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Honoring Thomas Aquinas’s Non-Dualism & Proto-Feminism 03/18/2024 |
I opened an e-mail early this morning, from a woman leader who is very committed to women’s rights, including the ordination of women. She asked me to make the case for attending our summer workshop in Orvieto, Italy, on Thomas Aquinas. I am happy to make that case. |
In my major study on Aquinas, Sheer Joy: Conversations with Thomas Aquinas on Creation Spirituality, I devote several pages in the Introduction both to Aquinas’s “clay feet” where he cites the mistaken biology about women by Aristotle, and to his being a precursor of the feminist movement. I call him a “proto-feminist.” Why do I do that? |
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The late Catholic feminist theologian Dr. Rosemary Ruether has written how the foundation of Patriarchy is dualism: the dualism of matter vs. spirit, soul vs. body, and all that follows from that, culminating in male dominating female. Much of that dualism is traceable to Plato and the Neo-Platonists including, in the Christian tradition, St. Augustine who was a Neo-Platonist. He said such things as “the soul makes war with
the body,” and “spirit is whatever is not matter.” |
William Blake, who was a painter and printmaker as well as a poet, depicted the dualism of “The Good and Evil Angels” in a watercolor painted in 1795, now in the Tate Gallery. Photo from the William Blake Archive. Wikimedia Commons. | Aquinas spent his entire adult life putting distance between himself and such dualism, insisting that “we ought to cherish the body” and “celebrate the wonderful communion of body and soul.” That is why he
was so eager to bring Aristotle into the corpus of Christian theology, in preference to Plato. And he paid a great price for doing so. Upon his death, he was condemned three times by bishops of |
Paris (where he taught for many years) and of Oxford—for teaching about the “consubstantiality of body and soul,” that is to say, non-dualism. Aquinas rejected Augustine’s understanding of spirit as “whatever is not matter,” and instead defined spirit as “the vitality in
everything.” Thus a blade of grass contains spirit and a tree, a fish and all creation. |
By committing himself to non-dualism, Aquinas pulls the rug out from under the foundation of Patriarchy itself (as Ruether has defined it). Therefore, he is a champion of all those women and men who want to move beyond dualism and take a stand with the spirituality of matter. |
Moving beyond dualism: Eden Amadora describes what it’s like to embody the Divine Feminine in the modern world. Video by Eden
Amadora. |
This movement has exploded in our time with the help of science. By proving that matter and light are one and the same, science has undone dualism once and for all, if we listen.
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See Matthew Fox, Sheer Joy: Conversations with Thomas Aquinas on Creation Spirituality, pp. 36-48, 149-156. And Fox, The Tao of Thomas Aquinas: Fierce Wisdom For Hard Times, pp. 57-64. And Rosemary Ruether, “Patristic Spirituality and the Experience of Women in the Early Church,” in Fox, ed., Western Spirituality: Historical Roots, Ecumenical Routes, pp. 140-163. Banner image: An art
installation at the Middelheimmuseum in the Netherlands, depicting the unity of Heaven and Earth. Art by Adrien Tirtiaux, photo by Funkyxian. Wikimedia Commons. |
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Queries for Contemplation What implications do you see in moving from defining spirit as “whatever is not matter,” to a non-dualistic mindset regarding
women’s rights? And also regarding the future of the survival of Mother Earth and her many astounding creatures? And about the marriage of science and spirituality? |
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. |
Sheer Joy: Conversations with Thomas Aquinas on Creation
Spirituality
Matthew Fox renders Thomas Aquinas accessible by interviewing him and thus descholasticizing him. He also translated many of his works such as Biblical commentaries never before in English (or Italian or German of French). He gives Aquinas a forum so that he can be heard in our own time. He presents Thomas Aquinas entirely in his own words, but in a form designed to
allow late 20th-century minds and hearts to hear him in a fresh way.
“The teaching of Aquinas comes through will a fullness and an insight that has never been present in English before and [with] a vital message for the world today.” ~ Fr. Bede Griffiths (Afterword).
Foreword by Rupert Sheldrake |
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The Tao of Thomas Aquinas: Fierce Wisdom for Hard Times
A stunning spiritual handbook drawn from the substantive teachings of Aquinas’ mystical/prophetic genius, offering a sublime roadmap for spirituality and action.
Foreword by Ilia Delio.
“What a wonderful book! Only Matt Fox could bring to life the wisdom and brilliance of Aquinas with so much
creativity. The Tao of Thomas Aquinas is a masterpiece.”
–Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit |
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Western Spirituality: Historical Roots, Ecumenical Routes In this book, Fox gathers scholars from various cultures and traditions such as Helen Kenik, Jon Sobrino, Nicolas Berdyaev, Rosemary
Ruether, M. D. Chenu, Mary Jose Hobday, Ronald Miller, Monika Hellwig, James Kenney, Justin O’Brien and others to approach creation spirituality from many traditions and many angles.
“An exciting and important book…a pleasant alternative to the oppressive burden of the fall/redemption tradition.” ~ New Review of Books and Religion |
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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 |
Join Matthew Fox as he discusses his book Passion for Creation: The Earth-Honoring Spirituality of Meister Eckhart in an Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat, Thursday, March 21, 4:00-5:30 pm PT.
Register HERE. |
Join Matthew Fox, Mariko Middleton and Skylar Wilson of the Order of the Sacred Earth in a free virtual meeting for connection and networking with other mystic warriors, Tuesday, March 26, 4:00-5:00pm PT. Learn more at www.orderofthesacredearth.org |
Join Matthew Fox as he discusses his book Sheer Joy: Conversations with Thomas Aquinas on Creation Spirituality in an Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat, Thursday, April 18, 4:00-5:30 pm PT.
Register
HERE. |
Join Matthew Fox as he discusses his book Natural Grace: Dialogues on Creation, Darkness and the Soul in Spirituality and Science in an Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat, Thursday, May 16, 4:00-5:30 pm PT.
Register HERE. |
Creation Spirituality Conversations |
Matthew Fox speaks on "What the Mystics Tell Us About Dying" at the 2024 Symposium on Death and Bereavement Studies. To listen, click the video thumbnail at right. |
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