Luminary: Brian Swimme

Luminary: Brian Swimme

Brian Swimme is a mathematical cosmologist on the graduate faculty of the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. He brings a unique perspective to the understanding of the 13.7-billion-year trajectory of cosmic genesis, viewing humanity as having evolved out of, and being an integral part of, the universe as a whole.

Swimme's academic research focuses on the evolutionary dynamics of the universe, the relationship between scientific cosmology and more traditional religious visions, the cultural implications of the new evolutionary epic, and the role of humanity in the unfolding story of Earth and cosmos. Toward this goal, in 1989 he founded the Center for the Story of the Universe, a production and distribution affiliate of the California Institute of Integral Studies.

Swimme is the author of The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos, The Universe is a Green Dragon and The Universe Story, which is the culmination of a ten-year collaboration with renowned cultural historian Thomas Berry.

Swimme was featured in the three-part television series Soul of the Universe (The BBC, 1991). He is the producer of a twelve-part video series, Canticle to the Cosmos, in which he tells the scientific story of the evolution of the universe. Swimme has also created and produced The Earth's Imagination, a video series about the evolutionary development of the human psyche.

Swimme received his Ph.D. (1978) from the University of Oregon specializing in gravitational dynamics, mathematical cosmology, and singularity theory. He was a faculty member in the Department of Mathematics and Physics at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington from 1978 to 1981. Prior to that, he was a member of the faculty at the Institute for Culture and Creation Spirituality at Holy Names College in Oakland, California. He lectures worldwide and has presented at conferences sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, The World Bank, UNESCO, The United Nations Millennium Peace Summit, and the American Natural History Museum. He resides in northern California.

Selected Books

The Universe is a Green Dragon
(Bear and Company, 1984)

The Universe Story
with Thomas Berry (HarperSanFrancisco, 1994)

The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos
(Orbis, 1999)

Selected Video, Audio, Dvd

The Powers of the Universe
(Center for the Story of the Universe, 2003) 11 programs, 9 hours, DVD only

Canticle to the Cosmos
(Tides Center, 1990) 12 programs, 12 hours, video and DVD

The Earth’s Imagination
(Center for the Story of the Universe, 1998) 3.5 hours on 4 video cassettes

Organizational Affiliations

California Institute of Integral Studies, Department of Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness
The Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness course of study addresses the complex relations between philosophy, religion, science, and the arts as these come together to shape the worldview of a culture.

Other Related Websites

BrianSwimme.org