Counterpoint, 2022

ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1640093980

Reviewed by Ian Mowll.

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 This book is Brian Swimme’s autobiographical account of his journey of discovery of the unfolding universe and his promotion of this story as a cultural shift in Western civilisation. I am deeply fascinated by the Universe Story – that is the scientific account from the Big Bang through to the present day and how this informs our human meaning and purpose. I have always found Brian Swimme to be one of the most accessible teachers of this story and I wanted to understand his personal journey to give me a broader understanding and context of his work. This book did not disappoint; I read about his ‘aha’ moments, his struggles, synchronicities and more. The book felt fresh and alive as his enthusiasm for his great adventure shone through the inevitable challenges on his way. 

Throughout the book, Swimme stresses the importance of living the story, that we are all part of – and integral to – the unfolding universe. It’s not a set of big, abstract ideas. 

What I liked so much about Swimme’s story is that he is not a comfortable academic writing about a few ideas he had as a side-line. Rather, he is someone whose soul has been deeply touched by the treasures he found and he had to go on his soul journey whatever the cost. I found his ‘hero’s journey’ very inspiring as it takes a huge amount of courage and commitment to be so single minded on such a quest.

What also came through was that academia was too small for such a big thinker who is holistic in his approach. This is one of the big challenges of our Western civilisation, to bring ideas and experience together holistically, thereby balancing the separation and categorisation one finds in academic institutions. 

For me, the book really took off when the author met Thomas Berry and got a much deeper understanding of how the Universe Story could change Western culture for the better. Central to Berry’s ideas is Cosmogenesis: the idea that we, the planet and the universe are all in a constant process of evolution. Berry shows how this is a radical shift for Western thought, away from a static universe to a creative, unfolding universe. This understanding can give us meaning and purpose as we see ourselves as part of – and co-creators with – our planetary journey.

I was encouraged to read the wisdom of Thomas Berry’s thought that our current ideas and language are probably inadequate to grasp all that we find out about the cosmos and its implications. Whilst true, this gives me the feeling that we are part of a great adventure of discovery and that we have so much to learn and experience. As Thomas Berry is quoted in the book:

“The question of whom we should consult in the work of fashioning a new cosmological story is of highest importance,” he said. “I hesitate to say too much. This is a period of groping. The metaphor I enjoy most is that of a composer haunted by a music that does not yet exist”.

For anyone who wants to embed the Universe Story into human experience, this book is both an inspiration and a guide.