Integration-with-Creation: New Spiritual Dimensions of Ecological Stewardship for Catholic Education

New dimensions of faith and spirituality are emerging as human consciousness expands and the global village shrinks. While a Christian model of stewardship for creation care has been dominant in Western culture, there is a weakness in how people have been living out the sacred covenant. The "new universe story" offers the planet hope midst its ecological peril. The scientific story of cosmogenesis expressed by Thomas Berry and Brian Swimme, along with insights from Eastern and Indigenous traditions, offers Western culture a way to reimagine itself. The sacredness of all of creation is taking on new dimensions of faith and spirituality with reverence for the concept of the common good for people and the planet as one integrated Earth community.;The shift from cosmos to cosmogenesis is creating a new dynamic of solidarity between religion and science. As a result, spiritual energy is awakening the imagination to creative solutions for serious concerns about earth-human sustainability. This energy will be taken up in Catholic education as we develop religious and spiritual experiences towards an "ecological conversion." The deep, reflective tradition of retreat ministry can be instrumental. Hence, this thesis explores the question ''what are the methods within a retreat ministry that can facilitate the emergence of an ecological spirituality in Catholic education so that earth stewardship becomes a more integral dimension of Catholic consciousness?"...