The Creation Spirituality Lineage Calling All Social and Environmental Activists, Mystic Explorers, Justice Makers, Cosmic Thinkers, Earth Keepers Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox |
Watch for Matthew Fox's
video meditation -- now appearing every Monday! |
Aquinas, Chenu, Feminism, Sheldrake
on Nature as Revelation 03/23/2024 |
Aquinas’s respect for matter, nature and science is laid bare in this one teaching from him: ”Revelation comes in two volumes: Nature and the Bible.” He is putting the work of the scientist on a plane equal to that of Biblical exegetes. |
Chenu summarizes Aquinas’s teaching this way: The subtle analysis Aquinas used to vindicate the interiority of consciousness and the freedom of spirit, despite the limitations of matter, did nothing to allay suspicion. Aquinas paid a price for his
proto- |
|
feminism and that “suspicion” got him condemned three times before he was canonized and that in turn prevented his proto-feminism from taking hold in the church. As Chenu puts it, “The delayed approval of his theology was destined to make it official rather than practically effective.” I ask: Until our time and the women’s movement? Our time and the evolutionary and expanding universe? Our time and quantum mechanics? In his Forward to my book Sheer Joy, British scientist Rupert Sheldrake praises Aquinas for being “a holistic thinker”
who “went much further than most modern holists in recognizing the all-pervasive influence of the spiritual realm.” |
|
| He endorses Aquinas’s “amazing vista of thought” that is so much richer than the mechanical view of
the world that dominates Western science. Aquinas compares the pervasive nature of the soul with that of God: ‘The whole human soul is in the |
whole body and also in every part of the body, just as God is present to the entire universe.’ This suggest to me a need to look for a connection between modern conceptions of fields and energy and aspects of God’s being. |
Sheldrake makes the surprising observation that the future of biology is Aristotle. Why? Because Aristotle speaks of a “final cause” intrinsic to things, and today’s biology is finally speaking of something parallel. |
Sheldrake also observes that in Aquinas’s teachings on angels, if you substitute the word quantum for angel you have today’s quantum mechanics. In our book on The Physics of Angels, Rupert writes how Aquinas’s “reasoning has extraordinary |
|
parallels to both quantum and relativity theories,” and his description of how angels move from one place to another “is just like Einstein’s description of the movement of a photon of light." |
Adapted from Matthew Fox, Sheer Joy: Conversations with Thomas Aquinas on Creation Spirituality, pp. xv-xviii, 48. Matthew Fox and Rupert Sheldrake, The Physics of Angels: Exploring the Realm where Science and Spirit, pp. 23, 42f., 96-100, 185-187. And Fox, The Tao of Thomas Aquinas: Fierce Wisdom For Hard Times, pp. 17-20, 159-166. Banner image: Glory of God in nature. Photo by David Marcu on Unsplash
|
|
Queries for Contemplation Do you agree with Aquinas that both nature and the Scriptures constitute two sources of revelation? What follows from
that? Are there others as well? |
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 |
|
The Physics of Angels: Exploring the Realm Where Science & Spirit Meet
By Matthew Fox and Rupert Sheldrake
When was the last time a scientist and a theologian discussed angels together? What are angels? Many people believe in angels, but few can define these enigmatic spirits. Now visionary theologian Matthew Fox and acclaimed biologist Rupert Sheldrake—pioneers in modern religious thinking and scientific
theory—launch a groundbreaking exploration into the ancient concept of the angel and restore dignity, meaning, and joy to our time-honored belief in these heavenly beings. |
|
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 |
|
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. "This delicious book for children of all ages celebrates joy as the essential truth of
reality." -
Andrew Harvey, Author of The Hope and Radical Regeneration "I absolutely LOVED reading this beautiful, creative, stirring story." - Robert Holden, Author of Happiness NOW! and Higher Purpose Receive a 20% discount when you buy this and one other book from Matthew Fox’s store! Use Promo Code 20% at checkout. |
|
UPCOMING EVENTS See Matthew Fox's full calendar
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 HERE. |
|
Inspired by this post? Share your insights on Universeodon, Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #RevDrMatthewFox and tag Matt with @RevDrMatthewFox FOLLOW MATTHEW FOX: |
|
|
|
