CENTREVILLE — On Friday, Oct. 27, Dr. Mary Evelyn Tucker, co-author with Brian Swimme of “Journey of the Universe,” will be visiting Gunston for the fall installment of the school’s In Celebration of Books program.
“Journey of the Universe” was the 2017 Gunston community summer read and focuses on the story of the universe as seen through the multiple lenses of scientific discovery and human insight.
The book already has been incorporated into Gunston’s 10th-grade curriculum as part of its History of Ideas course.
“We’re delighted to have Dr. Tucker join us for In Celebration of Books,” said Headmaster John Lewis. “‘Journey of the Universe’ asks us to consider questions about our identities as human beings and our relationship with each other. Beyond that, it also asks us to think about our collective role in the development of the universe, which is ever-evolving.”
Lewis said the integrative approach of “Journey of the Universe” is reflective of Gunston’s overarching mission, which strives to educate “ethically and environmentally minded scholars, citizens, and leaders for our globalized society.”
Tucker’s visit, he said, “will be an opportunity for the community to engage in deeper conversation about issues that ultimately impact the ways in which we think about sustainability.”
“Journey of the Universe” is a multimedia project developed by Tucker and evolutionary philosopher Swimme, with whom she has worked for 25 years. In addition to the book, the project includes an Emmy award-winning film, which was first broadcast on PBS and now is available on Amazon Prime. There also is a series of Journey Conversations that Tucker did with 20 scientists, historians and environmentalists discussing the significance of this universe story, especially for ecological issues.
For more information about the “Journey of the Universe” project, visit the www.journeyoftheuniverse.org.
Tucker is a senior lecturer and research scholar at Yale University, where she has appointments in the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, as well as the Divinity School and the Department of Religious Studies. She teaches in the joint Master of Arts program in religion and ecology, and directs the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale with her husband, John Grim.
Her keynote speech will be begin at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 27. The public is welcome to attend. After the keynote, Tucker will visit with 10th-grade students in their History of Ideas classes.
