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Fear
of Death & Destruction of Democracy: Otto Rank & Resurrection 01/25/2024 |
Psychologist Otto Rank defines “soul” as “rebirth” and interprets all of human history as a quest for immortality, a quest that drove the building of the pyramids in Egypt with all it cost in human lives and labor because people felt that if the pharaoh lived forever, others could participate vicariously in
his immortality. |
The same held true for kings, “the king is dead; God save the (new) king.” And for so many of our monuments to immorality from empire-building to amassing of fortunes (and towers with one’s name on them like certain politicians?). That the quest for
immortality |
"The Ozymandiaz Colossus." The fallen statue of King Ramses II at Luxor, Egypt, once thought to be a mythical king called Ozymandias, made a symbol of transience by 19th-century English poet Percy Shelley. Photo by Charlie Phillips on Flickr |
has evolved in various seasons of humanity’s history beginning with the survival of the tribe (an immortality idea) up through today’s drive to be a billionaire. This idea seems especially pertinent in a presidential election year where a certain candidate and his millions of followers appear to be willing to
jettison democracy in favor of authoritarianism and even dictatorship. |
Michelangelo Buonarroti, “The Last Judgment,” Sistine Chapel, The Vatican. Wikimedia Commons. | Rank, who is Jewish and not Christian, also felt that
Jesus’ and Paul’s notion of Resurrection was the “most revolutionary” idea to occur to humankind. Why? Because it totally democratizes immortality. Now neither pyramids nor empires were needed to |
thwart the fear of death: Now ordinary people could get on with living fully and moving through the universal fear of death. Now democracy as practiced lately has plenty of holes in it that need fixing. But abandoning the core of Jesus’ teaching—among others’—in favor of reverting to authoritarianism seems to
be déjà vu and very much a major move backwards. What follows from seeing the story of Resurrection as a story of Democracy and relating it to solving human ambitions toward empire-building, amassing of wealth and power, and authoritarianism and other immortality projects? |
In his recent study on Resurrection Logic*, biblical scholar Bruce Chilton explores the diverse appearances and interpretations of the Resurrection in the first century, how Paul’s and others’ experiences differed from one another, whether Mary Magdalene’s, Peter’s, John’s or “the 500”—many of whom Paul interviewed. |
Rev. Bruce Chilton responds to a questioner about the relationship between Paul and Mary Magdalene in their accounts of the Resurrection. IIPSGP1 |
Also, Emmaus and the last supper tradition play a role in our diverse “logics” around Resurrection, which Chilton recognizes as not historically provable, but its fruits are: We can measure its effects on history by way of those who believed in it profoundly. They changed history, as Rank proposed. |
*Bruce Chilton, Resurrection Logic: How Jesus’ First Followers Believed God Raised Him from the Dead (Baylor Univ Press, 2019).
Adapted from Matthew Fox, Creativity: Where the Divine and the Human Meet, pp. 118-153, 218-220
And Fox, One River, Many Wells: Wisdom Springing from Global Faiths, p. 368.
Banner Image: “La Résurrection” by Mantegna, Andrea, ca. 1459. Wikimedia Commons. |
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Queries for Contemplation Do you see a relationship between immortality projects and a collective quest for immortality? And the jettisoning of democracy in favor of
autocracy and authoritarianism to be an immortality project? |
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. |
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 |
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One River, Many Wells: Wisdom Springing from Global Faiths
Matthew Fox calls on all the world traditions for their wisdom and their inspiration in a work that is far more than a list of theological position papers but
a new way to pray—to meditate in a global spiritual context on the wisdom all our traditions share. Fox chooses 18 themes that are foundational to any spirituality and demonstrates how all the world spiritual traditions offer wisdom about each. “Reading One River, Many Wells is like entering the rich silence of a masterfully directed retreat. As you read this text, you reflect, you pray, you embrace Divinity. Truly no words can fully express my respect and awe for this
magnificent contribution to contemporary spirituality.” –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 “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 |
Matthew Fox’s episode on the Take Back Your Mind with Michael B. Beckwith Podcast, Mysticism & The Modern Age, is available on the Take Back Your Mind YouTube channel. To listen, play at right. |
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