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Week of 7/15-20/2024: The
Divine Feminine; Resurrection & Reincarnation 07/21/2024 |
July 15, 2024: What About Resurrection and Reincarnation?
One reader posed the following question to Matthew: Have you given any thought to whether the idea of “one shot at life is all anybody ever gets, and then your
soul goes to heaven or hell,” especially when compared to the alternative that our souls reincarnate many times? Matthew responds: “I have written about versions of immortality, resurrection and reincarnation in my book, One River Many Wells: Wisdom Springing from Global Faiths.” He shares a poem by Hafiz: Your existence, my dear, O love my dear,/has been sealed and marked/”Too sacred,” “too sacred,” by the Beloved—/to ever end!/Indeed, God has written a thousand
promises/all over your heart/that say,/Life, life, life/is far too sacred to/ever end. |
Matthew Fox discusses how he came to write “One River, Many Wells” in 2004. Video by YELLAWE. July 16, 2024: Resurrection and Reincarnation, continued
Most people tend to think of Resurrection and Reincarnation as opposing belief systems, but Matthew tells us they have more in common than we might think. Both philosophies espouse the idea that the life we are living now is not the sole version of our existence. As Eckhart said, “Life dies, existence goes
on.” We also have the Resurrection teachings of Thomas Aquinas: That there are two resurrections, one of the soul, which happens in this lifetime, and one of the body. Matthew also teaches that Resurrection traditions are found in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. July 17, 2024: After Death: Stanislav Groff, Rabbi Zaslow and St. Paul
Continuing our reflections on Resurrection and Reincarnation, we explore this quotation by Stanislav Groff: Modern consciousness research
has validated many of the claims of the great mystical traditions.It has shown that the spiritual scriptures, rather than being products of primitive minds dominated by willful and magical thinking, describe with great accuracy experiences in non-ordinary states of consciousness. Meanwhile, Rabbi David Zaslow offers a commentary on Resurrection when he says: As surprising at it may sound to Jews today, the idea that Jesus may have been resurrected, and that his martyrdom has atoning
power, is not a departure from Jewish theology. In the first century, Rabbi Ishmael, before dying at the hands fo the Romans, prayed to be "an atonement for the children of Israel."* |
Ancient Jewish vision of resurrection: fresco from the Dura-Europos synagogue (pre-second century CE). Wikimedia Commons. |
July 18, 2024: Hildegard of Bingen’s Vision of the Divine Feminine
During the Republican convention, we notice no mention whatsoever of the Earth or climate change. Some reflections on the Divine Feminine may
help counterbalance the sins of omission being committed in current day politics. [FROM THE ARCHIVE: 5/15/2019] Hildegard of Bingen shares an extraordinary vision she had about the Divine Feminine. She describes a young woman so radiant in such a clear, lightning-like brilliance of countenance that you can’t fully look at her…. She tells us: The whole of creation calls this maiden ‘Lady.’ For it was from her that all of creation proceeded, since Love was the
first. Love was in eternity and brought forth, in the beginning of all holiness, all creatures without any admixture of evil. Hildegard recognized that when women come into their own, there will be an end to the power-over dynamics that have blighted the planet. July 19, 2024: Transformation and the Divine Feminine: Rich & Eckhart
We continue to explore the Divine Feminine in the face of an extremely patriarchal political party currently holding a convention. [FROM
THE ARCHIVE: 2/8/2022] Adrienne Rich tells us: The images of the prepatriarchal goddess-cults did one thing; they told women that power, awesomeness, and centrality were theirs by nature, not by privilege or miracle; the female was primary. Meanwhile, Indian art historian and Hindu philosopher Ananda Coomaraswamy recognizes that “Eckhart thinks of God as a mother.” Rich also says, regarding biological motherhood,“woman was not merely a producer and stabilizer of life: there, too, she
was a transformer.”** |
July 20, 2024: Julian of Norwich Celebrating Divine Wisdom and the Feminine
In light of the convention currently happening in Milwaukee, it feels like a good time to talk about Wisdom and the Divine
Feminine. [FROM THE ARCHIVE: 9/16/21] When Julian of Norwich said “the deep wisdom of the Trinity is our Mother,” she was linking together Wisdom, Divinity (understood in its richness and diversity as Trinity), Motherhood,and the Feminine. In Proverbs 1:20f, Wisdom is personified: Wisdom calls aloud in the streets, she raises her voice in the public squares;she calls out at the street corners. She delivers her message at the city gates. Wisdom is not an elitist. She is eager to
speak truth and justice to all, especially the oppressed. Like a mother who cares. |
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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. |
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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Hildegard of Bingen’s Book of Divine Works: With Letters and Songs
Today there are many websites and Hildegard groups that celebrate and honor Hildegard’s teachings, philosophy, art, and music. Author Matthew Fox
writes in Hildegard of Bingen about this amazing woman and what we can learn from her. In an era when women were marginalized, Hildegard was an outspoken, controversial figure. Yet so visionary was her insight that she was sought out by kings, popes, abbots, and bishops for advice. A sixteenth century follower of Martin Luther called her “the first Protestant” because of her appeals to reform the church. As a writer, composer, philosopher, Christian mystic, Benedictine abbess, healer, artist,
feminist, and student of science, Hildegard was a pioneer in many fields in her day. |
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Julian of Norwich: Wisdom in a Time of Pandemic–and Beyond
Julian of Norwich lived through the dreadful bubonic plague that killed close to 50% of Europeans. Being an anchoress, she ‘sheltered in place’ and developed a
deep wisdom that she shared in her book, Showings, which was the first book in English by a woman. A theologian way ahead of her time, Julian develops a feminist understanding of God as mother at the heart of nature’s goodness. Fox shares her teachings in this powerful and timely and inspiring book.
“What an utterly magnificent book. The work of Julian of Norwich, lovingly
supported by the genius of Matthew Fox, is a roadmap into the heart of the eco-spiritual truth that all life breathes together.” –Caroline Myss
Now also available as an audiobook HERE. |
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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 |
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UPCOMING EVENTS See Matthew Fox's full calendar
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MONTHLY: 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. Last Tuesday of every month, 4:00-5:00pm PT.
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88665302478
Meeting ID: 886 6530 2478 Learn more at www.orderofthesacredearth.org |
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Matthew Fox speaks on "Preserving Things in the Good" at the Unity of Walnut Creek Earth Day worship service held on April 21, 2024. |
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