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Thank You, Walter Brueggemann! By Matthew Fox 6/09/2025
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Yesterday I learned of the death of theologian Walter Brueggemann at the age of 92. Like many theologians of my generation and beyond, I was deeply influenced by him—his work is central to mine in creation spirituality. In fact, I just counted 11 times that I cited him in my Original Blessing book alone. |
Immediately I went to my bookshelf and pulled down six books of his. Since my bookshelves are not perfectly in order, I no doubt have more. Among the titles were these: The Prophetic Imagination; The Land; The Bible and Postmodern Imagination; In Man We Trust: The Neglected Side of Biblical Faith; Praying the Psalms. One of my favorite texts from Brueggemann that I have employed numerous times—it helps to underscore why art as meditation—the way of the |
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prophets—is so central to any training in creation spirituality that I have designed. It is from his book, The Prophetic Imagination, which sold over one million copies in his lifetime—and for good reason: Every totalitarian regime is frightened by the artist….Indeed, poetic imagination is the last way left in which to challenge and conflict the dominant reality. And another, about humans being entrusted with divine responsibility: What God does first and best and most is to trust his people with their moment in history. He trusts them to do what must be done for the sake of his whole community. |
Mundelein College was a private Catholic women’s college, now part of Loyola University Chicago. Archangel Jophiel graces its façade. Photo by Advocateloyola. Wikimedia Commons. | When I was directing our ICCS (Institute of Culture and Creation Spirituality) at Mundelein College in Chicago from about 1976 to 1983 (when we moved it to Holy Names College in Oakland), we invited Walter to lecture in our program. I remember sitting next to one of our students
who was a poet, and she turned to me half-way |
through his talk and said: “This guy wears his testicles on his tongue!” That was her way of saying he was an impressive and passionate speaker. The poet’s name was Lee Pieper and I cite one of her short poems in my Original Blessing book: Blessed be the beds that bring us down to worship one another in the night— Never; oh never naked enough to know the
Being of the other. And another, which surely owes something directly to Brueggemann who was such a great scholar of the prophets: |
Many are called but most are frozen in corporate or collective cold, these are the stalled who chose not to be chosen except to be bought and sold. Another special connection I had with Brueggemann was through I think his only doctoral student, for whom
he |
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directed a doctoral thesis (at least this was the case the last time I heard). Dr. Helen Kenik was a former Dominican sister and a member of our faculty for several years at ICCS at Holy Names College, who published a very foundational article in my book, Western Spirituality: Historical Roots, Ecumenical Routes. Called “Toward a Biblical Basis for Creation Theology.” There she lays out the theme of “royal personhood” that is so central to a prophetic and
creation spirituality that is engaged in politics for the common good and the commons. Thank you, Walter, for your writings and teachings and students over the years! |
SIGN THE PLEDGE: Boycott pro-Trump corporations. Faithful America. EngageForDemocracy offers curated trustworthy reporting, educational resources, and action campaigns to hold government accountable to the Constitution and democratic norms. Adapted from Matthew Fox, Original Blessing, pp. pp. 81, 83, 134, 286. See also: Helen Kenik, “Toward a Biblical Basis for Creation Theology,” in Fox, ed., Western Spirituality: Historical Roots, Ecumenical Routes, pp.
27-75. See also Fox, Confessions: The Making of a Post-denominational Priest. And Fox, Creation Spirituality: Liberating
Gifts for the Peoples of the Earth. And Fox, The A.W.E. Project: Reinventing Education, Reinventing the Human. And Fox,
The Reinvention of Work: A New Vision of Livelihood for Our Time. And Fox, "Deep Ecumenism, Ecojustice, and Art as Meditation," in Wrestling With the Prophets, pp. 215-242. And Fox, "Jesus and Democracy," in Trump & the MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ, pp.31-50. Banner Image: A collage of covers from the more than 100 books Walter Brueggemann wrote. From his website. |
Queries for
Contemplation |
Did Walter Brueggemann’s works influence you directly or indirectly over the years? Isn’t it amazing what a teacher’s vocation can do for others?
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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 |
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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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Confessions: The Making of a Post-Denominational Priest (Revised/Updated Edition)
Matthew Fox’s stirring autobiography, Confessions, reveals his personal, intellectual, and spiritual journey from altar boy, to Dominican priest, to his eventual break with the Vatican. Five new chapters in this revised and updated edition bring added perspective in light of the author’s continued journey, and his reflections on the current changes taking place in church, society and the environment. “The unfolding story of this irrepressible spiritual revolutionary enlivens the mind and emboldens the heart — must reading for anyone interested in courage, creativity, and the future of religion.” —Joanna Macy, author of World as Lover, World as Self |
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Creation Spirituality: Liberating Gifts for the Peoples of the Earth
Fox’s spirituality weds the healing and liberation found in North American Creation Spirituality and in South
American Liberation Theology. Creation Spirituality challenges readers of every religious and political persuasion to unite in a new vision through which we learn to honor the earth and the people who inhabit it as the gift of a good and just Creator. “A watershed theological work that offers a common ground for religious seekers and activists of all stripes.” — Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality
and Practice. “I am reading Liberating Gifts for the People of the Earth by Matt Fox. He is one that fills my heart and mind for new life in spite of so much that is violent in our world.” ~ Sister Dorothy Stang. |
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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. |
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The Reinvention of Work: A New Vision of Livelihood For Our Time
Thomas Aquinas said, “To live well is to work well,” and in this bold call for the revitalization of
daily work, Fox shares his vision of a world where our personal and professional lives are celebrated in harmony–a world where the self is not sacrificed for a job but is sanctified by authentic “soul work.” “Fox approaches the level of poetry in describing the reciprocity that must be present between one’s inner and outer work…[A]n important road map to social change.” ~~ National Catholic
Reporter |
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Wrestling with the Prophets: Essays on Creation Spirituality and Everyday Life
In one of his foundational works, Fox engages with some of history’s
greatest mystics, philosophers, and prophets in profound and hard-hitting essays on such varied topics as Eco-Spirituality, AIDS, homosexuality, spiritual feminism, environmental revolution, Native American spirituality, Christian mysticism, Art and Spirituality, Art as Meditation, Interfaith or Deep Ecumenism and more. |
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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. |
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UPCOMING EVENTS See Matthew Fox's full calendar HERE
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| June 13, 2025 (Fri) Free Virtual Event: WisdomFeed Healthy Masculinity Free One Day Summit 8am - 5pm PT - Join Matthew Fox and others in a free summit exploring healthy masculinity in a changing world. This summit is designed to offer pathways for men and women to feel more grounded and connected—and to cultivate a
more hopeful, authentic vision of masculinity.
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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 HERERegister for a free information session HERE |
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| 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
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July 18, 11:30 am PT -- Join Matthew Fox in Angelology: The Physics of Angels, hosted by The Fintry Trust. Learn more HERE. |
Creation Spirituality Conversations |
The Christian Mystics: Wisdom for Our
Time Join renowned theologian and spiritual teacher Matthew Fox in a thought-provoking conversation with Ruby Reed on the lives, work and wisdom of some of The Christian Mystics and their vital role in our time.
In this webinar, we’ll explore how the mystic’s path can empower us to cultivate inner transformation and inspire action in the world by saying "Yes" to life and "No" to injustice, whether through art, contemplation, or activism. Discover how their insights can help us rekindle our spiritual fire and meet the needs of our time with resilience and love. This free video promotes Matthew's upcoming 6-session course with Advaya, that will be released on May 8. |
Inspired by this post? Share your insights on BlueSky, Instagram, Universeodon, or Facebook using the hashtag #RevDrMatthewFox and tag Matt with @RevDrMatthewFox FOLLOW MATTHEW FOX: |
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