Jun 8-10, 2007
Since Augustine, many Christians (including Pope Benedict XVI, Jerry Falwell, and Mel Gibson) have pinned their religious faith on the idea of original sin, an idea denied by Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Eastern Orthodox Christianity, Celtic Christianity, and Unitarian Universalism. Original sin is also denied by Matthew Fox, a Dominican priest, theologian, writer, and teacher who has been called “a green prophet” by the Archbishop of Canterbury and a dangerous radical, heretic, and blasphemer by the Vatican.
In his best-known work, Original Blessings, Fox proposes a creation-centered spirituality – a philosophy of mystical artistry, universal compassion, and the celebration of the divine within each human soul. Creation-centered spirituality blends science (knowledge of creation), mysticism (experiential union with creation), and art (expression of awe at creation). When Original Blessing replaces Original Sin, we enter into relationships of awe, passion, and compassion and into a love for justice and for the earth.
Mysticism is the direct experience of divinity. Mystics seek to enter, firsthand, the awesome mystery of the universe and our existence within it. We are born mystics. As children we are all mystics until, for many of us, this gift is lost as we “grow up.”
We need to work through what mystics have called the “dark night of the soul,” and what we might call the “dark night of our species.” We need a spirituality that brings love and wisdom into our daily lives. We will discuss, dance, share, play, and imagine our own mystical journeys. Hopefully we will experience our original blessings as we explore this emerging Western mysticism.
Matthew Fox is a controversial and influential theologian known for reviving the tradition of Creation Spirituality and as a compelling voice for progressive causes. He was ordained a Dominican priest in 1967 and 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), but he was silenced by the Vatican and later dismissed from the Dominican order (after which he was received as an Episcopal priest). Matthew is the energetic, articulate, and prolific author of 23 books, including Original Blessings, which has sold more than a quarter of a million copies. His influence is towering, yet he is a gentle, humorous, compassionate, and tender man who lectures throughout the world. 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 Dream of the Earth and The Universe Story
“If the only prayer you ever say in your life is thank you, that would suffice.”— Meister Eckhart
“The best name for God is beauty.” — John Muir