I want to acknowledge first of all Sonia and Stuart Sapadin, without whose unfailing faith and support this essay could never have materialized. My wife, Julie Ann, has suffered and celebrated with me at every stage of the process, and her extraordinary patience and unfailing joy have nourished me at every step of the way. Brian Swimme has been an incomparable mentor, giving me the recognition and encouragement that led me to believe that I could actually pull this off, as well as significant intellectual guidance and valuable feedback. Michael Quinlan, Paul Bogle and Sean Kelly have been especially helpful, not only by their deep friendship, but by their willingness to argue with me, to teach me, to learn from me, and to engage with my ideas as they developed. My ongoing conversations with Mary Schmitt, Christian de Quincey, Victor Goulet, Jeff Karan, Kirby Knox, Scott Leebrick and Thomas MacFarlane have also been important in shaping my thoughts. My profound thanks go out to all of these people, and to the many other teachers and friends who have accompanied me on this phase of my journey.