Table Of ContentADVANCE PRAISE FOR
THE SACRED DEPTHS OF NATURE
“This book is a gem. Not only are the science passages an ex-
quisite introduction to astronomy, cell biology, and evolution,
but her reflections on the meaning she personally derives from
such knowledge leave the reader yearning for more. Her passages
on the meaning of death— indeed, a celebration of death, for the
kind of life and love only it can call forth—i s unsurpassed by all
the outpourings from the humanities. She is fully, intimately, rest-
fully at home in the universe, in her version of divinity: the sacred
depths of nature. And then, able to draw no more from either
the science or her own soul, she offers up a poem or psalm from
various of the world’s wisdom traditions.”— Connie Barlow, Eco-
activist, author of Green Space, Green Time: The Way of Science
“A truly fascinating, wide- ranging, beautifully written, and eye-
opening book that considers the origins of earth, the origins of
life itself, where we are now, where we are most likely heading,
and the importance of developing a shared global cosmology and
ecomorality that can benefit us all in the future.”— Marc Bekoff,
Ecology and Evolution, University of Colorado, author of Rewilding
our Hearts: Building Pathways of Compassion and Coexistence
“Ursula Goodenough argues passionately, wisely, and even lyri-
cally for a new, modern, scientifically informed worldview that can
tell us both about the universe we inhabit and the moral rules we
need to inhabit it well. This is a wonderful account of the history
of life by a great biologist. It invites us to find in modern science
the profound sense of wonder and belonging, and the deep eth-
ical sense present in all the world’s religious traditions.”— David
Christian, History, Macquarie University, author of Origin Story: A
Big History of Everything
“Even better the second time around! Engagingly and clearly
written, replete with striking metaphors—e specially ones from
music— and with conscientious respect for the scientifically un-
trained reader. A convincing demonstration of the integral rela-
tion between generously open-m inded natural science and equally
receptive, non-d ogmatic religious thought. The two are shown to
interact with, jointly inform, and mutually inspire one another
in Goodenough’s engrossing version of Religious Naturalism.
Here the compelling sacredness of all living and non- living na-
ture is brought into sharp focus.”— Donald Crosby, Philosophy,
Colorado State University, author of Sacred and Secular: Responses to
Life in a Finite World
“Not since Loren Eiseley or Lewis Thomas has biology had such
an eloquent spokesperson, nor one with so much heart. Finally,
someone who can breathe life into molecules and make us feel
it.”— Terrence Deacon, Anthropology and Cognitive Science
Program, University of California, Berkeley, author of Incomplete
Nature: How Mind Emerged from Matter
“What perfect timing for this revised edition of Ursula
Goodenough’s classic, The Sacred Depths of Nature. As we witness
and experience, emotionally and socially, the unraveling of the
biosphere and industrial civilization, a meaningful, reverential
worldview grounded in evidence is more relevant than ever. An
excellent introduction to the religious naturalist orientation!
Only my wife, Connie Barlow’s Green Space Green Time, is even in
the same league. Bravo, Ursula!”—M ichael Dowd, Ecotheologian,
author of Thank God for Evolution
“Tender, yet passionate, Goodenough immerses us in a collec-
tive spiritual vision, allowing us to discover and feel the numi-
nous in science, synthesizing these understandings and the
religious impulse without doing harm to either. Our best hope
for a future.”— Anne Druyan, Writer, director, and producer of
COSMOS and cocreator with Carl Sagan of the motion picture
CONTACT
“The Sacred Depths of Nature is both a spiritual exercise and a sophis-
ticated, crystal clear, and lyrical primer on what science teaches
us about this wondrous universe and the mysterious gift that is
being here at all.”—O wen Flanagan, Philosophy, Duke University,
author of The Geography of Morals
“Hosanna! Here, now, this! The new revised version of The Sacred
Depths of Nature is manna from heaven on earth. Muons and neu-
trinos, eukaryotic sex and somatic death, covenant with mys-
tery, Goodenough’s Gospel of Life is the true myth we and our
planet desperately need.”— Michael S. Hogue, Meadville Lombard
Theological School, author of American Immanence: Democracy for an
Uncertain World
“At once expansive and intimate, empirical and immanent, ana-
lytical and intuitive, material and spiritual, science and poetry get
to dance joyfully together in these pages. The Sacred Depths of Nature
allows us to see and celebrate our fundamental kinship with all
beings, united by the forces that propel life’s improbable unfolding.
In this time of crisis, we urgently need the planetary ethic that
resists the degradation of the shimmering world.”—R obin Wall
Kimmerer, Center for Native Peoples and the Environment, SUNY-
ESF, author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific
Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
“This book is a treasure for all those who seek to connect with a
deeper meaning in the universe without jettisoning empirical sci-
entific evidence. Ursula Goodenough dissolves the conventional
split between science and religious orientation, showing with
delightful prose and breathtaking examples how a deeply scien-
tific investigation can naturally lead us to a ‘covenant with mys-
tery’ and a ‘credo of continuation.’ ”— Jeremy Lent, author of The
Patterning Instinct and The Web of Meaning
“Thank you, Ursula Goodenough, for telling us the science- based
story of life on earth and the wonders of our universe in a way that
brings them down to the level of our hearts, and deeper still, to the
very place from where our prayers come.”— Peter Mayer, Singer
and songwriter, lyricist of “Blue Boat Home”
“I am so glad this important book is being revised for our time. It is
wise, calm, and compassionate; it treats us as the mature, complex,
and fascinating creatures that we are, and in so doing helps point
the way towards a future where we act together far better than at
present.”— Bill Mckibben, Founder of 350.org, author of The Flag,
the Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at his
Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened
“To experience the sacred, we need not ask the WHY question,
which is, after all, unanswerable. In this absolutely amazing
book, biologist Ursula Goodenough shows us that pondering
the HOW of things brings us face- to- face with that which is sa-
cred. Through science, poetry, and her own remarkable personal
stories, Goodenough shares her profound religious stance as a
Credo of Continuation.”— Jennifer Morgan, President, Deeptime
Network
“An engaging, authoritative account of the evolution and mo-
lecular basis of life from the perspective of a religious naturalist
who rejoices in the complexity and wonder of the natural world. A
successful cell biologist and gifted writer, Goodenough weaves to-
gether our scientific understanding of the appearance, place, and
workings of life on earth in the context of the diversity of religious
traditions. The book will inspire both scientists and non- scientists
to appreciate the magic of our existence and the necessity to pre-
serve that which makes it possible.”— Thomas Pollard, Molecular,
Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, co-a uthor of
Cell Biology, 4th edition
“Goodenough’s masterpiece unites the beauty of biology and the
wonders of evolution in a magnificent, heartfelt celebration of
life. Like its author, this book is eloquent, vibrant, inspiring, and
truly one- of- a- kind.”— Barbara Smuts, Psychology, University of
Michigan, author of Sex and Friendship in Baboons
“Incisive, comprehensive, witty, and beautiful, with paragraph after
paragraph of lucidity and significance. We could be witnessing one
of the most important cultural events of the last three centuries—
the moment when scientists themselves take their role seriously in
forging a planetary wisdom.”— Brian Swimme, Evolutionary cos-
mologist, California Institute of Integral Studies, coauthor of The
Journey of the Universe
“Goodenough gives us a new bridge between science and religion
that is both eloquent and elegant. She offers us the poetry, power,
and passion of her vision of nature, a vision born from scientific
knowledge, nurtured by religious sensibility, and inspired by na-
ture itself. Such a pathbreaking interdisciplinary work illumines
the way for each of us— embracing an ecomorality that is com-
prehensive and compelling.”— Mary Evelyn Tucker, School of the
Environment and Forum on Religion and Ecology, Yale University,
coproducer of the film Journey of the Universe
“A delicious account of the grandeur and intricacies of natural
reality that will have you falling in love with the beauty of scien-
tific knowledge while honoring the grand wisdom of religious
valuing. The new chapters on human evolution, human morality,
and ecomorality reveal why The Sacred Depths of Nature remains a
remarkable gift for our generation. Goodenough demonstrates, in
her inimitable lucid, poetic style, a religious naturalist orientation
that is uniquely positioned to address— all at once!— such urgent
topics as systemic, structural racism, cultural imperialism, and en-
vironmental injustices.”—C arol Wayne White, Religious Studies,
Bucknell University, author of Black Lives and Sacred Humanity:
Toward an African American Religious Naturalism
“I have been waiting years for this paean to the universe. With
lustrous turns of phrase, skillful explanations of nature, a pro-
found vision of the past, and a prescient sense of the future, Ursula
Goodenough reintroduces us to the present moment, the fulsome
present, bursting with an invitation to gratitude and reverence.
There’s not a single person on this planet who doesn’t need and
deserve this book.”— Wesley J. Wildman, School of Theology and
Faculty of Computing and Data Sciences, Boston University, au-
thor of Spirit Tech
“The first edition of The Sacred Depths of Nature was a revelation to
me. Before reading it, I had no idea that the workings of a single
cell were so elaborate as to be awe- inspiring. This second edition
has brought many more such revelations. Illustrated with lovely
photos and poems from wise poets, this is a detailed short trea-
tise on the science of life. It proves once again that a science book
can be a page- turner. I learned from every page and could not
wait for the next one.”— Paul Woodruff, Philosophy, University
of Texas Austin, author of Living Toward Virtue: Practical Ethics in the
Spirit of Socrates
“What a beautiful, lyrical, lively, fascinating, and outstanding
book. Delightful to read. Awesome achievement.”— Richard
Wrangham, Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University,
author of The Goodness Paradox: The Strange Relationship Between Virtue
and Violence in Human Evolution
URSULA GOODENOUGH
T H E S A C R E D
D E P T H S
O F N AT U R E
How Life Has Emerged and Evolved
SECOND EDITION
