Postmodern dialogue?! While there are many definitions for the word or category ‘postmodern,’ the way I’m employing the term here is in the broad generic sense that ultimate knowledge (truth) escapes us, whether that is because it cannot be known or is helplessly situational; i.e., it’s up to individual perspective(s).

Like other levels of development on the spiral of consciousness (such as warrior, traditional, modern) the postmodern level of consciousness carries its own set of dignities and disasters. What I will attempt to do in this post is mention some ideas I have centered around one of its plusses, even though this simultaneously means the possibility that some will no doubt miss the point and reply with an entire litany of minuses (oh the joy of blogging!). Continue reading…

Mike here again, as Tim’s time in the Middle East continues this week – Brian McLaren has been writing some great updates from the trip by the way; you should check them out.

Today I’m going to introduce you to some of the most influential integral blogs. What is integral, you ask? It’s a way of seeing reality that attempts a comprehensive view of, well, everything, that’s open to – and indeed seeks to catalyze – growth. It’s become something of a movement, among specialists and non-specialists (Amateurs! Lovers!) alike. For more on integral theory, see this Wikipedia entry. Otherwise, read on…

This is a fairly comprehensive list of what I’ve found and read these last couple of years; if I have on gripe, it’s that intgrally-minded folks don’t blog nearly consistently enough. There are a ton of great blogs I had to omit simply because they haven’t updated since 2007. (I’m thinking Integral Life, or some such agency, should host a collaborative blog for voices with something to say but who don’t say things that often…) Anyway, dive right in – and feel free to nominate anyone I’m missing in the comments.

Beyond Growth

Blog: KedgeForward!

Boulder Integral TV

~C4Chaos

Corey deVos

Cherie Beck

Creative Emergence – Michelle James

David Byrne

Dr. Cam Freeman

Easily Amazed – Ashley Cooper

EnlightenNext Editor’s Blog

Finding Rhythm – Zach Lind

Frozen Truth – Apollo Lemmon

Graham English

Indistinct Union – Chris Dierkes

Integral Journal – Matt Holbert

Integral Options Cafe

Integral Playground

Integrative Spirituality

Kelly Sosan Bearer

Ken Wilber & Co.

Mystery of Existence

Mythos for Creatives - Manny Otto

Naked Reflections

New Heaven New Earth Pulse

NoeticFront

Numinous Nonsense – Vincent Horn

Open Integral

P2P Foundation

Revolutionary Man

Stephen Rose

Steve McIntosh

Stuart Davis

Thank God For Evolution – Michael Dowd

Integral Practice Notes and The Integral Company – Tom Goddard

The Sunny Way

Tripp Lainer

Zero Integral

Other Notable Integral Sites

Center for Human Emergence

Integral Life (blog-ish archives here and here)

Integral Institute

iEvolve: Global Practice Community

Integral Awakening

Spiral Dynamics Integral

Want to follow some of these folks on Twitter? Go here. (Tim is @post_christian by the way. I’m @zoecarnate) Want more blogs? Go here – but some of these are quite out of date.

Happy reading!

It may not be the end of civilization (yet), but it seems we may have turned the corner on the end of civility… and so the latter cannot be a good sign for the former.

Behavioral scientists sometimes speak of different levels of human development and consciousness. For instance, ‘warrior’ consciousness expresses itself in terms of “the world is a jungle; eat or be eaten; express yourself and to hell with everybody else.” You have to admit those are not particularly admirable traits nor do they lead to admirable ways of interacting with others and the world at large. And yet, even though this level of consciousness is one of the lowest levels of all human interaction, suddenly it feels ubiquitous. Continue reading…

I once had a friend who told me that if I ever wanted to ‘understand’ the different cultures and peoples I felt called to embrace, then I must first learn to ‘stand under’ them. It was great advice. Especially for those of us who live in the West and in the U.S. in particular.

Once on a trip to Israel I was invited into the home of Fr. Elias Chacour, a three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee. He was quick to point out that many of the Christians who come to his land do so with a mindset that says, “let me tell you how it is done; let me show you the way to Jesus and the appropriate expression of the way your life is to reflect his presence.” Continue reading…

The summit, December 14-17, will be hosted by HRH Prince Hassan of Jordan and will include individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to reconciliation. The summit’s patrons include Nobel Peace Prize recipients The Reverend Desmond Tutu, Sir William Deane, Aung San Suu Kyi, President Jose Ramos-Horta, and Harvard Professor Dr. Bernard Lown. Continue reading…