This book is the first volume in a series written from an Afrocentric perspective, especially for use in forming young visionary leaders for the emerging postmodern Global Civilization. It invites young leaders and all people to study humanity's African roots and the ancient and healing wisdom of African traditions. Within the contemporary intellectual-spiritual renaissance of African roots, the book highlights the creation-oriented spirituality of Africa, so full of joy and praise. It summarizes the scientific story of our human family's birth in ancient Africa, and our human family's subsequent migratory journey across the entire planet. It points out the African roots of civilization, of spirituality, and of the roles of women and men, all of which may still be partially reflected across today's human cultures. The book argues that we humans form a single human family guided by common philosophical-ethical truths seminally present in ancient African wisdom. It argues that these truths are grounded in the nature and purpose of everything in the created world, including humanity. We humans are not separated into radically different races. Nor are we separated from the rest of Nature. Rather, we form one human family within the natural world and we seek a common Global Ethics for ourselves and for the natural world of which we are an organic part. The book invites young leaders and all people to work together in healing the great spiritual, ecological, and social breakdowns that have developed from following the false philosophical wisdom of the mechanical-utilitarian cosmology at the foundation of modern Western industrial-colonial civilization. This misguided cosmology constitutes the deep intellectual root of late modern Western culture's promotion of selfish individualism, ecological destruction, and spiritual emptiness.Drawing on African wisdom, the book seeks to help young leaders, and others, to develop a healing global vision for ecological, social, and spiritual regeneration. The book may be used for college and high-school classes, for adult study groups, or for individual study.JOE HOLLAND, the author, is Professor of Philosophy at St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Florida, in the United States. He also serves as President of the Pacem in Terris Global Leadership Initiative. He holds a Ph.D. in the field of Social Ethics from the University of Chicago and has published twelve other books.
About the Author: JOE HOLLAND is an eco-social philosopher in the intellectual school of humanistic-ecological postmodernism. He advocates holistic ecological, social, and spiritual regeneration for the emerging Global Civilization. Joe holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in the field of Social Ethics, which was an interdisciplinary dialogue among Philosophy, Social Science, and Theology. Currently, he serves as: Professor of Philosophy & Director of Liberal Studies & Philosophy at Saint Thomas University, Miami, Florida; Permanent Visiting Professor, Universidad Nacional del Altiplano, Puno, Peru; President, Pacem in Terris Global Leadership Initiative; and Vice-Chair, Catholic Scholars for Worker Justice. He founded the National Conference on Religion & Labor co-sponsored by the AFL-CIO, and also the American Catholic Lay Network. In addition, he is a co-founder of Catholic Scholars for Worker Justice. He also served as founding Director of the Pallottine Institute for Lay Leadership & Research at Seton Hall University. Joe has published 12 books and countless articles. His SOCIAL ANALYSIS book with Peter Henriot has over 100,000 copies in print, with 21 US printings plus 5 foreign-language translations and 2 foreign English editions. He was the consultant writer for the 1975 document THIS LAND IS HOME TO ME: A Pastoral Letter on Powerlessness in Appalachia. He was also the consultant writer for the 1995 sequel document AT HOME IN THE WEB OF LIFE: A Pastoral Message on Sustainable Communities Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of This Land is Home to Me. Joe has lectured at Georgetown, Harvard, Notre Dame, Princeton, and many other Universities in the United States. Internationally, he has lectured at: Institut Catholique in Paris, France; Sogang University in Seoul, Korea; Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan; the Pontifical Catholic University in São Paulo, Brazil; Pontifical Catholic University in Porto Alegre, Brazil; Universidad Mayor de San Andres in La Paz, Bolivia; and Universidad Nacional del Altiplano in Puno, Peru. In 1986 he received the Isaac Hecker Award for Social Justice. In 2002 he was awarded the Athena Medal of Excellence by the Universidad Nacional del Altiplano.