The Great Work is a phrase that has been used for centuries to identify the dynamic, even mystical, contribution of a culture or individual towards the enlightenment of humanity for the greater good of the Earth community. Cultural historian, Thomas Berry in his 1999 book, The Great Work, proposed that the Great Work of our time is a response to the recognition that the ecological devastation we are witnessing is the result of human activity. He asserts that the task before us is to reinvent the human to become a gentle, and yet active presence on Earth.

Each of us begins this task by responding to what Cosmological philosopher, Brian Swimme, describes as “the allurements that beckon us, by following our passions and interests.” The Great Work involves aligning our personal sense of purpose with the larger creative dynamics of the Earth community.

The TIES community approach to learning underscores Berry’s sense of commitment:

In reality there is a single integral community of the Earth that includes all its component members whether human or other than human. In this community every being has its own role to fulfill, its own dignity, its inner spontaneity. Every being has its own voice. Every being declares itself to the entire universe. Every being enters into communion with other beings. This capacity for relatedness, for presence to other beings, for spontaneity in action, is a capacity possessed by every mode of being throughout the entire universe.

~Thomas Berry