Summary
For many of us, the title of Paul Krugman’s book, The Great Unraveling, is all too descriptive of the times in which we live. A perfect storm of global warming, peak oil, endless war, crushing poverty, and a culture dominated by reality TV seems to be driving human kind headlong toward the abyss.
At last June’s General Assembly, David Korten’s keynote address laid out the case that this perfect storm is the inevitable result of a world view based on competition, domination, and violence. What is required is an enormous cultural shift, a re-ordering of human society based on cooperation, generosity, and sustainability (values espoused in religious congregations around the world).
Sound too daunting? Korten points out that culture is simply the sum of the agreed upon stories we tell each other about how we find security, what wealth is, and how we give meaning to our lives. If we learn and spread new stories, we can change the culture. The title of his book, The Great Turning, comes from the realization that our grandchildren will look back on these times and say one of two things: “That’s when it all came unraveled;” or “that’s when human kind made a great turning and figured out that we only have one planet, and we all have to learn to share it.” Learn more.
Discussion groups have been formed for EUUC members and friends to discuss Korten's ideas from his book, share their own ideas, and learn some new stories. These small groups (8 maximum) meet every two weeks for 5 sessions. If you would like to order a copy of The Great Turning from the Bookstore, contact Nancy Samuels immediately—the last order of books took several weeks to arrive. Contact Cindy Creager for more information about the discussion groups.
Details
- Group 1 – Saturdays, 10-12 a.m. in RE-1&2 on 2/2, 2/16, 3/1, 3/15, and 3/29. Leader: Carlo Voli.
- Group 2 – Mondays, 7-9 p.m. in The Friarplace on 2/11, 2/25, 3/10, 3/24, and 4/7. Leader: John Tucker.
- Group 3 – Thursdays, 7-9 p.m. in The Friarplace on 2/14, 2/28, 3/13, 3/27, and 4/10. Leader: Steve Ernst.
- Group 4 – Thursdays, 7-9 p.m. in The Friarplace on 2/21, 3/6, 3/20, 4/3, and 4/17. Leader: Scott Warner.
- Please read Part 1 of The Great Turning before the first session.
