The Creation Spirituality Lineage Calling All Social and Environmental Activists, Mystic Explorers, Justice Makers, Cosmic Thinkers, Earth Keepers |
The Personal Arts, Art- As-Meditation, Cosmology, and Ritual |
08/10/2023
by Rick Reich-Kuykendall |
Today we see how Matthew views the arts as more than
painting, writing, and music. And we shall also see how the New Cosmology shows us how creativity is here for the sake of evolving and for healing people and the Earth. And finally we look at how Matthew has a broader view of what prayer is, in terms both of doing art and doing ritual. THE PERSONAL ARTS |
What are the personal arts that we all need to start birthing anew?
They include the
art of friendship, the art of making beauty where we dwell, the art of conversation, of massage, of laughter, of preparing food, | Matthew Fox introduces participants to the core concept of the Cosmic Mass: communal, embodied prayer through dance, through the four
paths of creation spirituality. To experience a Cosmic Mass at the Parliament of the World's Religions in Chicago on Wednesday, 8/16, click HERE. |
of hospitality, of the sharing of ideas, of growing food and flowers, of singing songs, of making love, of telling stories, of uniting generations, of putting on skits, of satirizing human folly. Art as meditation is the primary form of prayer in the
creation-centered tradition, and to practice it and undergo it opens the door to the praxis of deep ecumenism. |
“A sign of our strength and unity”: The launching of the ‘Regularize Now’ Quilt Project of the Migrant Rights Network involving individuals and communities connected to migrant support. | The new cosmology reminds us
that instead of art being for art’s sake,
art is for
creativity’s sake,
that is for the sake of evolving
and for healing people and the Earth. Ritual is not performance art—it is
participatory prayer. |
Artists are the “monks” of lay culture,
not asking to be imitated in life-style or morality,
but of inviting other to plummet
their recognition of the spiritual, of life. Every person
harbors within himself or herself
the artist’s vocation to create,
whether that be expressed in one’s love
for cooking or sewing,
for dancing or loving,
for
story-telling
or mechanical repairing. |
See Matthew Fox, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ: The Healing of Mother Earth and the Birth of a Global
Renaissance, p. 200
See also Fox, Wrestling with the Prophets: Essays on Creation Spirituality and Everyday Life, p. 220
See also Fox, The Reinvention of Work: A New Vision of Livelihood For Our Time, pp. 210, 279
See also Fox, Prayer: A Radical Response to Life, pp. 140, 142
Banner Image: “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” Photo by Mufid Majnun on Unsplash. |
Queries for Contemplation Which of these quotations moves you most deeply, and why? |
Responses are welcomed. To add your comment, please click HERE
to go to our
website and scroll down to the Comments field. |
The Coming of the Cosmic Christ: The Healing of Mother Earth and the Birth of a Global
Renaissance
In what may be considered the most comprehensive outline of the Christian paradigm shift of our Age, Matthew Fox eloquently foreshadows the manner in which the spirit of Christ resurrects in terms of the return to an earth-based mysticism, the expression of creativity, mystical sexuality, the respect due the young, the rebirth of effective forms of worship—all of these mirroring the
ongoing blessings of Mother Earth and the recovery of Eros, the feminine aspect of the Divine.
“The eighth wonder of the world…convincing proof that our Western religious tradition does indeed have the depth of imagination to reinvent its faith.” — Brian Swimme, author of The Universe Story and Journey of the Universe. | |
Wrestling with the Prophets: Essays on Creation Spirituality and Everyday
Life In one of his foundational works, Fox engages with some of history’s greatest mystics, philosophers, and prophets in profound and hard-hitting essays on such varied topics as Eco-Spirituality, AIDS, homosexuality, spiritual feminism, environmental revolution, Native American spirituality, Christian mysticism, Art and Spirituality, Art as
Meditation, Interfaith or Deep Ecumenism and more. | |
The Reinvention of
Work: A New Vision of Livelihood For Our Time Thomas Aquinas said, “To live well is to work well,” and in this bold call for the revitalization of daily work, Fox shares his vision of a world where our personal and professional lives are celebrated in harmony–a world where the self is not sacrificed for a job but is sanctified by authentic “soul
work.” “Fox approaches the level of poetry in describing the reciprocity that must be present between one’s inner and outer work…[A]n important road map to social change.” ~~ National Catholic Reporter | |
Prayer: A Radical Response to Life How do prayer and mysticism relate to the struggle for social and ecological justice? Fox defines prayer as a radical response to life that includes our “Yes” to life (mysticism) and our “No” to forces that combat life (prophecy). How do we define adult prayer? And how—if at all—do prayer and mysticism relate to the struggle for social and ecological justice? One of Matthew Fox’s earliest books, originally published under the title On Becoming a Musical, Mystical
Bear: Spirituality American Style, Prayer introduces a mystical/prophetic spirituality and a mature conception of how to pray. Called a “classic” when it first appeared, it lays out the difference between the creation spirituality tradition and the fall/redemption tradition that has so dominated Western theology since Augustine. A practical and theoretical book, it lays the groundwork for Fox’s later works.ality, Art as Meditation, Interfaith or Deep Ecumenism and more. | |
See Matthew Fox's full calendar
HERE |
Join Matthew Fox and Brian Swimme in a new 7-week online course hosted by The Shift Network: "Science, Spirituality & the Noosphere: Deepen the Meaning of Your Life & the Power You Hold to Create Fulfillment & Happiness," beginning August 8. Register
HERE and receive access to a free introductory video. Join Matthew Fox for a Cosmic Mass and Panel Forum at the 2023 Parliament of the World’s Religions - A Call to Conscience: Defending Freedom & Human Rights, August 14-18 in Chicago, IL Wed., 8/16, 7:00pm CT - The Cosmic Mass - Honoring Gaia, Solidarity for Our Earth Thurs., 8/17, 1:00pm CT – Panel and Response to The Cosmic Mass Register HERE. |
Creation Spirituality Conversations |
Aaron Perry hosts Matthew Fox on the Y On
Earth podcast, on “Hildegard von Bingen & Her “Viriditas,” sharing profound wisdom and deep insights about the essential importance of our relationship with Mother Earth, our celebration of the Divine Feminine, and our connection with Creation Spirituality, drawing upon centuries
of knowledge and wisdom from indigenous and mystical traditions world-wide… particularly from the Rhineland Mystic Movement of the medieval European Renaissance, and a most extraordinary woman at its helm: Hildegard von Bingen. | |
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