The Creation Spirituality Lineage Calling All Social and Environmental Activists, Mystic Explorers, Justice Makers, Cosmic Thinkers, Earth Keepers Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox |
Science Calls Earth “A Rare Gem in a Universe Very Hostile to Life” 12/18/2023 |
Physicist Marcelo Gleiser reminds us that science is asking this question: “Are we alone in the Universe?” And: We live in
this very special time when we can actually begin to answer this question. And it all points to our planet being a rare gem in a Universe that is very hostile to life.* |
Knowing the laws of physics and chemistry (Rupert Sheldrake prefers to call them “habits,”), “there should be other worlds with life .... But life is not so simple as large numbers.” Physicists and biologists don’t look at reality in the same way, biologists know “only too well that life is enormously complex.” It has taken Earth “many |
An animation explaining how, and where, the first unicellular life may have emerged, in spite of the extremely hostile conditions of early Earth. Video by TED-Ed. |
truly mind-boggling steps to go from non-life to the first living creatures, and then on to complex unicellular life and multicellular creatures.” |
Unicellular algae chlorella. For more than half of our planet’s 4 billion year history, the only life forms were unicellular. Photo by Andrei Savitsky. Wikimedia Commons. | Life changes its host planet in dramatic ways. “The planet provides the basic support for life to be possible and life acts back on the planet and changes
it.” The Earth is very different today than it was 3 billion years ago when only single-celled organisms peopled it. Those organisms dramatically increased the oxygen levels in the atmosphere, and made life as we know it possible—human life included. |
We can talk about a “survival equation: Bad water + bad air = sick life.” That is what humans are currently doing to the Earth. We have “permanently scarred Earth” and are rendering life sick. |
Can this news from science move us to rethink how we relate to one another, the Earth and all Earth creatures? It is the question in which we must hold all our preoccupations with wars in Ukraine and Gaza; courts struggling with an ex-president’s |
ScienceCasts explains recent innovations in monitoring the health of our “Blue Marble” from the Deep Space Climate Observatory. Video by ScienceAtNASA. |
felonies; climate change; the Supreme Court’s supreme perfidy; inflation; misogyny in Texas and beyond; China wanting to invade Taiwan; the diminution of Democracy; the rise of authoritarianism the world over. It resets Advent, Hanukkah, Christmas—and all human concerns--in a larger and more cosmic setting.
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*Marcelo Gleiser, “Exoplanet discoveries reveal Earth’s profound rarity in the cosmos.” See
Matthew Fox, “Blessings of the Flesh: Universe Flesh, Earth Flesh, Human Flesh,” in Fox, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul & Society, pp, 21-104.
See also Fox, Chrisian Mystics, pp. 218, 234. And Fox, Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality, pp. 250-292.
And Fox, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ: The Healing of Mother Earth and the Birth of a Global Renaissance.
And Fox and Bishop Marc Andrus, Stations of the Cosmic Christ. Banner image: Our “little blue marble” teeming with organic life, as viewed from an even smaller gray rock with no organic life. Photo taken by the Apollo 11 astronauts for the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Wikimedia
Commons. |
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Queries for Contemplation How does it feel to hear a scientist speak of Earth as a “rare gem in a universe very hostile to life”? How does that affect your
understanding of Christmas and of Advent, a time of anticipation and preparation? |
Responses are welcomed. To add
your comment, or read other comments and enter into dialog, please click HERE to go to our website and scroll down to the Comments field. |
Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society
Visionary theologian and best-selling author Matthew Fox offers a new theology of evil
that fundamentally changes the traditional perception of good and evil and points the way to a more enlightened treatment of ourselves, one another, and all of nature. In comparing the Eastern tradition of the 7 chakras to the Western tradition of the 7 capital sins, Fox allows us to think creatively about our capacity for personal and institutional evil and what we can do about them.
“A scholarly
masterpiece embodying a better vision and depth of perception far beyond the grasp of any one single science. A breath-taking analysis.” — Diarmuid O’Murchu, author of Quantum Theology: Spiritual Implications of the New Physics |
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Christian Mystics: 365 Readings & Meditations As Matthew Fox notes, when an aging Albert Einstein was asked if he had any
regrets, he replied, “I wish I had read more of the mystics earlier in my life.” The 365 writings in Christian Mystics represent a wide-ranging sampling of these readings for modern-day seekers of all faiths — or no faith. The visionaries quoted range from Julian of Norwich to Martin Luther King, Jr., from Thomas Merton to Dorothee Soelle and Thomas Berry. “Our
world is in crisis, and we need road maps that can ground us in wisdom, inspire us to action, and help us gather our talents in service of compassion and justice. This revolutionary book does just that. Matthew Fox takes some of the most profound spiritual teachings of the West and translates them into practical daily mediations. Study and practice these teachings. Take what’s in this book and teach it to the youth because the new generation cannot afford to suffer the
spirit and ethical illiteracy of the past.” — Adam Bucko, spiritual activist and co-founder of the Reciprocity Foundation for Homeless Youth. |
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Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality
Matthew Fox lays out a whole new direction for Christianity—a direction that is in fact very ancient and very grounded in Jewish thinking (the fact that Jesus was a Jew
is often neglected by Christian theology): the Four Paths of Creation Spirituality, the Vias Positiva, Negativa, Creativa and Transformativa in an extended and deeply developed way.
“Original Blessing makes available to the Christian world and to the human community a radical cure for all dark and derogatory views of the natural world wherever these may have originated.” –Thomas Berry, author,
The Dream of the Earth; The Great Work; co-author, The Universe Story |
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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. |
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Stations of the Cosmic Christ
By Matthew Fox and Bishop Marc Andrus.
This is a book of meditations on the Cosmic Christ, accompanying the images of
16 wonderful clay tablets by Javier Ullrrich Lemus and M.C. Richards. Together, these images and meditations go far beyond the traditional Stations of the Cross to inspire a spirit awakening and understanding of the cosmic Christ Consciousness, Buddha consciousness, and consciousness of the image of God in all beings, so needed in our times.
“A divinely inspired book that must be read by every human being devoted to
spiritual and global survival. It is cosmically brilliant.” — Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit |
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In the Beginning There Was Joy: A Cosmic Celebration for Kids of All Ages
The first book in the Father Fox’s Fantastical Fables series tells the story of the big bang and how humans fit into the awesome, fantastical, cosmic picture! With artwork curated from illustrators around the world, this book expresses the joy and wonder of all peoples and cultures, planting seeds of respect, cooperation and hope to work together for the healing of our planet. "Matthew Fox does it again, here for our young ones, who so need a positive, cosmic vision to thrive, or even survive, in a sad time." - Father Richard Rohr, Author of The Universal Christ "Matthew Fox offers a resounding
affirmation of what our souls have always suspected: we are made for joy." - Mirabai Starr, Author of God of Love and Wild Mercy Receive a 20% discount when you buy this and one other book from Matthew Fox’s store! Use Promo Code 20% at
checkout. |
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________________________________________________________________ UPCOMING EVENTS See Matthew Fox's full calendar
HERE |
SPECIAL EVENT: 5-DAY WORKSHOP IN AQUINAS’ HOMETOWN OF ORVIETO, ITALY
WITH MATTHEW FOX, MESHI CHAVEZ, AND CLAUDIA PICARDI
JUNE 9-14, 2024
LEARN MORE HERE. |
Join Matthew Fox as he discusses his book “Confessions: The Making of a Post-Denominational Priest ” in an Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat.Thursday, January 18, 4:00-6:00 pm PT Register HERE |
Join Matthew Fox as he lectures on “What the Mystics Tell Us About Dying “ at the Conference on Death, Grief and Belief, “Emerging Spiritualities: Death and Bereavement Across the Spiritual Spectrum,” Saturday, January 20, 9:00am – 5:00pm PT Register HERE |
Join Matthew Fox as he discusses his book “The Lotus & The Rose” in an Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat. Thursday, February 15, 4:00-6:00 pm PT Register HERE |
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Creation Spirituality Conversations |
Hunger for Wholeness:
What is Wholeness in the Midst of Crisis with Matthew Fox (Part 1) In the midst of increased violence between Israel and Palestine, Ilia Delio and theologian Matthew Fox discuss the state of the world today and how to have courage in Part 1 of their conversation. Ilia and Matt discuss his mentor, Marie Dominique Chenu, the influence of liberation theology
on social justice in the church today, and what can still be learned.
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Inspired by this post? Share your insights on Universeodon, Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #RevDrMatthewFox and tag Matt with @RevDrMatthewFox FOLLOW MATTHEW FOX: |
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