The accompanying resource material was prepared by Matthew Riley – Research Associate, Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale.
This second half moved on from the mechanics of the creation and evolution of the cosmos to the emergence of life, culminating in the human species.
The section headings were The Passion of Animals, The Origin of the Human, Becoming a Planetary Presence, Rethinking Matter and Time, and concluding with Emerging Earth Community.
Some of the points discussed are as follows:
- The link between culture and the survival of the human species.
- Care and nurturing of the next generation of offspring being woven into the very fabric of life.
- The invention of written language that enabled not only the passing on of genes, but also enduring knowledge, in the form of customs, languages, science, music and arts.
(Notes by John M)