The Creation Spirituality Lineage Calling All Social and Environmental Activists, Mystic Explorers, Justice Makers, Cosmic Thinkers, Earth Keepers Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox |
Are you missing half the
DM? If you're not seeing Queries for Contemplation, Recommended Reading,
Upcoming Events, Creation Spirituality Conversations, and more, look at the very bottom of the email for "..." Click
the ellipsis, and enjoy! |
Celebrating a New Study on Otto RankBy Matthew Fox 9/6/2025 |
I rejoice that a new book has appeared on my favorite psychologist, Otto Rank. In Otto Rank and the Creation of Modern Psychotherapy, Robert Kramer
has done a superb job in bringing alive the major contributions Rank made to psychology, social work, and spirituality while alive and since his death in 1939. |
To be transparent, I confess that I was given the honor of writing a Foreword to the book. Kramer and I taught a course together at the University of Creation Spirituality on Otto Rank several years ago and have worked together on several occasions since. He also invokes a chapter in my most recent book on Meister Eckhart, devoted to “Psychotherapy and the ‘Unio Mystica’: Meister Eckhart Meets Otto Rank.” I was first introduced to Rank by Ernest Becker in his Pulitzer Prize-winning |
|
book, The Denial of Death, where he gives full credit to Rank for taking up that topic in depth. Becker’s mention that Rank’s Art and Artist was the most important book of his life spurred me to read it, and I found it to be a profound study of spirituality as well as art. I wrote an extended review calling it “Otto Rank
on the Artistic Journey as a Spiritual Journey, the Spiritual Journey as an Artistic Journey.” Rank helped me to ground art as meditation and body prayers as spiritual practices in our creation spirituality pedagogy in schools and workshops over the years. It resonated deeply with the teachings of psychologists Naranjo and
Ornstein, who named how “extrovert meditation” or “art as meditation” is “the way of the prophets.” Rank himself was a prophet from the Jewish tradition. |
|
| I became indebted to Rank for his brilliant insights on the
meaning of soul through the ages, and on creativity and immortality, and the fear of death and compulsive immortality projects that result from that. And his honoring the artist (image of God) in all of us, and how neurosis derives from |
the artiste manque when our creativity is not honored and respected. Rank is richly present in my book on Creativity: Where the Divine and the Human Meet. Rank, while not being a practicing Jew, was deeply Jewish in his worldview and his dedication to healing as part
of the Jewish consciousness from which psychotherapy is derived. Kramer demonstrates how deeply Rank influenced Rollo May and Carl Rogers and recalls how May, in his book The Cry for Myth, “extols Rank’s feminism,” pointing out how Rank regarded sexism and the prejudice against women as a "cultural disease.” Contrary to Freud’s theory of penis envy, “Rank believed that what motivates a woman is her ‘emotional and spiritual…craving for expression of her true woman-self in a masculine world which has
no room or use for her.’”* |
In a brilliant Epilogue to the book, Kramer talks about a “dying-centered” mysticism in contrast to a “creation-centered” mysticism. He cites Rank about how “self-hatred is the basis for hating others and the world at large”—the very basis of fascism, it seems to me, that is playing out in our time. Rank’s |
One man’s blindness to the blessing of creation: “Nightingale” by Judy Collins on Whales and Nightingales. |
endorsement of “the marvel of creation” and what I call “a new falling in love with life” is the medicine from Rank and other creation-centered mystics and prophets. Rank democratizes mysticism because he believes that in love and art we undergo a “potential restoration of a union with the
Cosmos, which once existed and was then lost.” |
*Robert Kramer, Otto Rank and the Creation of Modern
Psychotherapy, Oxford University Press, 2025, p. 252.
See Matthew Fox, “Otto Rank on the Artistic Journey as a Spiritual Journey, the Spiritual Journey As an Artistic Journey,” in Fox, Wrestling with the Prophets, pp. 199-214.
And Fox, “Otto Rank as Mystic and Prophet in the Creation Spirituality
Tradition,” exclusively on MatthewFox.org.
And Fox, “Psychotherapy and the ‘Unio Mystica’: Meister Eckhart Meets Otto Rank” in Fox, Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior for Our Times, pp. 139-156.
And Fox, Creativity: Where the
Divine and the Human Meet.
And Fox, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society.
And Fox, Original Blessing: A Primer on Creation Spirituality
Banner Image: “In love with
creation.” Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash |
The DM team is deeply saddened to share that our webmaster extraordinaire, Drake Moore, has passed away after a brief battle with cancer, leaving behind his wife Korry, their daughter Lyle, a newly-purchased farm, and clients around the world. He was a good friend, a trusted advisor, and beloved by many. If you would like to help his family in their profound loss — and crushing debt — we invite you to donate to their GoFundMe. Thank you! |
|
Queries for Contemplation Has Otto Rank been important to you and your
development as both a mystic and a prophet? If not, it’s not too late to begin. |
Responses are welcomed. To add your comment, or read other comments and enter into dialogue, please click HERE to go to our website and scroll down to the Comments field. |
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. |
|
Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior For Our Time
While Matthew Fox recognizes that Meister Eckhart has influenced thinkers throughout history, he also wants to introduce Eckhart to
today’s activists addressing contemporary crises. Toward that end, Fox creates dialogues between Eckhart and Carl Jung, Thich Nhat Hanh, Rabbi Heschel, Black Elk, Karl Marx, Rumi, Adrienne Rich, Dorothee Soelle, David Korten, Anita Roddick, Lily Yeh, M.C. Richards, and many others.
“Matthew Fox is perhaps the greatest writer on Meister Eckhart that has ever existed. (He) has successfully bridged a gap between
Eckhart as a shamanistic personality and Eckhart as a post-modern mentor to the Inter-faith movement, to reveal just how cosmic Eckhart really is, and how remarkably relevant to today’s religious crisis! ” — Steven
Herrmann, Author of Spiritual Democracy: The Wisdom of Early American Visionaries for the Journey Forward |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
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 |
|
UPCOMING EVENTS See Matthew Fox's full calendar HERE Join Matthew Fox as he discusses his book, Whee! We, Wee All the Way Home: A Guide to Sensual, Prophetic Spirituality, in an online Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat. Thursday, September 18, 4:00pm-5:30pm PT. Register HERE. Join Matthew Fox and 40 other wisdom teachers in the 2025 Contemplative Summit as they explore The Spacious Heart: Holding Suffering with Love, the theme of Spiritual Wanderlust: The 2025 Contemplative Summit. Thursday - Sunday, September 25-28. Register for free HERE. Join Matthew Fox as he discusses his book, Meditations with Meister Eckhart in an online Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat. Thursday, October 16, 4:00pm-5:30pm PT. Register HERE. Join spiritual pioneers Dr. Matthew Fox and Rev. Cameron Trimble for “In Search of a New Story: Reimagining What Comes Next,” a timely and transformative 4-part series featuring conversations with some of the most compelling wisdom voices of our time: Carolyn Myss, Diana Butler Bass,
Luther Smith, and Ilia Delio. Thursdays, October 23, 30, and November 13, 20, 4:00pm-5:30pm PT Register 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 HERERegister for a free information session 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 HERE, Meeting ID: 886 6530 2478 Learn more at www.orderofthesacredearth.org |
Creation Spirituality Conversations |
Matthew Fox and Fr. Bede Griffiths each lecture for approximately 30 minutes followed by 30 minutes of dialogue. 91 minutes. 1990. You will receive a secure link to the file to download. |
|
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: |
|
|
|
