Erwin K. Thomas, Ph.D., Educator & Interfaith Writer
Email:
dfurstane@gmail.com
Major
Website
https://www.bestprimalessence.com
(Dfurstane)
"The
website Best Primal Essence (Dfurstane) is meant to foster interreligious
understanding. It expresses the ideas
and comments on the teachings of a cross section of the many religious
traditions and secular humanists' beliefs."
The Best Primal Essence Website’s symbol is the
flower Lily of the valley. Its presence is captured in perfumes, weddings,
songs, and gardens. In many cultures this flower symbolizes humility,
happiness, chastity, and purity.
Other
Websites
Curriculum Vitae
In 2010, Guyanese-born Erwin K. Thomas, PhD–served
as vice president of the Institute for Learning in Retirement (ILR) Old
Dominion University, Virginia Beach, VA. After 28 years he retired as a
professor and director of the Graduate Program in the Department of Mass
Communications & Journalism at Norfolk State University, VA. He formerly
taught at the University of Wisconsin– Milwaukee (1978–79), SUNY–Oswego
(1972–74), and University of Guyana, Georgetown (Summers 1981 & 1988).
Thomas did research at the University of Guyana,
University of the West Indies–Cave Hill, Barbados; Port of Spain, Trinidad; and
Mona, Jamaica. He graduated from the University of Missouri, Columbia–Ph.D.
International Journalism & Broadcasting (1978), Brooklyn College of CUNY–MS
Television (1972), and University of Oregon, Eugene–BS Radio-TV & Film
(1970). His doctoral dissertation was entitled, “The Beginnings of Broadcasting
in The West Indies, 1920–1949 (Barbados, British Guiana, Jamaica, and Trinidad
& Tobago).
Thomas was the recipient of a Ford Foundation
Fellowship (1975–78), awarded a Gannett Foundation Scholarship (1975–76), named
by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC),
a Fulbright Senior Specialists Candidate (2002–07), and was for many years a
consultant to the Ministry of Information, Georgetown, Guyana. Thomas was a
radio newscaster at KWAX-FM, Eugene, OR (1968–70), producer-director BCTV,
Brooklyn, NY (1970–71), desk assistant CBS Radio Network News, NYC (1972),
producer-director OSUTV, Oswego, NY (1972–74), news writer Columbia Missourian
(1974), reporter KBIA-FM (1975), and KOMU-TV Columbia, MO (1976—77). His six
“Plain Talk” series were aired on WSLJ-TV, Watertown, NY (1973–74). Some 20
shows on which he worked in various crew positions while at BCTV, were aired on
WNET-TV and WNYC-TV–NYC (1970–72). At Norfolk State University he was news
director of WNSB-FM (1980—85).
Thomas has authored Make Better Videos with Your
Camcorder (TAB Books 1991); co-edited a Handbook on Mass Media in the United
States and Mass Media in 2025, Greenwood Press (1994 & 2001) respectively;
A Weekly Encounter (2015), Keys of Faith (2016), Gifts of God (2017), Life’s
Passages: From Guyana to America, and Guyana’s Seawall Girl (2018), CreateSpace
Independent Publishers, Heaven Bound (2019) and Dfurstane’s Spiritual Beliefs
(2020) with Amazon.com. He is a member of Hampton Roads Writers (HRW), Virginia
Writers Club (VWC), PEN America, and American Academy of Religion (AAR). For
years, Thomas was a member of the Association for Education in Journalism and
Mass Communication (AEJMC), of the International, and Minorities Divisions, and
the Religion & Media Interest Group. His research interests are:
International media systems, social media, ethics, broadcasting history,
devotionals, and world religions & beliefs.
Thomas is a lifelong member of the Church of the
Holy Apostles–an ecumenical community of Episcopalians and Roman Catholics,
Virginia Beach, VA–where he has served on the Vestry Council, Eucharistic
minister, and social media administrator. Presently he views his spiritual
beliefs as a religious naturalist, who is married to Mary Barta Thomas. They are the parents of Matthew J. Thomas,
who lives with his wife Shannon in Charlottesville, VA.
Spiritual Beliefs
After many years of dedicated study and meditation
of the major world religions from both the Eastern and Western faith traditions
– history, dogma, ethics, myths, rituals, festivals, and sacred writings the
writer was able to create a unique spirituality based on the following
concepts:
1) God like Nature is infinite in every way. God isn’t anthropomorphic – having human
attributes or characteristics. Some
might think that this Primal Essence is impersonal, but believers’ intuition
tells them that God does intervene in creation.
Although it could also be through “chance” that people are born in
certain families, and the way they will die.
2) Spiritual beliefs are always evolving, and like
all of nature nothing remains the same.
3) Dfurstane (Best Primal Essence) is all in all,
predictable and unpredictable, the existence of a mystery, and always greater
than conceived.
4) The Timeless Spirit is the glue that holds all
manifestations together.
5) Through Dfurstane all elements, structures, and
people are created.
6) On entering the world all living and non-living
things take some form, and at the end of their existence they become invisible.
7) At times the consciousness and health of all
living beings are determined by “chance.”
8) Sin and free will are human constructs, but
“good” and “bad” exist—different sides of the same coin.
9) People pray by their thoughts, deeds, physical
exercises, and works.
10) Rational thinking causes growth, development,
discovery, and healing.
11) “Positive” and “negative” polarities cause
cultural norms, but eternal reality is diverse in nature.
12) Prayer only works as a regulator of “cosmic
wholeness.” It has to do with interdependence, and interrelationships of all
structures. Believers should pray for “harmony.” Lack of “harmony” is how the
world experiences disruptions of all sorts. This reality has nothing to do with
the way people are living, but could be due to God’s intervention or by “chance.”
13) Living in “harmony” with nature is the key for a
successful life. This entails having a balance life: a) helping the mind grow
in understanding; b) caring for one’s physical body; c) serving society’s poor,
homeless, and destitute; and d) building up the world through love and
compassion.
14) In nations the people should be the sovereign in
determining their destiny.
15) Religious literacy helps believers discover the
diverse paths that are essential for spiritual growth.
16) Believers by following a spiritual path will
merge with Dfurstane (Eternal Essence).
