The Creation Spirituality Lineage Calling All Social and Environmental Activists, Mystic Explorers, Justice Makers, Cosmic Thinkers, Earth Keepers |
Deep Ecumenism and the Via Transformativa |
08/17/2023
by Rick Reich-Kuykendall |
Today we will look at the place of Deep Ecumenism in
our walk along the Via Transformativa. BUDDHA AND JESUS |
Buddha lived a full life into his eighties and died a natural death. He knew midlife crisis and he knew serenity. Jesus, on the other hand, was a prophetic, angry, even impetuous Jew, and he was killed before his time when he was about thirty-three. What does this mean? Judaism and Christianity have a life force about them, a prophetic imperative, that is
essential; but Buddhism has a serenity and a sense of longevity that the West can use. My conclusion? We need both. Buddhism | |
needs the
West and the West needs Buddhism. Deep ecumenism is the movement that will unleash the
wisdom of all world religions— Hinduism and Buddhism, Islam and Judaism, Taoism and Shintoism, Christianity in all its forms, and native religions and goddess religions throughout the
world. |
Muslim women and children join thousands of international, interfaith water protectors supporting the Standing Rock Sioux against the Dakota Access
Pipeline, 10/29/2016. Photo by Avery White, Oceti Sakowin Camp, on Flickr. | There is only one great underground river, though there are numerous wells into it— Buddhist
wells and Taoist wells, Native American wells and Christian wells, Islamic wells, and Judaic wells. |
Mysticism will replace Jesusolatry in religious circles, and it will be an age of Deep Ecumenism, wherein the wisdom of Cosmic Christ traditions of all world religions will offer us ways to pray and enter into the
sacred mystery of the universe and of our own souls. |
Like all authentic ecumenism the result will not be to abandon one’s tradition but to
demand more of it.
Native peoples teach
that the ultimate norm for morality is the impact our choices have on persons living seven generations from now. If the results appear good for them, then our choices are moral ones, if not, they are immoral. | |
See Matthew Fox, Creativity: Where the Divine and Human Meet, p. 254
Also see Fox, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ: The Healing of Mother Earth and the Birth of a Global Renaissance, pp. 228,
230, 236, 23
Also see Fox, The Reinvention of Work: A New Vision of Livelihood For Our Time, pp. 88-89
Banner Image: “Greenfaith – An interfaith delegation was arrested as they stood in front of BlackRock’s shareholder meeting to call on the multi-trillion-dollar asset manager to end its fossil fuel investments.” Photo by Felton Davis on Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/felton-nyc/52122236615 |
Queries for Contemplation Is there an aspect of Deep Ecumenism that you incorporate into your spiritual practice? |
Responses are welcomed. To add your comment, please click HERE
to go to our
website and scroll down to the Comments field. |
Creativity: Where the Divine and Human Meet Because creativity is the key to both our genius and beauty as a species but also to our capacity for evil, we need to teach creativity and to teach ways of steering this God-like power in directions that promote love of life (biophilia) and not love of death (necrophilia). Pushing well beyond the bounds of
conventional Christian doctrine, Fox’s focus on creativity attempts nothing less than to shape a new ethic. “Matt Fox is a pilgrim who seeks a path into the church of tomorrow. Countless numbers will be happy to follow his lead.” –Bishop John Shelby Spong, author, Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, Living in
Sin | |
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. | |
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 | |
See Matthew Fox's full calendar
HERE |
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. |
Join Matthew Fox as he discusses “Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society” at an online Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat, Thursday, August 24, 4:00pm-6:00pm PT. 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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