Teilhard de Chardin's groundbreaking ideas, she discusses the intrinsic relationship between matter, consciousness, and the spiritual energy driving evolution. Delio emphasizes the need for a holistic understanding of science and religion as complementary forces shaping the future of humanity and the planet. Her thought-provoking perspective invites us to consider a new, unified vision of knowing and being in the emerging noosphere. The Noosphere is our present reality of complexified matter and global consciousness. Scientists mapping the Noosphere show grids of interconnections that reveal a formative pattern of a higher-ordered collective. Teilhard de Chardin envisioned this pattern almost a century ago, but he saw that emerging complexified wholeness cannot be adequately sustained without religion. He did not conceive religion as a confessional set of doctrines but "the depth dimension of all reality," the search for ultimate meaning, and the state of being grasped by ultimate concerns. “Religion and evolution,” he said, “are destined to form one single continuous organism, in which their respective lives prolong, are dependent on, and complete one another.” Religion is the biological response to the emergence of spiritual energy. His sense of religion, therefore, is experiential and supports faith in the future. "The true function of religion is to sustain and spur on the progress of life. In his view, no one religion can satisfy the religious spirit of the earth and its evolution towards Omega ." If religion is a biological phenomenon, what is religion on the level of the emerging Noosphere? "Science has significantly advanced the Noosphere, but without a rebirth of religion, the future is fragile." "Consciousness, or mind, is part and parcel to the material world. Matter is the matrix of human consciousness. Mind and matter form the whole." "Religion is a cosmic phenomenon (not a human phenomenon). Reglion and matter are two sides of the whole." " Omega is the principle that is holding together mind and matter, that is keeping the whole moving together." "The mind is everything: what you think, you become; yet what shapes the mind? Culture? Religion? AI? From where do our thoughts arise? What forms our ideas? Integral ecology is a consciousness of deep relationality on every level. We know this intellectually, but we do not know this psychologically, religiously, or emotionally. Deep relationality does not influence our minds in the same way as does consumerism, money, or social media. What are the obstacles? What are the invitations? And is real transformation possible?" ~ Robert NiCastro The N2 2024: The Noosphere & the Global South  conference explored the intersection of technology, society, and the noosphere—the sphere of human thought and collective consciousness. Hosted by Human Energy and UM6P, the 2024 event brought together leading thinkers, visionaries, and innovators to discuss solutions to the challenges posed by the techno-social era. Through engaging presentations and collaborative dialogue, N2 2024 aims to inspire actionable insights and transformative change. The Human Energy Project invites you to "join the conversation as they continue to explore the transformative potential of worldview, technology, and the noosphere. Learn more at https://www.humanenergy.io/

In " America at a Crossroads ," a December 19, 2023 PBS NewsHour special, Judy Woodruff explored what was driving the immense division among people, distrust in our government, broad dissatisfaction with the political system, how we got there, and what everyday Americans thought about the state of the country. Before the 2024 election, I had a blog post about Finding Common Ground , where I recounted my positive experience in my 2021 participation in Living Room Conversations . I believe the success of this approach is due to "a carefully crafted conversation guide that fosters connection and understanding." The intention is " to shift our cultural norms toward respect, understanding, and connection by equipping individuals, communities, and organizations with the tools to hold respectful and meaningful exchanges of ideas, develop new relationships, and find common ground." Now in 2025, with Donald Trump seven months into a second term, political and cultural conflict in America has become even more polarized! The threat of authoritarianism is real! We are in this together, and we need resources to mediate our conflicts. Mediators Foundation helps bridge divides with many current projects: Politics -   Civic Health Project Transpartianship - Inter-Movement Impact Project Congress - Bridge Grades Government transparency - Better Governance Institute leadership - Courageous Democracy Civic hubs - Better Together America Small groups -   Living Room Conversations Community Roundtables -  The Great Reset News/analysis -   Better Conflict Bulletin Truth-telling - American Sunlight Education Initiative Film and video -   Transformational Media Fund   Short videos - Systhesis Media Television series - Me the People Social media - Prosocial Ranking Challenge Communities -   Active Peace Entertainment -   Bridge Entertainment Labs Empowering young adults - Civic Synergy Schools -  AllSides Education Fund Families - Families and Educators Together Project Women's rights - Band of Sisters Im m igration legal solutions - Immigration Response Group Indigenous relations - Right Relationship Boulder Supporting Jewish Voices - Blue Compass Supporting wisdom leaders - Wisdom Beyond Borders While I am certainly not a fan of Charles Koch's politics, I agree with the need for our Nation to overcome its deep polarization, including some wisdom in the Bridging Divides Playbook by Stand Together. The One America Movement partners with faith communities across religious, political, and racial divides to confront toxic polarization in our society. The One America Movement offers Public Workshops on polarization and listening. For over two years, Judy Woodruff has traveled the country exploring the roots of America’s divisions over race, religion, culture, wealth, and more for the series: America at a Crossroads . Look for her report twice a month on the PBS Newshour. Of particular interest are the interviews with political scientist Robert Putnam , who has spent decades studying these divides and how we might find our way back to a more unified nation. Robert Putnam told Judy Woodruff that strengthening the country’s democracy would begin with grassroots efforts by people stepping up in their own communities. Jigsaw by Google explores " How AI Might Enhance Our Digital Public Squares." They say: " Innovations in this field offer real promise for strengthening societies, from AI-enabled platforms for crowdsourced wisdom to LLMs that can help find consensus and aid peace negotiations between seemingly irreconcilable groups. We are in this together. Be part of the solution. Let's see what we agree about and take appropriate action together.

Here's a list of some upcoming online and Rogue Valley in-person eco-spiritual activities that may interest you. Check back, as this post will be updated during September as we get additional information, and a new calendar listing will come out in late September 2025. Don't be intimidated by the scope of this list; choose to participate in just what calls to you. September 1, 2025  - The annual ecumenical celebration of   Creation Day .   This tradition was initiated by the Orthodox Church in 1989 and later embraced by other bodies such as the World Council of Churches in 2008 and the Catholic Church in 2015. The theme for 2025 is Seeds of Peace and Hope . September 4, 2025  - Becoming ProSocial:  Building Trust and Collaboration in our Groups and Networks. More information here. September 7-27, 2025 -  21-day Global Interfaith Compassion Challenge . For each of the 21 days of the challenge, you'll be emailed an inspirational and thoughtfully-crafted prompt from a unique faith or tradition -- with "heart" music, "head" reading, and "hands" compassion-in-action practice (which you can complete on your own time each day). 21 days, 21 faith traditions, 21 practices. September 2025 to June 2026 - The   Center for Wild Spirituality   is now making plans for their Seminary of the Wild Earth  program (their foundational, year-long, eco-spirituality certificate) and their Vocational Eco-Spirituality  certificate (specializing in Eco-Spiritual Direction or as a Wild Guide). Click here  to join the waitlist for their 2025 cohort. September 21, 2025 - Faith communities across the country will be joining a grassroots day of climate action to celebrate Sun Day ! The theme for this day is “ Bringing Climate Hope to Sun Day. ” This will be a day to celebrate the gift and power of clean energy while standing up to the profiteers, polluters, and potentates who threaten our health and future . Sun Day is being organized by "a coalition of grassroots organizations, clean energy experts, solar industry and worker organizations, schools, affordable housing, farmers, and creative partners. You can see some of the people who have endorsed on their home page . Register your congregation to receive advocacy cards for members to write messages to congress members on Sun Day . Find more information about Sun Day here. September 21, 2025 , - People around the world will pause and listen. The Global Day of Listening is a collective act of reverent attention, a day to slow down and open to guidance from the Earth, from the Spirit of Life, and from the wisdom that flows through the living world. September 22, 2025 – September 12, 2026   -   The Center  for  Action and  Contemplation  (CAC) offers an online course   Essentials of Engaged Contemplation ,   featuring: Brian McLaren, James Finley, Richard Rohr, Dr. Barbara Holmes, Carmen Acevedo Butcher, Randy Woodley, and more. Cost: $2,100, $1,575, or $1,050. More information and registration are available here. September 24, 2025, 6  a.m.–2 p.m. PDT    - The New York Times  flagship live event,   Climate Forward , will feature a full day of interviews with world leaders, executives, activists, and lawmakers about our rapidly warming planet. You can apply to attend in person or register to be notified about the livestream   here . September 20-30, 2025  - Faith in Place's Annual Environment & Spirituality Summit will feature  Keynote Speaker Robin Wall Kimmerer. Session 1 will be with Rev. Dr. Randy Woodley   ( a virtual session exploring the interwoven paths of Indigenous wisdom, faith, and Earth justice);   Session 2 with Dr. Carolyn Finney   (storyteller, author cultural geographer) who is passionate about interrogating our past and dreaming of a future that is liberatory, just, and green, and Session 3 is with Lyanda Lynn Haupt .  ( award-winning author, naturalist, and ecophilosopher).   Register here . October 1-3, 2025  - Catholics for Our Common Home are having a “ Raising Hope” Conference in Rome to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the encyclical Laudato Si ' V oices of faith, science, and communities from around the world, led by Pope Leo XIV, will gather in Rome to discern, pray, and act for our Common Home. Register here for the livestream. October 16, 2025,  at 6:00 p.m. - Saturday, October 18, 2025,  at 6:00 p.m. PT - Tripp Fuller  will produce Theology Beer Camp  online . "Theology Beer Camp is a unique three-day conference that brings together of theology nerds and craft beer for a blend of intellectual engagement, community building, and fun. Organized by   Homebrewed Christianity ,  this event features a lineup of well-known podcasters, scholars, and theology enthusiasts who come together to "nerd out" on theological topics while enjoying loads of fun activities." October 23, 30 , and November 13, 20, 2025 , at 4 p.m. PT - Convergence is hosting a 4-part series: In Search of a New Story: Reimagining What Comes Next . Each session is 90 minutes, online via Zoom, exploring "what it means to search for a new story—one rooted in interconnection, courage, sacred imagination, and collective renewal." Register here. ​"We are living through the unraveling of many old stories—about who we are, why we’re here, and how we are meant to live together on this Earth. As these inherited narratives collapse under the weight of the climate crisis, social fragmentation, and spiritual disconnection, the question becomes clear: What story will guide us now?" "Join spiritual pioneers Dr. Matthew Fox and Rev. Cameron Trimble for a timely and transformative four-part series featuring conversations with some of the most compelling wisdom voices of our time: Ilia Delio , Carolyn Myss , Rabbi Rami Shapiro , and Diana Butler Bass. " October 24-26, 2025  - The Center  for  Action and  Contemplation  (CAC) is holding its annual fall conference,  ReVision: What Do We Do With Christianity? , in person in New Mexico and online. More information and registration are available here.   Rogue Valley Voice aggregates and curates information from many third-party sources and does not necessarily endorse all aspects of others' work. Still, we find their viewpoint provocative and interesting enough to encourage the reader to engage with and come to their understanding and actions, as they deem appropriate.

August 28, 2025, from 4:00 - 5:15 p.m. PDT - Garrison Institute Pathways to Planetary Health Forum and the  Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology , are presenting Why Ecological Civilization, and Why Now? with Mary Evelyn Tucker, Peter Senge, Stephen Posner, and Yan Zhu. The program is designed to explore - and activate - the guiding philosophy and policy framework of an Ecological Civilization. Click HERE for more information and to register. The webinar will explore these questions: How can economic growth be reconciled with ecological limits? How do contemporary expressions of very old ideas in Chinese cultural history contribute to Ecological Civilization? The speakers will discuss China’s Ecological Civilization vision – including human development, sustainable development, and practical implications such as reforestation, regeneration, and the Great Green Wall. They will also describe communitarian models of service, social harmony, ethics, and education at the heart of Confucianism, and what this means for society and cultural resilience. For more on this important series, check out a previous conversation - "The Ecological Turn: Bridging Wisdom from Contemplative Traditions with Ecological Ways of Life" - held on March 18 2025, which laid the groundwork for the upcoming forum. Watch or read about it HERE...   Additional events in this series are scheduled for October 6, 2025 and November 5, 2025, "This is not just another climate discussion. It’s about reimagining what civilization itself can be — and how each of us can participate in building it." In 2021 , David Korten wrote a paper Ecological Civilization: From Emergency to Emergence . where he talks about the " reality that the current economic system is far better suited to growing the financial assets of billionaires than to securing for all access to food, water, healthcare, vaccines, and other necessities. Living far beyond the means of a finite living Earth, we face a monumental civilizational challenge. A viable human future depends on three inseparably interconnected steps: Acknowledge the limits of the regenerative capacities of Earth’s community of life. Commit ourselves to the equitable sharing of what remains, and Join in a shared commitment to restore Earth to full health while reconnecting us with one another and nature to secure a good life for all people for all generations to come." The Living Earth Movement is "a collection of leaders in the fields of theology, business, science, activism, and academia who are passionate about combating climate change and preserving life as we know it on this planet." They ask: " What can all of us do to inspire the United States, China, and other nations to reduce conflicts and work together to address the ecological crisis urgently and dramatically?"

Earthbound: God at the Intersection of Climate and Justice is an invitation to live sustainably, rooted in our faith and our shared call to justice. Orbis Books publishes a series on Ecology and Justice with diverse authors including Thomas Berry, Diarmund O'Murchu, Mary Frolich, Mary Everlyn Tucker, John Grim, Brian Thomas Swimme, Leonardo Boff, Larry L. Rasmussen, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Jace Weaver, Elizabeth McAnally, Erin Lothes Biviano, Melanie L. Harris, Christiana Zenner, Kate Rigby, Brian Edward Brown, Sean McDonagh, Mark Clatterbuck. Rodolfo Felices Luna, and Victorino Pérez Prieto,. Orbis' latest publication, Earthbound : God at the Intersection of Climate and Justice by Grace Ji-Sun Kim , comes out August 27, 2025. Here's Amazon's description: "In the face of tremendous ecological changes, environmental crises, and social inequity, our God-talk must reveal our profound interconnectedness with Earth and all its inhabitants. Grace Ji-Sun Kim offers a transformative vision of divine presence that calls us to active, restorative justice. Drawing from Christian theology and urgent ecological insights, the book discusses our current climate catastrophes while illuminating pathways of healing and hope. Earthbound invites readers to embrace a radical theology of relationship―one that recognizes our responsibility to each other, to all living systems, and to the intricate web of life that sustains us." "God is not outside the world looking in, but within the very processes that sustain life." ~ Grace Ji-Sun Kim Grace Ji-Sun Kim is an ordained minister of word and sacrament within the PC (USA)  denomination. She is Professor of Theology at Quaker Earlham School of Religion ; author or editor of 24 books; and a co-editor for the Palgrave Macmillan Book Series, “ Asian Christianity in the Diaspora ”. She is the host of the  Madang podcast , which holds conversations on Christianity, religion, and culture; Madang is hosted by Christian Century Magazine .

https://christogenesis.org/news-blog/ Here's a list of some upcoming online and Rogue Valley in-person eco-spiritual activities that may interest you. Check back, as this post will be updated during August as we get additional information, and a new calendar listing will come out in late August 2025. Don't be intimidated by the scope of this list; choose to participate in just what calls to you. August 7, 2025 , at 3 p.m. PDT - The Climate Reality Project is having a webinar: Your Climate-Friendly Wallet, where you will learn if your bank or retirement fund supports the planet or harms it. In this climate finance webinar, CRP will help you make sure your money matches your climate values. This hands-on workshop will walk through how to move your money to climate-friendly banks and institutions, offer tools and tips to help you check the impact of your financial choices, and discuss the role of pension funds, insurers, and banks in shaping the future. Register here . August 14, 2025 , at 3 p.m. PDT - The Climate Reality Project  is having a webinar: Financing Climate Solutions . L earn the basics of financial carbon footprint, hear case studies of successful climate projects and what made them successful, and discover available tools. Register here. August 15, 2026 , at 10 a.m. PDT - ProSocial World is presenting The Science of Imagined Worlds: Evolution and Ecology for World Builders . Join David Sloan Wilson in conversation with Carlo Maley and Vaughn Aktipis-Maley as they explore how evolutionary science can inspire deeper, more internally consistent worldbuilding. Register here . Based on their recent publication Evolution and Ecology for World Builders , this episode blends fantasy storytelling with real-world biology to ask: What makes a creature believable? What makes a society work? And what can fiction teach us about cooperation in reality? August 20, 2025 , at Noon PDT - Pachamama Alliance is presenting Resilience and Possibility in These Times with R ev. Cameron Trimble , a writer, spiritual leader, and serial entrepreneur who supports faith communities in adapting to a rapidly changing world. Register here . August 21, 2025, at 2 p.m. PT  - Third Act’s Sun Day Messaging & Media training . This virtual training builds on our recent July event—Sharing Your Story in the Public Square—and will focus on how to talk to the press and the public about your Sun Day activities. Registrations are limited— sign up today to secure your spot! August 21, 2025 , at 3 p.m. PDT - The Climate Reality Project  is having its final climate finance training of the season: Smart Investments in a Changing Climate. Climate Reality Staff will show you how to make smarter and more ethical financial choices that align with climate goals. Register here. August 23, 2025 - Sustaining Climate Activists provides monthly gatherings with social time, resilience tool education, and sharing. We will meet at the Talent Public Library. Contact Ken for details. Facilitated by Maud Powell and Ken Deveney. August 26, 2025  - ProSocial Action Lab Groups  from around the world will come together to learn, research, play, and practice their collaborative skills. More information here . August 26, 2025 , at 6 p.m. PDT - SOCAN  meets monthly in person at the Medford Public Library with speakers on topics related to climate change. These meetings are free and open to the public. This month Dr. Chris Adlam, Regional Fire Specialist, Oregon State University Extension Service, will talk about Southern Oregon Wildfire Risk: The Climate Connection . August 28, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. PT - Center for Christogenesis is presenting a webinar with Robert Nicastro: The Art of Becoming Fearless . This webinar invites us to resist that gravitational pull by reclaiming the prophetic imagination and Teilhard de Chardin’s vision of relational holism. Register Here. August 28-31, 2025 - The annual Wild Goose Festival is being held in Harmony, NC. " Every person is created to be an active participant in the infinite, life-generating, constantly evolving, and cosmic process of creation. At the festival, we value and promote co-creation and interactivity at every possible level." All Wild Goose Festival videos may be found on the Wild Goose YouTube Channel. Click here for more information. September 1, 2025  - The annual ecumenical celebration of   Creation Day .   This tradition was initiated by the Orthodox Church in 1989 and later embraced by other bodies such as the World Council of Churches in 2008 and the Catholic Church in 2015. The theme for 2025 is Seeds of Peace and Hope . September 4, 2025  - Becoming ProSocial:  Building Trust and Collaboration in our Groups and Networks. More information here. September 2025 to June 2026 - The   Center for Wild Spirituality   is now making plans for their Seminary of the Wild Earth  program (their foundational, year-long, eco-spirituality certificate) and their Vocational Eco-Spirituality  certificate (specializing in Eco-Spiritual Direction or as a Wild Guide). Click here  to join the waitlist for their 2025 cohort. September 22, 2025 – September 12, 2026   -   The Center  for  Action and  Contemplation  (CAC) offers an online course   Essentials of Engaged Contemplation ,   featuring: Brian McLaren, James Finley, Richard Rohr, Dr. Barbara Holmes, Carmen Acevedo Butcher, Randy Woodley, and more. Cost: $2,100, $1,575, or $1,050. More information and registration are available here. September 24, 2025, 6  a.m.–2 p.m. PDT    - The New York Times  flagship live event,   Climate Forward , will feature a full day of interviews with world leaders, executives, activists, and lawmakers about our rapidly warming planet. You can apply to attend in person or register to be notified about the livestream   here . September 20-30, 2025  - Faith in Place's Annual Environment & Spirituality Summit will feature  Keynote Speaker Robin Wall Kimmerer. Session 1 will be with Rev. Dr. Randy Woodley   ( a virtual session exploring the interwoven paths of Indigenous wisdom, faith, and Earth justice);   Session 2 with Dr. Carolyn Finney   (storyteller, author cultural geographer) who is passionate about interrogating our past and dreaming of a future that is liberatory, just, and green, and Session 3 is with Lyanda Lynn Haupt .  ( award-winning author, naturalist, and ecophilosopher).   Register here . October 16, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. - Saturday, October 18, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. (PT) - Tripp Fuller will produce Theology Beer Camp online . "Theology Beer Camp is a unique three-day conference that brings together of theology nerds and craft beer for a blend of intellectual engagement, community building, and fun. Organized by Homebrewed Christianity , this event features a lineup of well-known podcasters, scholars, and theology enthusiasts who come together to "nerd out" on theological topics while enjoying loads of fun activities." October 24-26, 2025  - The Center  for  Action and  Contemplation  (CAC) is holding its annual fall conference,  ReVision: What Do We Do With Christianity? , in person in New Mexico and online. More information and registration are available here.   Rogue Valley Voice aggregates and curates information from many third-party sources and does not necessarily endorse all aspects of others' work. Still, we find their viewpoint provocative and interesting enough to encourage the reader to engage with and come to their understanding and actions, as they deem appropriate.

Carter Phipps gave a talk on Seed Cultures at Steve McIntosh 's monthly Zoom group. His presentation is now available to view on the Developmental Philosophy YouTube channel. Watch full presentation here: https://youtu.be/N-2qaEFv0h4?si=A6VFL04-Ufe9j802 "In this talk on July 22, 2025 , Carter shows how history advances through 'seed cultures' —compact, cross-pollinating circles of innovators whose ideas ignite wider change. He tracks how a mid-20th-century truce between traditionalism and modernism birthed progressive post-modernism, and how today’s culture war has stalled us on a developmental plateau. The task now, he says, is to nurture healthy versions of every major worldview so a new synthesis of modern and post-modern values can arise. In short: cultivate the seeds, honor the plateau, and evolution will surprise." "A tense, dynamic truce is fertile soil in the garden of transcendence, helped along by creative seed cultures, providing the nascent developmental structures for tomorrow's bountiful cultural harvest. In the meantime, love the plateau!" ~ Carter Phipps "Learning to love the plateau" means cultural war dynamics make forward movement difficult right now. War prevents certain types of evolution. We are in a time of inclusion, not transcendence - of reaction, preserving and retrenching. For the first time, healthy forms of postmodernism need to be defended. Ultimately, the action will be in forms of synthesis between Modernism and Postmodernism. I was aware of Jordan Peterson, but not the extent of the intellectual dark web (IDW) antimodernism attack. I DW is a loose affiliation of academics and social commentators who oppose what they perceive as the influence of left-wing identity politics and political correctness in higher education and mass media. Carter Phipps is the Co-founder of the Institute for Cultural Evolution, the author of Evolutionaries: Unlocking the Spiritual and Cultural Potential of Science's Greatest Idea (2012) and the Co-author of Conscious Leadershi p: Elevating Humanity Through Business (2000) . He produces the podcast Thinking Ahead and was the former executive editor of What is Enlightenment Magazine . "Between 1992 and 2011, Andrew Cohen and the EnlightenNext community published what became internationally acknowledged as the leading spiritual periodical of the time. The award-winning EnlightenNext (formerly What is Enlightenment? ) magazine explored and defined a new approach to spirituality in the 21st century." Click here for free access to Issues 24-47 (2004-2011). Click here to join Steve McIntosh’s monthly Zoom group and to receive Zoom instructions: Here are links to two short videos by Steve McIntosh on noosphere evolution: #1 Philosophy and the Noosphere   |  5-min illustrated video• Drawn from Steve's conversation with Iain McGilchrist• Shows why philosophy can once again become a creative engine in the evolution of  “noosphere”—helping culture evolve beyond both modernism and progressive post-modernism. Watch video here: https://youtu.be/EV2In_A9bHI #2 Goodness, Truth & Beauty—Vectors of Cultural Evolution   |  4-min illustrated video• Also excerpted from the McGilchrist dialogue• Explains how these intrinsic values act as evolutionary attractors, pulling science, spirituality, and philosophy toward the next enlightenment. Watch video here: https://youtu.be/-SvV_wkriks # DevelopmentalPhilosophy #progressivepost-modernism #CarterPhipps #CulturalEvolution #Noosphere

September 1, 2025 is the annual ecumenical celebration of Creation Day This tradition was initiated by the Orthodox Church in 1989 and later embraced by other bodies such as the World Council of Churches in 2008 and the Catholic Church in 2015. The theme for 2025 is Seeds of Peace and Hope . The Season of Creation starts September 1st and ends October 4th, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology. Following the inspiration of Pope Francis and the newly-elected Pope Leo XIV, the Integral Ecology movement "will continue to bring to the heart of the Universal Church the hopes and concerns of the local churches to build bridges between all and to build a more just, more peaceful and fraternal world." May 24, 2025, was the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis' publishing “Laudato sì,” his social encyclical on the theme of integral ecology, as a new paradigm of justice. On May 20, 2025, Pope Leo XIV sent a video message to the Network of Universities for the Care of Our Common Home, and encouraged their synodal reflection ahead of COP30. The "Network of Universities for the Care of Our Common Home" is a global initiative, primarily within the Catholic Church, focused on integrating environmental sustainability and social justice into university curricula and campus practices . Science informs us that creation is an ongoing process that started at least 13.7 billion years ago. One does not need to take the biblical story of creation literally nor believe in a supernatural, interventionist "sky God" to honor the sacredness and care of all creation and life, and our relational wholeness. # Laudatosì

In my April 25, 2025, blog post, I asked, " Is Religion Obsolete ?" referencing a recent survey by Pew Research Center. There are clear generational differences in religious sensibility, beliefs, and practices, and this new blog post attempts to unpack the what and the why, from the perspective of socioligist Christian Smith. "Today’s young adults exhibit far lower levels of religiousness than older adults. Young adults also report attending religious services less often than older adults do, and they express lower levels of belief in God or a universal spirit. Compared with older adults, fewer young people identify as Christians, and more say they don’t identify with any religion."   Definitions and Statistics Spiritual - According to a Pew survey on the 'spirituality" of Americans published on December 7, 2023 70% of Americans think of themselves as spiritual or say that spirituality is very important in their lives. More specifically, 48% are religious and spiritual, and 22% of Americans are spiritual but not religious (SBNR). Religious - 58% think of themselves as religious or say that religion is very important in their lives - more specifically, 48% are religious and spiritual, and 10% are religious but not spiritual. Neither Spiritual nor Religious - 21% are neither spiritual nor religious. Religiously Unaffiliated - Pew found that while 46% of young adults born since the 1980s still identify as " Christian ", 43-44% identified as " religiously unaffiliated. " Nones - On January 24, 2024 Pew Research reported that religious ‘Nones’, those who describe themselves as atheists, agnostics, or ‘nothing in particular’, represent 28% of Americans. But some “nones” are indeed spiritual . About half say spirituality is very important in their lives or say they think of themselves as spiritual. That post-boomers are less religious than their elders is clear. But what is less clear is exactly why  this is happening. We know a lot more about the fact that traditional American religion has declined than we do about why this is so. Religious affiliation and practices of Americans born in the 1940s and 1950s are very different from those of post-boomer generations. Gen X is a transition to Millennials and Gen Z. Generation Descriptions The Boomer Generation was born from 1946 to 1964 and is now 61 to 79 years old . They are so named because there was a huge post-WWII birth rate. They grew up in a time of optimism and opportunity. Think post-war economic growth, suburban expansion, and the rise of the “American Dream.” But they also lived through major cultural shifts, like the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and the counterculture of the 1960s. They were around for the birth of television, the moon landing, and the early days of computers. But they didn’t grow up with tech in their hands like later generations. Generation X (Gen X ) were born r oughly between 1965 and 1980 - now 45-60 years old . These are the OG "latchkey kids." They grew up during a time when both parents often worked, so they learned to be independent and resourceful. Think MTV, grunge music, and the rise of personal computers. They were the bridge between analog and digital. They saw the world go from rotary phones to the internet. Their cultural mood is skeptical but practical. They’re known for being adaptable and valuing work-life balance. Generation Y (Millennials ) were born between 1981 to 1996 - now 29 to 44 years old . Millennials are all about change . They grew up with the internet becoming a thing, so they’re super tech-savvy. They’re also the generation that got hit hard by the 2008 financial crisis, which shaped their outlook on money and stability. They were the first to embrace social media (MySpace, anyone?) and smartphones. Their cultural Mood is optimistic but stressed. They value experiences over material things and are big on social justice and self-expression. Generation Z (Gen Z) were born f rom 1997 to around 2012 - now 13 to 28 years old . These are the digital natives. They’ve never known a world without the internet, and they’re pros at navigating tech and social media. TikTok is their playground. They’re all about instant communication and creativity. They grew up with smartphones, streaming, and memes as part of daily life. Their cultural mood is realistic and socially conscious. They care about mental health, climate change, and equality. They’re also super entrepreneurial and love creating their own opportunities. University of Notre Dame sociologist Christian Smith argues in his provocative 2025 book, Why Religion Went Obsolete , published by Oxford University Press , that there are other, more fundamental sociological and financial factors at work than getting doctrinal and ethical ideas and programs right. Smith's book goes beyond the metrics of organizational indices and individual beliefs and practices to describe the milieu or zeitgeist ( the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era). He asserts that there are complex cultural changes, particularly generational differences and larger social forces that have " crowded out" traditional religion in America. It is more a matter of obsolescence than a tug and pull between religious and secularization forces. As Smith posits, it's more than younger people are just leaving the stadium where that game was being played." "The number of Americans identifying as "not religious" has increased remarkably. Religious affiliation, service attendance, and belief in God have declined. More and more people claim to be "spiritual but not religious." Religious organizations have been reeling from revelations of sexual and financial scandals and cover-ups. Public trust in "organized religion" has declined significantly. Crucially, these religious losses are concentrated among younger generations. This means that, barring unlikely religious revivals among youth, the losses will continue and accelerate in time , as less-religious younger Americans replace older, more-religious ones and increasingly fewer American children are raised by religious parents." Why Religion Went Obsolete aims to change that. Drawing on survey data and hundreds of interviews, Christian Smith offers a sweeping, multifaceted account of why many Americans have lost faith in traditional religion. An array of large-scale social forces-everything from the end of the Cold War to the rise of the internet to shifting ideas about gender and sexuality came together to render traditional religion culturally obsolete. For growing numbers of Americans, traditional religion no longer seems useful or relevant. Using quantitative empirical measures of big-picture changes over time as well as exploring the larger cultural environment - the cultural "zeitgeist ." Smith explains why this is the case and what it means for the future. Crucially, he argues, it does not mean a strictly secular future. Rather, Americans' spiritual impulses are being channeled in new and interesting directions. The story of why religion has declined in America is complicated; there are many cultural causal trends. Religion has not merely declined; it has become culturally obsolete. The cultural zeitgeist or “spirit of the age” has changed. The book proposes an alternative narrative to the “secularization” thesis, suggesting that something more complicated and interesting has transpired that requires a more creative conceptual description than traditional secularization theory offers. Religious losses do not automatically translate into secular gains—that zero-sum mentality is misleading. There are other possibilities out there, and this book advances new ways of thinking about them. "Very little of what caused American religion’s obsolescence was planned or intended by anti-religious agents." "Younger Americans’ expectations of religion clashed with their lived experiences in a dramatically changing society. Several external developments fostered that mismatch, including technological developments, economic transformations, and cultural innovations. The assumption that religion was credible and valuable gave way." "Sociocultural developments over the past 30 years acted on post-Boomer Americans in ways that made most of them believe that traditional religion was not relevant, valuable, or attractive." "During the two decades of the 1990s and 2000s Americans experienced big cultural transformations resulting from huge historical events and institutional changes driven by developments in technology, economics, politics, the media, education, business, social networks, law, marriage, and family, and even warfare, all of which have played crucial though mostly unintended causal roles in driving religion into obsolescence. The reasons for these transformations were largely institutional . But the decisive changes affecting traditional religion were mediated through culture, across widespread, transformed assumptions, beliefs, values, norms, expectations, and aesthetics, as those shaped young people’s life experiences, interests, identities, and commitments. "Obsolete does not mean 'useless' or 'failed.” It just means having been superseded by alternatives that most users deem preferable." "Existing electric typewriters can still type letters as well as they ever did. Most people just prefer computers. Analogously, traditional religion still works well for some Americans. Most people simply prefer alternatives. Obsolete does not mean totally abandoned or extinct. Some people still can and do use obsolete items because they are familiar, less expensive, viewed with affection, or as a matter of principle." Pastoral Idealism Religious leaders tend to focus on the inadequacies of their programs and communications and their struggles to retool for greater appeal and relevance, but that will not solve the issue. "Two common but problematic tendencies Smith observed in American religion, especially among Christians—what he calls ' theological idealism ' and ' program idealism. ” The first is the usually invisible assumption—perhaps particularly common among religious intellectuals, educators, authors, and some clergy—that, if only people could get their doctrinal and ethical ideas right, then they could (fill in the blank) do church correctly, make strong disciples, transform society, live faithfully, etc. The seasonal catalogs of religious publishing houses exemplify this theological idealism. The second is similar, though more common among pastors and other ministry people with boots on the ground: if only they could implement the right programs , then they could really (fill in the blank) keep our youth coming to church, make our message attractive, grow in numbers, evangelize our city, etc. Both are sociologically naïve." Community "Most Americans can also be suspicious of 'community.' As much as 'community' can be close, warm, and supportive, it can also be smothering and coercive. “Community,” many worry, can be used as a nice word to cover for groupthink, invasions of privacy, and pressure to conform." "Religion, in people’s imaginations, is about settling down, family, community, commitment, belonging, history, eternity, tradition, roots, external authority, objective truth, self-disciple, sobriety, sexual self-control, ethical constancy, and service to others. The experience of emerging adulthood, then, is a major cultural mismatch with traditional religion." Secularism "Militant secularism actually does not sit very well with most Gen Xers, Millennials, and Gen Zers. It sounds too similar to the overconfident religious zeal that makes religion so scary in the first place. Younger generations tend strongly toward relativism, tolerance, and avoiding being 'judgy'.” Religion and Science "The majority of Americans still assume the 'deep culture' belief that science and religion have long been direct competitors over basic truth claims about reality and that, in any conflict between the two, science has always eventually won and will continue to win." Neoliberal Capitalism "The neoliberal policies that Reagan and Thatcher initiated, and that went global in the 1990s, opposed state intervention in economics and social issues, labor unions, overregulation of business, the nationalization of industries, and tariffs. They sought to minimize public service sectors in areas like healthcare, education, and utilities. They promoted free markets, privatization, deregulation, competition, efficiency, small government, offshoring, global trade, technology, and austerity programs for less powerful, “developing” nations. Social problems should be addressed through civil society and volunteerism. While championing economic “freedom,” neoliberalism was also wary of robust democracy, fearing that popular people-power leads to distorted economies through legislated entitlements and regulations that bloat governments and break their budgets. The champions of neoliberalism were significantly—though not entirely—successful in remaking the world. They were effective enough, however, that the structures, rules, practices, and cultures that younger Gen Xers and all Millennials grew up in were profoundly different from those that Baby Boomers and older Americans had encountered. In short, the mental and physical transience that accompanies neoliberal capitalism is the enemy of stability, and traditional religion thrives under stable conditions. Jake Meador wrote July 29, 2023, in The Atlantic : The Misunderstood Reason Millions of Americans Stopped Going to Church " The problem is that many Americans have adopted a way of life that has left us lonely, anxious, and uncertain of how to live in community with other people." " The defining problem driving people out is ... just how American life works in the 21st century." Neoliberal Capitalism "simply isn’t set up to promote mutuality, care, or common life. Rather, it is designed to maximize individual accomplishment as defined by professional and financial success. Such a system leaves precious little time or energy for forms of community that don’t contribute to one’s professional life." Neoliberal capitalism socializes people to value autonomous individualism, continual innovation, material prosperity, market exchange relations, consumer satisfaction, endless competition, globalized cosmopolitanism, and the monetizing and marketizing of almost all aspects of life. If you have the time, I highly recommend you listen to Tripp Fuller's excellent interview of Christian Smith about his book on his Homebrewed Christianity Podcast of April 21, 2025 . Having just returned from a trip to the Bay Area, staying at a Vacaville hotel overrun by dozens of adolescents attending a youth rally at The Father's House, I am reminded not to over-generalize. A simple, fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible still has appeal to some younger generations, particularly if there is an emotional, peer pressure influence.

President Trump's AI Policy On January 20, 2025 , President Trump issued Executive Order 14148 , revocation of the Biden-Harris AI Executive Order 14110 of October 30, 2023 (Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence), "which hampered the private sector's ability to innovate in AI by imposing burdensome government requirements restricting private sector AI development and deployment." On January 23, 2025 , President Trump issued an   Executive Order  "to sustain and enhance America’s dominance in AI to promote human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security. American development of AI systems must be free from ideological bias or engineered social agendas." The order directs the development of an AI Action Plan "to sustain and enhance America’s AI dominance," The AI Action Plan is being led by: John P. Holdren , Assistant to the President for Science & Technology David O. Sacks , White House AI & Crypto Czar, Chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology . Sacks is a venture capitalist and an early executive at PayPal who launched a hit All In podcast . Marco Rubio , Acting National Security Advisor On June 19, 2025 , AI & Crypto Czar David Sacks said, " For the U.S. to outmaneuver China in the race to be the global leader in artificial intelligence, Washington needs to trash its traditional regulatory playbook in favor of a private sector-friendly model that aims to “out-innovate the competition. '” On July 4, 2025 President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1). The May 2025 House-passed version included a provision to impose a 10‑year moratorium prohibiting states and local governments from regulating AI. The House proposed centralized AI oversight to bolster U.S. competitiveness in the global AI race. However, that provision was removed during the Senate process on July 1, 2025. Senators voted 99‑1 to strip the clause. {Gemini verified that the provision faced opposition and issues with the Byrd Rule (which controls extraneous provisions in budget reconciliation bills). While there were attempts to revise it to a 5-year "temporary pause" and tie it to federal funding, ultimately it was removed.] The final version, signed into law on July 4, 2025, contains no moratorium—states remain free to regulate AI. Stargate Project President Trump has courted AI luminaries, most notably Sam Altman, Larry Ellison, Elon Musk, and Mark Zuckerberg. On Trump's second day in office, he announced the Stargate Project , calling it “the largest AI infrastructure project, by far, in history.” The Bloomberg Businessweek AI Issue of May 20, 2025 ,   has an extensive description "Inside the First Stargate AI Data Center" in Abilene, Texas, including a fascinating 42-minute video tour with Emily Chang. A July 2, 2025, Bloomberg article Oracle, OpenAI Expand Stargate Deal for More US Data Centers   reports that OpenAI has agreed to rent a massive amount of computing power from Oracle Corp. data centers as part of its Stargate initiative and that Oracle will develop multiple data centers across the US to meet the additional demand from OpenAI, perhaps in New Mexico, Georgia, Ohio and Pennsylvania. On May 22, 2025   OpenAI introduced the launch of Stargate UAE - "a partnership that expands global AI infrastructure and access, in coordination with the U.S. government." It is “the first international deployment of Stargate (OpenAI’s AI infrastructure platform). Stargate represents our long-term vision for building frontier-scale compute capacity around the world in service of safe, secure, and broadly beneficial AGI.” This is also the first partnership under OpenAI for Countries , their “new global initiative to help interested governments build sovereign AI capability in coordination with the U.S. government—rooted in democratic values, open markets, and trusted partnerships.” “The agreement – which includes our partners G42, Oracle, NVIDIA, Cisco, and SoftBank, was developed in close coordination with the U.S. government, and we greatly appreciate President Trump for his support in making it possible.” The new partnership includes dual investments: A 1GW Stargate UAE cluster in Abu Dhabi with 200MW expected to go live in 2026 UAE investment into U.S. Stargate infrastructure, building on the U.S.-UAE AI Acceleration Partnership announced during President Trump’s visit last week.” [May 15, 2025] The Wall Street Journal reported in July that " Just weeks after Musk’s xAI raised $10 billion through sales of stock and debt, the startup is working with a trusted financier to secure up to $12 billion more for its ambitious expansion plans, and SpaceX will invest $2 Billion Into Elon Musk’s xAI. The Wall Street Journal reported on July 23, 2025, that the Trump Administration Pledges to Stimulate AI Use and Exports ‘Action plan’ for AI aims to boost the construction of data centers and encourage exports. What AI says about President Trump In a July 1, 2025  Opinion piece ,  the Washington Post  recalls that " President Donald Trump has presented himself as a strong champion and consistent supporter of artificial intelligence. It is interesting that al though Trump appears to support AI, that does not mean AI supports him, as their recent AI analysis   of some of the president’s many questionable public statements shows. They posed questions to the five leading AI models: ChatGPT (OpenAI/Sam Altman) Claude (Anthropic/ Dario Amodei ) Grok (X/xAI/ Elon Musk) Gemini (Google) Perplexity ( Aravind Srinivas , Denis Yarats )