Creativity is what most distinguishes us as a species , it echoes our likeness to the Divine on the one hand, but it also accounts for our demonic works. (Aren't turning airplanes into missiles and cooking accounting books creative acts?) Perhaps one of the most important questions of our age is "How do we steer our creativity so that it serves the entire earth community?" The modern age has developed knowledge at the expense of wisdom. The result has been ecological disaster and destitution for the indigenous peoples everywhere and a loss of meaning and shared values in our lives. Religions have compounded the problem by teaching a theology that is consistent with the beliefs and lifestyles that led to such disasters and loss. Furthermore, they have promoted exclusionary attitudes that have torn the human family apart and separated us from our common origins. We need a spirituality that brings wisdom back to our daily lives, to our work, to our educational systems, to "all our relations." Nothing is more important now than deep ecumenism , drawing wisdom from all the mystical traditions of the world. Mysticism, the direct experience of divinity, can be found not only within ourselves but also in our communities, our ecosystem and the universe itself. Calling on the journeys of the Islamic Sufi Master and poet Rumi, along with great Christian mystics, including Meister Eckhart and Hildegard of Bingen, we will explore our own mystical and prophetic journeys through dialogue, small group interaction, imaging, quiet time, and circle dancing. By practicing deep ecumenism through shared ritual, we discover our common bonds in the spirit through which we can be transformative agents of healing and wholeness in the 21st century. Visionary educator Matthew Fox will explore how creation spirituality can help us move from despair to hope by awakening us to our divine origins, by integrating the wisdom of faith traditions of East and West with the emerging scientific understanding of the universe, by releasing ancient forms of worship known to indigenous peoples, by honoring women's wisdom, by opening ourselves to our young people who can awaken us to new forms of worship, by promoting social and ecological justice, and by tapping into the passion of art, designed to express mysticism and awe. Having dedicated his life to fanning the spark of the Western mystical tradition, Matthew raises a song of hope for the earth and all its beings. William Butler Yeats wrote, "Education is not about filling a pail but about lighting a fire." This retreat is designed to add oxygen and energy with the hope that sparks can be fanned into a roaring blaze so that our religion and our culture can be revitalized.
Matthew Fox is a controversial and influential theologian who is well known as having revived the tradition of Creation Spirituality and as a compelling voice for progressive causes. He was ordained a Dominican priest in 1967, earned a Doctorate in Spirituality, summa cum laude, from the Institut Catholique de Paris, where "he is remembered as one of the most distinguished students ever to receive a doctorate. Many academic theologians refer to Dr. Fox as the next Pierre Teilhard de Chardin." (NY Times). Matthew is the energetic, articulate and prolific founder and president of the University of Creation Spirituality and author of 23 books, including the best selling Original Blessings, which has sold more than a quarter of a million copies; Prayer: A Radical Response to Life; One River, Many Wells: Wisdom Springing from Global Faiths; and his latest, Creativity: Where the Divine and the Human Meet. He is a gentle, humorous, compassionate and tender man whose influence is towering. We are honored to welcome him back to Rowe. "Matthew Fox might well be the most creative, the most comprehensive, surely the most challenging religious spiritual teacher in America." Thomas Berry, author of The Great Work, The Dream of the Earth and The Universe Story