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Michael Dowd Died October 7, 2023
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• 2023 VIDEO ON YOUTUBE (5 minutes)
Given that Connie learned of her husband's death by the knock of a police officer at her door, Day 1 of being a widow was really tough. But by Day 3, she had found solace and a unusual sense of aliveness by using her geek skills to strengthen Michael's legacy presence online. She produced this video on Day 5.
Do read the full caption to this video, as this is where she reports the basic facts of his sudden death by heart attack and summarizes the topical shifts in his speaking and writing career of three decades.
(The comments posted on the video page are extraordinary; so do look at those, too.)
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Videos on the Death Theme by Michael Dowd
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• 2023 VIDEO ON YOUTUBE (30 minutes)
This was Michael's final sermon — and many of us regard it as his best. He died less than two months after this appearance at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Flint, Michigan. Eerily, this sermon brought the topic of death into the foreground. As it was point 2 of a 3-point message:
1. Nurture intimacy with Life
2. Honor your & our mortality
3. Attend to what matters most
Connie says this was not a tragic death. Michael's life was complete. She knows he says, "Amen!"
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• "Death: No Less Sacred Than Life" (4 minutes; 2009)
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Michael shed his evangelical form of Christianity when Thomas Berry became his mentor in 1988. Scriptural literalism was gone — but not the religious fervor.
Rarely did Michael have an opportunity to preach full-out in a pentecostal style after he made that worldview shift. The video at left is a high point. In 2009 he delivered the Wednesday evening sermon at a New Thought megachurch in California. Three cameras captured this 35-minute dynamic sernon.
Linked here is just the 4-MINUTE section on Death: No Less Sacred Than Life.
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• 2018 VIDEO ON YOUTUBE (18 minutes)
Upon hearing of Michael's death, Dean Spillane-Walker posted on his youtube channel the "Death" section of an 8-part video series by Living the Questions. That series was based on video captured in November 2018, while Michael was speaking to a large audience at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas.
The full video program is titled, "ProFuture Faith: The Prodigal Species Comes Home". A dvd version is available for purchase from the Christian educational organization that filmed and edited it: Living the Questions.
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• 2015 VIDEO ON YOUTUBE (28 minutes)
Guest sermon delivered 2015 at People's Church of Ludington, MI. This is Michael's fullest and most personal rendition of "Death as natural and necessary and no less sacred than life". Following, he leads the congregation in a recitation of a litany written by Connie, "The Gifts of Death."
Key references to the wisdom of others (with image overlays) include William R. Catton, Paul Kingsnorth ("Dark Mountain Manifesto") and John Michael Greer. Audios Michael recorded of all three authors are posted on his Soundcloud page - "Michael Dowd: RIP Homo colossus", with table of contents here.
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Death section of "Evolutionary Christianity" presentation to students
September 2004
Dowd's first recorded presentation of an evolutionary understanding of death was while guest teaching at St. Ursula Academy, a Catholic high school for girls in OHIO.
This is a 20-minute section (begins at timecode 01:34:00) of his 2-hour talk. Posted on youtube after his death 19 years later.
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Commemorating the first anniversary of Michael Dowd's death, Gerry Russell and Sister Gail Worcelo led a ceremony at Green Mountain Monastery, Vermont, spreading a large portion of his ashes at the boulder marking the grave of Thomas Berry.
This was at the request of Michael's widow, Connie Barlow, who had taken the photo at left in May 2019, their last visit to the monastery and Thomas's grave. Thomas was a cherished mentor for Michael.
A 24-minute VIDEO of the ceremony was created by Gerry Russell, with music added. |
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NEW LIFE
Sister Gail Worcelo contributed this photo in August 2025. The boulder at Thomas Berry's grave is in the background. She wrote:
We visit Michael regularly. Here are beautiful wild purple Irises growing from Michael's ashes.
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NEWS REPORTS (available online)
2001 - "Trading terror for real hope", Journal News of Rockland County NY
2002 - "Evolution's Traveling 'Evangelists' Tell the Sacred Tale", Research News in Science and Theology
2005 - "Christian preaches gospel of meaningful evolution, Oregonian
2005 - "Speakers look at 'marriage of science and spirit'", Hood River News (Oregon)
2019 - "Speaker Michael Dowd offers antidote to climate despair", Glebe Report (Ottawa, Canada)
Michael Dowd and his Presentations List (chronological)
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Rev. Michael Dowd is a bestselling eco-theologian and "post doom" advocate whose book, Thank God for Evolution, was endorsed by 6 Nobel Prize-winning scientists, noted skeptics, and by religious leaders across the spectrum.
He has delivered two TEDx talks and a program at the United Nations. He and his wife, Connie Barlow, a science writer and evolutionary educator, have addressed some 3,000 religious and secular groups throughout North America since 2002.
Settled in Ypsilanti, Michigan in 2020, Michael is known today for his leadership in the realm of "post doom", which his website defines as: "A fierce and fearless reverence for life and expansive gratitude — even in the midst of abrupt climate mayhem and the runaway collapse of societal harmony, the health of the biosphere, and business as usual."
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Now in his mid-60s, Michael's passion is helping people of all ages and backgrounds understand our predicament in ways that offer clarity over confusion, compassion over blame, and calm, courageous love-in-action over fearful, desperate activism. His 90 post-doom conversations, along with a variety of educational materials and pastoral offerings and discussion forums can be found at postdoom.com.
Contact Michael Dowd
PHOTOS
Dowd's passion for proclaiming a pro-science, nature-honoring message of inspiration — what he calls "the gospel of right relationship to Reality" — has earned him the moniker 'Rev. Reality', as he speaks prophetically in secular and religious settings about our sacred responsibility to future generations.
DOWD'S CREDO (as explained in this 9 min video) is:
Reality is my God. Evidence is my scripture.
The Epic of Evolution is my creation story. Ecology is my theology.
Integrity is my spiritual path. Fostering right relationship to Reality is my mission.
EARLY CAREER
Dowd's most passionate presentation (2009)
Prior to his "Grace Limits" ecological conversion (2012)
ABOVE: June 2009 at Agape International Spiritual Life Center, Los Angeles
WATCH: "7 Gifts of Evolutionary Spirituality"
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AUDIO NARRATIONS OF BOOKS AND ESSAYS BY OTHERS
The Educational Legacy of Michael Dowd's Voice
NOTE BY CONNIE BARLOW, October 2023: Since Michael's death, I have been updating The Great Story website that Michael and I shared for so many years. Because his Soundcloud audios and playlists are now so immense, it was difficult for me to find my way through it to the posts I knew he would recommend most highly.
• Playlists on Michael Dowd's SOUNDCLOUD
• Overshoot - 1980 book (full 12 hours) by William R. Catton, Jr. Michael regards this book as the "grace limits bible." Your education into why human-centric civilizations cannot escape the classic rise-and-fall pattern begins here. (He recorded this audio narration with the publisher's blessing.)
• START HERE: Sample first Michael's essay-format webpage of the what and why of his highest recommendations for educating yourself via the works of others. Here you can learn from multiple authors why the collapse of global industrial civilization is not only underway — but that it was inevitable. Learn the ecological, systems-science, and religious/worldview causes of our downward plunge. Equally, learn from others how to navigate the grief cycle from "collapse awareness" to "collapse acceptance." Then, emotionally moving from "doom" into a state of calm, clarity, compassion, and "courageous love-in-action." Access AUDIOS: Material Grace Limits & Systemic Piety.
• 2025 UPDATE: Connie Barlow is now formatting some of these audios into YOUTUBE format:
BEST RECENT ESSAYS
2019 - "Christ As the Future Incarnate"
2016 - "Evidential Medicine for Our Collective Soul"
2014 - "Evidential Mysticism and the Future of Earth"
2023 - "The Real End Times: From Doom to Faith"
2022 - "My God: What Have We Done?" (also: 14 minute video)
2017 - "The Way Home for the Prodigal Species"
2023 Presentations
videos posted on youtube
• VIDEO: SERMON and Q&A at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Flint, Michigan
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MICHAEL DOWD: "This pair of videos is now my top recommendation for general audiences interested in the POSTDOOM concept and emotional support that I have been developing since 2019."
Posted September 2023
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Part 1 (Sermon / 30 minutes) Part 2 (Q&A / 25 minutes)
• VIDEO: Talk and Q&A to Canadian Association for the Club of Rome
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MICHAEL DOWD: "I consider this 52-minute presentation delivered via Zoom on May 3, 2023 to the Canadian Association for the Club of Rome (CACOR) to be my most important and emotionally supportive video to-date."
(Many viewers regard the Q&A session as even more significant than the talk.) Posted May 2023
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Part 1 (presentation) Part 2 (Q&A)
• VIDEOS: Eve Presentation and sermon at Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge
LEFT: March 10 evening presentation (100 minutes)
RIGHT: March 12 sermon (readings at timecode 32:45, sermon begins at 38:21 and continues in 3 parts
2022 Presentations
videos posted on youtube
• SERMON by Michael Dowd: "Big Picture: Clarity, Compassion, Courageous Love-in-Action"
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DESCRIPTION: No one needs convincing that "Creation is in Crisis." Even those with no understanding of the unstoppable nature of biospheric and civilizational collapse feel the stress. Just to read or watch (the propaganda formerly known as) "the news" these days is a sobering (or un-sobering!) experience. How do we cope? How can we stay inspired? And perhaps most importantly, how can we be a blessing to others who are confused, angry, depressed, or filled with fear, guilt, blame, regret, or grief?
Recorded via Zoom for Prairie Circle UU, July 2022 • 27 minutes
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• SERMON by Michael Dowd: "The Big Picture: What Every Young Person & Grandparent Should Know"
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Here Michael Dowd offers a practical and compassionate approach to understanding the challenges not only ahead, but manifesting right here and now.
How do we move past blame? How do we find peace, gratitude, and opportunities for still being of service?
Filmed live at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Flint, MI.
Recorded in the church sanctuary, July 2022 • 32 minutes
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• VIDEO (and essay) by Michael Dowd is an invitation to Progressive Christians
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"My G🌎D, What Have We Done?" is a video narration (with text overlaying pictures) of an essay by Michael Dowd that was published in a January 2022 issue of the online journal Progressing Spirit.
A pdf is also available, as well as an AUDIO on Soundcloud.
There are four titled sections within it: "By Fate or Failure" • "Progressive Christianity Today" • "G🌎D's Judgment" • "Redemption"
14 minutes - (recorded and posted January 2022)
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2020 - 2021 Presentations
via Zoom & Online Technologies
• SERMON: "Reality 101 - Coronavirus, Climate, and Compassionate Generosity
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Spring of 2020, Rev. Michael Dowd suspended his traveling ministry owing to temporary church closures and periodic lockdowns. Instead, he provides "live" sermons via Zoom and other online technologies. On May 10 he delivered the guest sermon from an outdoor setting in northern California to a Unitarian Universalist Congregation in McHenry, IL.
18 minutes • (recorded May 2020; posted June 2020)
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• VIDEO: The Big Picture: Clarity, Compassion, Love-in-Action
MICHAEL DOWD launched this video in February 2021, as the lead video he is now suggesting for religious and secular groups to watch in advance of a Zoom Q&A / comment session. This program is a distillation of eight years of nearly full-time study. It is information-dense and highly visual. Michael recommends that you watch, rather than merely listen, and do so without multi-tasking.
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Geared for adults and teens, this program discusses (A) key differences between sustainable cultures and unsustainable civilizations, (B) why 'progress' is never everlasting, (C) the nature of abrupt climate change, (D) what is inevitable (99% certain) and what is still possible and deeply soul-nourishing, (E) who, what, and where we really are, and (F) tools for living meaningfully and courageously in contracting and challenging times.
80 minutes • (recorded and posted February 2021)
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• "Post-Doom Compost Theology" - VIDEO of Dowd interviewed by Michael Shaw
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Director / Producer of "Living in the Time of Dying", Michael Shaw interviews Rev. Michael Dowd about the place and the state of religion in this time of social and ecological collapse. Michael Dowd introduces a new framework of religion that is life-centered rather than human-centered.
50 minutes • (recorded December 2020, posted January 2021)
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• VIDEO: Terry Patten ("State of Emergence" podcast) interviews Michael Dowd - AUDIO of Dowd interviewed by Terry Patten
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This 2020 CONVERSATION was recorded only in audio. Terry Patten, author with Ken Wilbur of Integral Practice, died in 2021. In January 2024 Michael's widow (Connie Barlow) reworked the audio into a youtube video.
The long-time friends are both at their best here: clear in their differences, authentic in their expressions, ending in gratitude and deep affection.
66 minutes - (recorded AUDIO SEPTEMBER 2020; images added 2024)
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TEACHINGS BY DOWD include:
• Clarity and calm begin with bringing to mind a deep understanding of ECOLOGY and the HISTORY of civilizational rise and fall.
• An "I-Thou" relationship with nature is "the fundamental spiritual discipline."
• Presentation of POSTDOOM shifts in DEATH and IDENTITY. (1) Death is sacred and necessary. (2) Identity of self expands to the biosphere, the cosmos. "Not only am I not afraid of my own death but I'm not afraid of our species death.... My larger 'self' continues into the future."
• FIVE CATEGORIES OF CERTAINTIES: (1) Geological & Biological, (2) Climatological, (3) Linguistic, (4) Cultural and Civilizational, (5) Psychological
• The value of DISSENSUS and how the newly forming POSTDOOM COMMUNITY exemplifies authentic communication and caring for one another.
• New 4-Part VIDEO series by Michael Dowd: Postdoom (Collapse & Adaptation Primer)
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Owing to Covid-19, all presentations by Michael Dowd from 2020 onward are limited to online technologies. This 4-part video series stands for Michael's long-form slide presentation style — this time, with extensive text elaboration such that the presentation feels like reading an illustrated book while listening to the audio version. Uploaded to youtube, this offers FREE VIEWING, along with an ability for each viewer to pause the program for depth understanding and note-taking.
Note: Michael usually recommends for religious or secular group viewing that the group leader select either "Post Gloom" or "Unstoppable Collapse" as the single video to precede a zoom group Q&A with Dowd.
(recorded July 2020 through January 2021)
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Michael Dowd creates a pair of short videos: his most popular ever!
This pair of educational videos "in a nutshell" went viral — exponential growth in views in just the first few days.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR USES BY CHURCHES AND OTHER INSTITUTIONS: Rev. Dowd offers to appear for a scheduled live online session of Q&A / DISCUSSION as a follow-up to the group's assignment for watching one or both of these video programs. Each of the two videos is a stand-alone program; or the set can be watched in tandem. Consult the lengthy youtube caption of each program for a complete list of topics and sources, along with direct time-coded access to the internal chapters. The core content entails 67 minutes in one video and 75 minutes in the other, each followed by an extensive resources video section. Each video is divided into 4 "chapters", with direct access via the timecodes listed in the youtube captions.
"Finding Meaning in the Dark: Sobering Inspiration for Hard Times" (67 min)
"Embracing Our Predicament: Trading Confusion for Clarity" (75 min)
Best of 2019
VIDEO: "Post-Doom Inspiration: Honoring Grief, Empowering Action"
- Sermon at East Shore Unitarian, Bellevue WA
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Dowd offers three sections in this guest sermon at East Shore Unitarian Church, Bellevue WA: (1) Getting to doom (honoring the stages of grief); (2) A post-doom mind and heart; (3) Post-doom living.
Key concepts: Doom is the midpoint between denial and regeneration — with or without us. Doom is the emotional state that most people feel when they let go of the secular religion of perpetual progress. Post-doom opens us up to spheres of gratitude — and fearlesness.
30 minutes • (1 December 2019)
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VIDEO: "Sustainability 101 - Ecology as Theology"
- Sermon at Westside Unitarian Universalists in Seattle, WA
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Dowd begins with 3 topics and how sustainable cultures differ in their interpretations of those topics from those of unsustainable cultures. The topics are (1) Reality, (2) Language, and (3) Cultures — that is, communities of understanding Reality and how they speak of Reality, relate to Reality.
Along the way, he speaks of Pro-Future v. Anti-Future religions and lifeways. "Doom," he says, "is the midpoint between Denial and Regeneration — with or without us."
27 minutes • (17 November 2019)
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VIDEOS: Michael Dowd and Joe Brewer joint talks - 20 October 2019 at Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship
 
Sermon 28 min. Dialogue Pt 1 47 min. Dialogue Pt 2 36 min.
VIDEO: "Sacred Naturalism"
- online presentation
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October 2019: The Integral Stage youtube channel posts a 26-minute video where Dowd extemporaneously presents (sans slides) his grounding in religious naturalism. He begins, "an evidenced-based worldview has got to be incorporated into any understanding of religion or spirituality."
This video is the best summary of Dowd's version of religious naturalism — just prior to his turn to a fully POSTDOOM ministry, which he expresses in the final 3 minutes of this video.
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8 SESSION VIDEO DISCUSSION COURSE: "ProFuture Faith"
- Rev. Michael Dowd
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Earth Day 2019 marked the launch of an 8-session course for religious and secular groups — the core of each session being a 20-minute DVD segment, accompanied by a pre-session reading, facilitator guidelines for group discussion, and participant resources for "going deeper." Michael Dowd was filmed by 3 cameras at a cathedral church in Houston, TX November 2018: St. Paul's United Methodist. Living the Questions (progressive Christian ministers and staff based in Phoenix AZ) has previously produced educational videos series featuring Marcus Borg, John Shelby Spong, and others.
(22 April 2019)
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VIDEO: "Ecology Is the Heart of Theology"
- Sermon at Unity Church of Christianity, Houston TX
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Professionally filmed and live-streamed before a very large congregational audience, this is one of Dowd's best and most dynamic sermons. Sermon summary:
Why a deep-time big picture is vital for staying sane, sober, and inspired in chaotic and challenging times. This soulful, deep green message bridges the gap between head and heart and celebrates the convergence of science, inspiration, and sustainability. Notably, it signals the beginning of his transition into a fully "POSTDOOM" worldview, which will prevail in his later presentations.
28 minutes • (31 March 2019)
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VIDEO: "Sane vs. Insane Progress"
- Dowd's voice narration over slides has 4 key points:
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(1) How we define and measure 'progress' determines our behavior and what kind of world we are leaving our grandchildren and other species. (2) Hoping for perpetual progress via techno-fix 'solutions' fosters complacency instead of responsible, pro-future actions. (3) Problems caused by economic growth and development will not be solved by more of the same; indeed, our predicament will worsen. (4) Understanding ecology, energy, and history undermines expectations that human ingenuity, technology, or the market can save industrial civilization.
24 minutes • (12 March 2019)
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ESSAY: "Christ as the Future Incarnate"
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Michael Dowd's essay in the Spring 2019 issue of the (bi-annual) Oneing magazine, published by Center for Action and Contemplation (led by Richard Rohr).
The essay begins: "Humanity's biggest problems and most intractable predicaments stem from the failure of its dominant religions to ensure that every aspect of society is accountable to the future. When systems of governance and economics, for example, are free to
operate in ways that are heedless of the future, society is propelled on a course that inevitably becomes self-destructive...."
"... Let us begin to think of ecology at the heart of theology and Christ as the Future Incarnate...."
(March 2019)
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VIDEO: Reality 101 - Widening Our Circle of Compassion
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Rev. Dowd offers three main points in this Sunday morning sermon:
• The shape of time and the nature of joy and fullfillment
• The color of God and the purpose of religion and science
• The way of life and the necessity of humility and gratitude
Also, the malady of "cultural acedia", in which social conditions are no longer fulfilling 8 basic human needs beyond physical survival.
Presented at Unitarian Universalist Metro Atlanta North, GA.
30 minutes • (February 2019)
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Best of 2018
VIDEO: Expanding Our Circle of Compassion
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"If the word compassion means to suffer with," begins Rev. Dowd, we're going to have no shortage of opportunities in the coming years to expand our circle of compassion." Attention goes to the "8 basic needs" of cultural fulfillment. If these needs go unmet, "cultural acedia" (increasing today) sets in. Dowd explores "how to be progressives when the idea of perpetual progress is no longer credible."
Presented at Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, NC.
19 minutes • (October 2018) Note: Audio quality is poor.
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VIDEO: Confessions of a Recovering Progressive (version 2)
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Same title, though 80& different than the one presented a few weeks ago (linked below). This version entails three guideposts: (1) Remember who you are; (2) Remember what matters most; (3) Resolve to sweeten your legacy.
Presented at Community Unitarian Universalists of Brighton, MI.
30 minutes • (September 2018)
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VIDEO: Confessions of a Recovering Progressive (version 1)
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Rev. Michael Dowd delivers his most vulnerable sermon to date.
He begins, "Progress is the de facto religion of the industrial world. But something has changed in America, and beyond. What happens when we progressives 'lose the faith'?"
Presented at People's Church (Unitarian Universalist), Ludington Michigan.
27 minutes • (September 2018)
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VIDEO: Ecology as Theology: Inspiring Science for Challenging Times
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This voice-over slide program by Rev. Dowd contains his most important ideas that he has been delivering live to audiences in 2018. Here you can proceed at your own pace.
Un-trivializing God: an I-Thou Relationship to Reality Is Not Optional
Religion's Purpose: Defender of the Future & Namer of Good & Evil
The Great Story / The Epic of Evolution: Cosmic 101-Year Timeline
Thus Sayeth Reality: What's Inevitable? What's Futile? What Now?
Legacy 101: Staying Sane, Inspired, and in Action
70 minutes • (September 2018) |
Note: This program is shaped for all audiences — from atheists to pagans and non-fundamentalist interpretations of all religious faiths. For a longer version of this same slide program that also includes Dowd's ideas on how to reintepret core Christian concepts, click here.
VIDEO: Ecotheism sermon: Ecology as the heart of theology
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Rev. Dowd's 24 June 2018 guest sermon at the First Congregational Church of Sheboygan (Wisconsin) is what he now regards as his best short presentation for a Christian audience.
25 minutes • (June 2018) |
VIDEO: ECOTHEISM - Ecology as the heart of theology
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This voice-over slide program by Rev. Dowd is for Christians who wish to sample the full range of his most important ideas (as of 2018) and to do so in a compact and image-rich way.
80 minutes • (August 2018) |
VIDEO: Holy Evolution! Ecology as the heart of theology
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Rev. Dowd's 27 May 2018 guest sermon at the All Souls Unitarian of Tulsa (Oklahoma) combines his long-time focus on evolution with his growing concern for churches to "preach" ecology before it is too late.
This is surely his BEST SERMON where the two halves of Thomas Berry's teachings bear equal weight: Evolution and Ecology. After this point, Dowd's growing sense that systemic change is an absolute necessity to avoid civilizational collapse makes ecology his primary emphasis.
This large Unitarian church films and posts all its sermons — so the SOUND and IMAGE are excellent. 20 minutes • (May 2018) |
VIDEO: Pro-Future Faith— The Death and Resurrection of Religion (2018)
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Rev. Dowd's guest sermon at Church of the Beatitudes (UCC), Phoenix AZ, includes these key statements:
God's revelation comes through all forms of evidence: scientific evidence, historic evidence, cross-cultural evidence, and of course the evidence of our own experience.... Idolatry is when your notion of God is no longer synonymous with reality.... We have an economic system that rewards the few at the expense of the many, measures progress by how fast we can turn the biosphere into pollution, and makes it inevitable for billions of us to betray the future — just by pursuing the so-called good life. In other words, we have an economy that doesn't mimic the reality of ecology.
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VIDEO: Not the Future We Ordered — Staying Sane in Crazy Times (2018)
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Rev. Dowd's 31 December 2017 guest sermon at the UU Church of Sarasota (Florida) focused on helping listeners with the work of letting go of the worldview of perpetual progress and the expectations many of us were born into. Seeing the bigger picture of The Great Story (13.8 billion years), along with the full human journey (especially grasping that our own civilization is tracking a similar path of rise-and-fall that all 32 previous city-based civilizations experienced) is a crucial step in accustoming our psyches to the momentous shifts in the predicament of our time.
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Best of 2016 and 2017
VIDEO: Not the Future We Ordered — Honoring Our Grief (2017)
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Rev. Dowd's 2 April 2017 guest sermon at the UU Church of Ventura (California) has three key points: (1) Understanding our predicament; (2) The six facets of grief; (3) Now what?
Acknowledgments: Re the content of this sermon, I am especially indebted to the work of John Michael Greer, Joanna Macy, William R. Catton, Jr., Thomas Berry, Nate Hagens, and DJ White.
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VIDEO: Intergenerational Justice: Does any vision matter more?
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Guest sermon, 26 March 2017, at Conejo Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Newbury Park, CA.
Unitarian Universalists have an exemplary tradition of taking the lead on social justice issues — less so on environmental issues. Here, Dowd makes the case for why climate change is not only a profound challenge environmentally but that its consequences for human survival propel "intergenerational justice" into the most compelling social justice issue of all time.
24 minutes • (sermon delivered March 2017; published 2018) |
VIDEO: Ecology Is the New Theology (2017)
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Rev. Dowd's 26 February 2017 guest sermon at Long Beach Unitarian Universalist Church (California) differs from his 4 December 2016 sermon by that title (which is also posted on youtube; scroll down to access the earlier sermon).
Here Dowd addresses our "human predicament" (which is ever more evident) within the context of our scientific understanding of the 14 billion year story of the Universe — and our historical understanding of 5,000 years of "the rise and fall of 24 civilizations."
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VIDEO: Ecology Is the New Theology" (2016)
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Rev. Dowd's 4 December 2016 guest sermon at Tahoma Unitarian Universalist Congregation (Tacoma, WA).
Three stances are foundational for a sustainable culture, and they all indicate that "ecology is theology" — nothing is more important:
(1) Reverent Humility
(2) Reciprocal Gratitude
(3) A Fierce Commitment to Future Generations
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VIDEO: "Prophetic Inspiration for Chaotic, Challenging Times" (2016)
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Rev. Dowd preaches a pro-science, pro-future message on Nov. 20, 2016 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Whidbey Island (WA).
His focus: (1) "Thus sayeth the Past..." (2) "Thus sayeth the Future..." (3) "How can we find meaning and inspiration in contracting times?" |
VIDEO: Evolutionary Gratitude for Challenging Times" (2016)
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Rev. Dowd's 13 November 2016 guest sermon at Unity of Portland (Oregon).
Note: For those with hearing problems, we have posted an "audio-enhanced" version of this video that, while eliminating the echo of the large hall, also eliminates the sounds of audience response (which is quite moving at times). If you prefer to listen to just the audio, you can access if here, as Episode 58 of our America's Evolutionary Evangelists podcast series.
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VIDEO: "Faithful to God Means Faithful to the Future" (2016)
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Rev. Dowd's October 2016 guest sermon at Westchester Congregational United Church of Christ, Spokane WA. |
VIDEO: Ecology as the Heart of Theology" (2016)
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Rev. Dowd's October 2016 guest sermon at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church of Bellevue, WA. |
VIDEO: Ecological Wisdom for Chaotic, Challenging Times" (2016)
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Rev. Dowd's October 2016 guest sermon at Olympic Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Port Angeles, WA. |
Other Video Programs
17 Minute VIDEO: "Reality's Rules: Ten Commandments to Avoid Extinction"
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What Reality is telling us, through evidence, about how we must now collectively think and act if we hope to spare our grandchildren from hell and spare ourselves their condemnation. If you disagree, please let Michael know why and support your claim with evidence. Email: Michael(AT)ThankGodforEvolution.com
This 17 minute video is the culmination of decades of research and collaboration. It showcases today's divine/prophetic wisdom revealed via scientific, historic, and cross-cultural evidence. A 3-page companion document gives the full text of the commandments, with supporting links to online text, audio, and video resources.
VIDEO: 17 minutes |
9 Minute VIDEO: Michael Dowd (Rev. Reality): "Sacred Realist / Religion 3.0 Credo"
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Michael Dowd spoke to the Sedona Integral Group on April 25, 2014. In this 9-minute excerpt, Dowd articulates what might be considered a "sacred realist statement of faith" ... 6 points of agreement upon which tens of millions of secular and religious people align — and through which we all might join together to foster a just, healthy, and ecologically sustainable future.
Religion 3.0 / Evidential Reformation / Sacred Realist CREDO: "Reality is our God. Evidence is our scripture. The Epic of Evolution is our creation story. Ecology is our theology. Integrity is our spiritual path; and Fostering a just and healthy future is our mission." |
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Five-Part VIDEO series
3 hrs and 15 mins
with host
MICHAEL DOWD
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