ISBN: 9780470450192

Maturing the American DreamTo fulfill our destiny as a nation, our challenge is to fully realize the intent of our brave forebears—and to do so in a way that is relevant to the chall… Mehr…

Maturing the American DreamTo fulfill our destiny as a nation, our challenge is to fully realize the intent of our brave forebears—and to do so in a way that is relevant to the challenges of the twenty-first century in a complex, interdependent, global context. Our power in the world today is considerable, and the consequent responsibility is sobering. Yet we are a young nation—adolescent in many ways—thrust into global leadership in part as a result of military and economic might and the moral authority we hold when we best embody the American dream. In the face of our declining reputation around the world and diminished confidence at home —and in the context of the hope for change engendered by President Obama— it is essential that we understand this dream and how we can mature into living it in a way that serves all of humanity, not just our own kind.This essay is written out of concern about the great challenges facing the United States and the world today. Its purpose is to identify the strengths that can help us tap into what is best about us and guard against our weaknesses so that we can use our power as wisely as possible and in ways that promote the common global good. To do this will take the maturing of the American dream.If we are to mature the American dream, it is essential to decode the deeper cultural narratives that nurtured its conscious life at its founding and continue to do so today so that we can live them out in ways that bring us happiness and also have a positive impact on the world.—Carol S. Pearson, From Maturing the American Dream: Archetypal American Narratives Meet the Twenty-First CenturyThe Fetzer Institute''s project on Deepening the American Dream began in 1999 to explore the relationship between the inner life of spirit and the outer life of service. Through commissioned essays and in dialogue with such writers as Huston Smith, Jacob Needleman, Gerald May, Charles Gibbs, Robert Inchausti, Carolyn Brown, Elaine Pagels, and others, the project is beginning to sow the seeds of a national conversation. With the publication of these essays, the thinking and writing coming from these gatherings is being offered in a series of publications sponsored by The Fetzer Institute in partnership with Jossey-Bass. In an effort to surface the psychological and spiritual roots at the heart of the critical issues that face the world today, we are extending this inquiry by creating a parallel series focused on Exploring a Global Dream. The essays and individual volumes and anthologies published in both series will explore and describe the many ways, as individuals and communities and nations, that we can illuminate and inhabit the essential qualities of the global citizen who seeks to live with the authenticity and grace demanded by our times. Carol Pearson, Books, Religion and Spirituality, Untitled Fetzer Essay Books>Religion and Spirituality <