The History of the Universe (or Earth)[]
THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE/EARTH (or the NATURAL history of Universe/Earth) is any long or short recitation of the time-developmental sequence of major events, and the processes that underlie those events, in the 13.7 billion year timeline of cosmic, planetary, biological evolution, and cultural evolution, as discovered (and continuously honed and revised) by scientists working in the commonly shared paradigms of the day.
The Universe Story[]
THE UNIVERSE STORY (or EPIC OF EVOLUTION) are renditions of the history of the universe/earth in which careful consideration is given to HOW the history is told, with the intent that narrative flow and poetic rendering will evoke in the listener a sense of awe, kinship and/or participation in the processes of evolution.
The Great Story[]
THE GREAT STORY is born from the subjective experience of those of us exposed to the universe story/epic of evolution in ways that we find profoundly meaningful -- ie., captivating, comforting, inspiring, and compelling. When this happens, our pre-evolutionary philosophical and/or religious/spiritual worldviews may no longer be experienced as adequate. Alternatively, their core teachings and insights may be grasped anew as timeless expressions of what now seems to us the largest story of all. Because any and every philosophical/religious/spiritual worldview can be enfolded within and enriched by culturally sensitive tellings of the universe story, THE GREAT STORY will be experienced as large enough to contain, celebrate, and clarify them all. Differences between our varied religious and philosophical heritages will thus be bridged; rifts between science and religion will be healed, and there will emerge a renewed appreciation for the role of mythic language and meaningful interpretation in responding to the discoveries offered by the global community of scientists.