Praise for the work of MICHAEL DOWD and CONNIE BARLOW
by Scientists and Religious Leaders


   "Connie Barlow and Michael Dowd are gifted troubadours who celebrate the new evolutionary epic. As they travel endless freeway miles and speak to the full spectrum of humanity, their passionate presentations are igniting a new and exciting synthesis of science and faith."
Brian Swimme, Professor of Cosmology, California Institute of Integral Studies

L to R: Brian Swimme, Connie Barlow, Michael Dowd

"Your presentation was absolutely magnificent! Such clarity I have seldom encountered. I learned a great deal."
Thomas Berry, President Emeritus, American Teilhard Association

"Michael and Connie are performing an indispensable service to evolutionary enlightenment...They are building a bridge over which our whole culture can now cross over."
Barbara Marx Hubbard, President, Foundation for Conscious Evolution

"Michael is a great teacher, with both urgently important content and a charismatic style."
John Cobb, Center for Process Studies, Claremont CA

"Connie and Michael are truly inspiring teachers of the great story of cosmic evolution! They bring both keen intelligence and uplifting enthusiasm to the grand vision of the unfolding drama of the universe in which we all participate."
Duane Elgin, author of Promise Ahead and Voluntary Simplicity

"What Joseph Campbell did for myth, Michael Dowd and Connie Barlow do for cosmology. Bridging science and spirit with grace, these circuit riders of the great story illuminate the wonders of our evolving universe."
Jonathan Young, psychologist and founding Curator of the Joseph Campbell Archives

  

Praise for Michael's 2007 book from NOBEL LAUREATES

  • "The universe took 13.7 billion years to produce this amazing book. I heartily recommend it." — JOHN MATHER, NASA CHIEF SCIENTIST, 2006 NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS

  • "The science vs. religion debate is over! Michael Dowd masterfully unites rationality and spirituality in a world view that celebrates the mysteries of existence and inspires each human being to achieve a higher purpose in life. A must read for all, including scientists." — CRAIG MELLO, 2006 Nobel PRIZE IN PHYSIOLOGY OR MEDICINE

  • "If anyone can persuade a monotheist that the science of evolution — biological, geological, or cosmological — can enrich his or her faith, I'm betting on Michael Dowd." — THOMAS C. SCHELLING, 2005 NOBEL PRIZE IN ECONOMICS

  • "At last, someone who understands that all of reality is sacred and science is our method of comprehending it." — LEE HARTWELL, 2001 NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSIOLOGY OR MEDICINE

  • "Honest students of God should welcome the revelations of science as insights, not fear them as threats. Here is a book in that spirit by an ardent believer, who takes evolution to heart, and celebrates it." — FRANK WILCZEK, 2004 NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS

  • full list of ENDORSEMENTS and links to NEWS REPORTS
  • "I wrote Michael Dowd a letter, following his presentation at the 2005 Big Sky Retreat. In it I said, 'Man, oh, man you are about as close to perfection as I've seen in a very long time.' Now I would like to tell you, the reader, and perhaps a person who would be interested in positive recommendations regarding his work, that I wouldn't change a syllable of that sentence. He made a huge impact on this year's retreat. He energized us; he informed us; he enlightened us; he loved us. And we loved him in return! What a great addition he was to our program. He was truly magnificent. I enthusiastically recommend Michael Dowd to your organization, regardless of your size or your beliefs. I am confident that he will bring to your group what he brought to ours: genuineness, passion, and inspiration."
    Joe Dickey, president of Big Sky Retreat

    "Paradigm shifts, as we know, never happen easily. It takes gutsy people to step out front and carry on the crusade, developing the New Story with their fellow pioneers known far and wide. Michael Dowd and Connie Barlow have given up normal lives to be such committed crusaders. May the Force of Gaia be with them all the way to a world of thrival for all!"
    Elisabet Sahtouris, Evolution Biologist and Futurist

    "Religion — or spirituality, or whatever you want to call it — has always evolved, and Connie Barlow and Michael Dowd are on the frontier of its current evolution. They're committed to the proposition that science, far from stripping the universe of meaning, reveals new layers of meaning. I think they're right about this, but even if I didn't I would still stand in awe of them; the energy, commitment, and creativity they bring to their mission would do any old-fashioned evangelist proud."
    Robert Wright, author of Nonzero and The Moral Animal

    "Michael Dowd and Connie Barlow are contemporary mendicant preachers, on-the-road troubadours, living simply as they go about the world announcing Good News of a new cosmic story. The excitement and affirmation that comes from that news blesses and inspires people of all ages while the witness of their love of their ministry energizes all who are touched by it."
    Matthew Fox, celebrated author and leading advocate of Creation Spirituality

    "Michael Dowd is truly remarkable evangelist for conscious, spirit-based evolution. I have never heard anyone more eloquent and truthful on this great theme."
    Barbara Marx Hubbard, author and leader in Conscious Evolution

    "Thank you for being here, and for the life and energy and presence with which you shared the Great Story! In just one evening you covered so many aspects of how this Story, still so new to us humans, inspires and expands and deepens our sense of who we are, and who God is, and how intimately we are One with all beings in this Sacred Universe. Folks are still talking about the program."
    Mary Southard, artist, Sisters of St. Joseph, LaGrange IL

    "Connie Barlow is a pioneer, a sure-footed and spirited guide who is equally at home in the two terrains of scientific theory and eco-religious experience. Green Space, Green Time, a much-needed tour de force, once and for all breaks through the illusion that science and the spirit are exclusive and separate domains."
    Lauren deBoer, editor of EarthLight magazine

    "Michael Dowd is one of my heroes..."
    Don Beck, Founder of Spiral Dynamics Integral

    "Connie and Michael are burning bright, their consciousness powerfully and passionately awake to the deep time-developmental context of this evolving cosmos that we all are. Their profound conviction in the fundamental goodness of life transmits a religious-like experience that transports one beyond any psychological, philosophical or spiritual beliefs that could inhibit a wholehearted and deeply committed relationship to the gift of existence. They are delightful, unpretentious, and endearing in their simple humanity. May their work flourish and bring understanding and liberation to all who are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to meet them."
    Andrew Cohen, Spiritual Teacher and Founder of What Is Enlightenment? magazine

    "Connie and Michael, evolutionary cosmology's dynamic duo, not only tell the story of the living cosmos, they spark a dynamic exploration of evolution's next step and its implications for us as human beings."
    Craig Hamilton, Managing Editor, What Is Enlightenment? magazine

    "Basing their talks on cutting edge scientific observations and discoveries, Connie and Michael, who can be called "the Johnny Appleseeds of evolution", give their audiences an experience of awe and wonder at the miracle of creation and the sacredness of human life. Through their passion and zeal, dry scientific facts come alive as a sacred narrative for our age. Listening to them is a truly remarkable experience, an intellectual journey and a spiritual adventure."
    Igal Moria, Impersonal Enlightenment Fellowship, Lenox MA

    "At the Northwest Earth Institute in Portland, three hours with Connie Barlow and Michael Dowd provided a powerful culmination for our staff and volunteers involved in a two-month study of the work of Thomas Berry. Michael's grasp of the Great Story and the Great Work took us much more deeply into Berry's vision and its premises. As a biologist, Connie took us down the path of deep time with wonderful insights on co-evolution of plants and animals, and the lingering impact of extinct or extirpated species on their co-evolution partners.
    Jeanne and Dick Roy, co-founders, Northwest Earth Institute, Portland OR

    "Connie Barlow and Michael Dowd are at the leading edge of an extraordinary evolutionary leap for any planet: when life finally becomes conscious of the evolutionary process and uses this to guide its own future evolution. Their traveling educational ministry, presentations, and website are real gifts. Don't miss them when they come to your region of the world!"
    John Stewart, author of Evolution's Arrow: The Direction of Evolution and the Future of Humanity

    "Michael - regarding your writings on Christianity and the Universe Story, I am awed by the crispness and 'understandability' of your synthesis!"
    Paula Gonzalez, SC

    "It was a extraordinary experience to listen to Michael Dowd brilliantly unfold ideas about our private cosmos, and of the larger universe that envelops it, all in an evolutionary framework that thoughtful people can see must be sound. What's more, the optimism that resulted from his presentation was the product of a remarkable presentation, one that left an educated audience completely captivated."
    Robert E. Thayer, Professor of Psychology at California State University, Long Beach, and author of Calm Energy; The Origin of Everyday Moods; and The Biopsychology of Mood and Arousal.


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