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Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox 

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By Gianluigi Gugliermetto

6/18/2025

My brain is buzzing with ideas about what it means right now to be a man. No doubt, the buzzing is due to the wealth of input that Matthew has given us in his recent DMs on this topic, but also by the very fact that dealing with masculinities means to get one step deeper into the diagnosis of our present plight.

Thomas Moore says — as Matthew just reminded us — that “monster boys” are running the world. This has never been so visible as it is now. In fact, I don’t know anybody who is not aware of the “toddler problem” except those who pretend not to know, perhaps because they work for the toddler. The “male 

“Tantrums, weak self-control cut against Trump outside the MAGA bubble.” Although this aired a year ago, it still describes his behavior quite accurately. MSNBC

toddler archetype” gets embodied in different ways, although it always includes basic narcissism and tantrums, and often the refrain “I am the victim!”

The big question, of course, is why so-called developed societies invest with power today certain males who have reached at most the mental development of three-year olds. And this, in turn, calls into question what is “development?”

As for my own development as a thinker and a human being, the work of Adrienne Rich and many other feminists has been essential. My Ph.D. dissertation was in feminist theology, a fact which makes of me objectively a rarity as a man. Yet I am still dealing, at the age of 59, with issues related to my father. And recently, I realized that my own mental system re-runs the “male toddler archetype” from time to time, as a default mode.

“Cure Violence Experts Say More Must Be Done At Schools To Prevent Teen Violence.” CBS New York

This realization, together with my studies, helps me get a deeper grasp of the question of questions of our time, which is not — to my mind — “Why there is so much violence right now in the world?” but “Why have we not been able to curb the amount of violence through culture and education?”

Perhaps because we have become aware only recently that the root of the problem is unhealthy masculinity. Those who try to educate the public about gender issues are still facing hypocritical rejoinders such as “You are attacking masculinity” even though they are criticizing unhealthy masculinity, not masculinity as such. Movements such as “Me Too” are misunderstood, but also mishandled or trivialized.

In Italy, where I live, there is an ever-increasing reporting of deadly violence against women by their partners (“femminicidi”), with the age of victims and perpetrators lowering all the time. Last week, a young teenager was smashed by her ex-boyfriend with a rock, simply because she refused to continue the relationship. The rock added poignancy to the horror, as many of us thought about the stoning of “unfaithful” women throughout patriarchal cultures.

The Italian government has issued decrees (by way of emergency) which increase penalties for such crimes, yet the same government is also making it impossible to teach sex education in schools. Are they 

“The Stoning of an Adulteress,” illustration to a manuscript of 1001 Nights by Abu’l Hasan Ghaffari or his atelier. Tehran, 1853-1857. Wikimedia Commons

schizophrenic? Not particularly, just like any other fascist government.

For all the terrible aspects of the time we are living in, there is , I believe, one silver lining. At last, through the big ugly show that the male toddler-in-chief is giving to the world every day, and the recent fight with his peer toddler, the root issue is now clear to everybody who can see. It is the issue of toxic masculinity.

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EngageForDemocracy offers curated trustworthy reporting, educational resources, and action campaigns to hold government accountable to the Constitution and democratic norms. 
 

See Matthew Fox, The Hidden Spirituality of Men: Ten Metaphors to Awaken the Sacred Masculine.

Also Fox, Trump and the MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election

And Fox, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society

And Fox, The A.W.E. Project: Reinventing Education, Reinventing the Human

And Adam Bucko and Matthew Fox, Occupy Spirituality: A Radical Vision for a New Generation

Banner image: “Trump Toddler.” Artist is SeiLeise. Posted by Julia Tulke. Flickr.

Queries for Contemplation

How is my gender affecting my spirituality in the world? If I identify as a
man, what issues do I still need to tackle with regard to such identification?

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.

Recommended Reading

The Hidden Spirituality of Men: Ten Metaphors to Awaken the Sacred Masculine

To awaken what Fox calls “the sacred masculine,” he unearths ten metaphors, or archetypes, ranging from the Green Man, an ancient pagan symbol of our fundamental relationship with nature,  to the Spiritual Warrior….These timeless archetypes can inspire men to pursue their higher calling to connect to their deepest selves and to reinvent the world.
“Every man on this planet should read this book — not to mention every woman who wants to understand the struggles, often unconscious, that shape the men they know.” — Rabbi Michael Lerner, author of The Left Hand of God

The Return of Father Sky: A Cosmic Mystery for Kids of All Ages

The second book in the Father Fox’s Fantastical Fables series, The Return of Father Sky helps boys and girls to celebrate a new relationship with the masculine by way of Father Sky, whose return excites joy and wonder and possibility that enlarge the soul to welcome others and all creation. Written in a rhyming Dr. Seuss-like style, this full-color, beautifully illustrated book, written by world- renowned theologian Matthew Fox weaves together modern science and classic spirituality in a whimsical, entertaining format to illustrate important truths to readers aged 4 and up. 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.

Occupy Spirituality: A Radical Vision for a New Generation

Authors Adam Bucko and Matthew Fox encourage us to use our talents in service of compassion and justice and to move beyond our broken systems–economic, political, educational, and religious–discovering a spirituality that not only helps us to get along, but also encourages us to reevaluate our traditions, transforming them and in the process building a more sacred and just world. Incorporating the words of young activist leaders culled from interviews and surveys, the book provides a framework that is deliberately interfaith and speaks to our profound yearning for a life with spiritual purpose and for a better world.
“Occupy Spirituality is a powerful, inspiring, and vital call to embodied awareness and enlightened actions.”
~~ Julia Butterfly Hill, environmental activist and author of The Legacy of Luna: The Story of a Tree, a Woman, and the Struggle to Save the Redwoods

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

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

Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election

Matthew Fox tells us that he had always shied away from using the term “Anti-Christ” because it was so often used to spread control and fear. However, given today’s rise of authoritarianism and forces of democracide, ecocide, and christofascism, he turns the tables in this book employing the archetype for the cause of justice, democracy, and a renewed Earth and humanity.
From the Foreword: If there was ever a time, a moment, for examining the archetype of the Antichrist, it is now…Read this book with an open mind. Good and evil are real forces in our world. ~~ Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit and Conversations with the Divine.
For immediate access to Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election, order the e-book with 10 full-color prints from Amazon HERE. 
To get a print-on-demand paperback copy with black & white images, order from Amazon HERE or IUniverse HERE. 
To receive a limited-edition, full-color paperback copy, order from MatthewFox.org HERE.
Order the audiobook HERE for immediate download.

The A.W.E. Project: Reinventing Education, Reinventing the Human

The A.W.E. Project reminds us that awe is the appropriate response to the unfathomable wonder that is creation… A.W.E. is also the acronym for Fox’s proposed style of learning – an approach to balance the three R’s. This approach to learning, eldering, and mentoring is intelligent enough to honor the teachings of the Ancestors, to nurture Wisdom in addition to imparting knowledge, and to Educate through Fox’s 10 C’s. The 10 C’s are the core of the A.W.E. philosophy and process of education, and include: compassion, contemplation, and creativity. The A.W.E. Project does for the vast subject of “learning” what Fox’s Reinvention of Work did for vocation and Original Blessing did for theology. Included in the book is a dvd of the 10 C’s put to 10 video raps created and performed by Professor Pitt.
“An awe-based vision of educational renewal.” — Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice.

UPCOMING EVENTS

See Matthew Fox's full calendar HERE

Join Matthew Fox in a new 6-month program of mystical wisdom for a new world. In this 6-month immersion program with Matthew, you’ll explore what it means to be a modern mystic and prophet, integrating this sacred knowledge into your life through the authentic teachings of Jesus and other wisdom keepers. This journey births what Matthew calls Christianity 2.0 — based not on dogma, but on a spirituality that recovers the sacred sense of original goodness. By Application only - apply HERE Register for a free information session HERE

Join Matthew Fox in a 6-Class Course: The Great Christian Mystics, exploring some of the richest and most inspiring mystic-prophets in the Christian lineage, including Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich, Mechtild of Magdeburg, Thomas Aquinas, and Meister Eckhart. Open-ended course includes six modules of pre-recorded lessons, live community discussions, and live conversations with Matthew Fox. Starts Tuesday, May 20; 10% off discount code: FOX-10

Register HERE.

MONTHLY: Join Matthew Fox 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  

July 18, 11:30 am PT -- Join Matthew Fox in Angelology: The Physics of Angels, hosted by The Fintry Trust. 

Learn more HERE.

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