The Creation Spirituality Lineage Calling All Social and Environmental Activists, Mystic Explorers, Justice Makers, Cosmic Thinkers, Earth Keepers Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox |
By Gianluigi Gugliermetto 9/26/2025 |
In
the book Order of the Sacred Earth, Matthew Fox gives concrete examples of how an important premodern human reality, such as that of making vows, can be transferred into our postmodern times and consciousness. Not by replicating the same identical forms, but through transformation and adaptation. |
Even though the Middle Ages in Europe were a much more pluralistic era than we are used to thinking — absolute uniformity is a modern value — the vows that all monks were taking, in order to be supported by the vows themselves during their lives of service, were essentially |
A novice monk receives his cross as part of professing vows at Holy Cross Monastery, New York. Photo by Randy Greve on Flickr. |
four: poverty, chastity, obedience, and stability. Each of them can become a trap, especially in our times, if taken up mindlessly. Today, they must be rethought. No vow makes sense out of context, and no vow makes sense unless it is thought through very deeply by the person making the vow. Poverty — Matthew explains — becomes an awareness of the value of simple living and of resisting the dominant cultural myth about consumerism.* Chastity becomes a heightened sense of
responsibility in our sexual relations. In fact, it is extremely relevant to recognize the sacred dimensions to sexual experience, the return of the wild God of passion amidst mutual exchange and communication and pleasure-giving. But sex cannot be treated wantonly or as yet another object for consumption. |
Obedient to voices she identified as St. Michael, St. Catherine, and St. Margaret, Jeanne d’Arc took a vow of perpetual virginity to restore the monarchy of France. Statue in Malcolm X Park, Washington D,C. Photo by David on Flickr. | Obedience is about governance, but — as Matthew underlines — we have come a long way since a vow of obedience meant to obey the admonitions of “father abbot.” I know contemporary monastic communities trying to couch this vow as “obedience to the Gospel,” which is a fine ideal, but in the end says nothing about how the
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monastery is governed. More simply, and more radically, obedience now means that we cannot fight the monster alone. We belong, and we must abide by the self-determined democratic rules of our tribe. Finally, stability, which used to mean never leaving the monastery, can be reinterpreted as
faithfulness to a bioregion, which can be properly defended only when it is well-known and well-loved. Matthew writes: This relationship to place is also the meaning of humility, which comes from the Latin word for “earth.” Creation Spirituality is not about an abstract love but about a local love as well as a cosmic love. The ecological qualities of these four vows are explicit in their revised postmodern form. Loving and defending the Earth — the basic vow of the Order of the Sacred Earth — gets articulated in four aspects, which can also be seen as grounding the person through the seven chakras, as explained by Matthew in another book, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh. |
The first chakra is the locus of humility, earthiness, love of one’s home and its surroundings, i.e. the vow of stability; the second chakra invites pleasure-giving in responsibile relationship, i.e. the vow of chastity; the third and the fourth chakra through the expression of righteous anger and compassion for all are at the core of the fundamental undertaking as love/defense of the Earth; the fifth chakra is about not swallowing in hate or grudges, i.e., the vow of
poverty; the sixth and seven chakras are about finding out rational ways of solving problems in order to get connected to all beings, |
Adam Bucko and Kaira Jewel Lingo (photographer), of Our Lady of
the Resurrection Monastery, Lagrangeville, NY, draw upon the contemplative monastic traditions of Christianity, Buddhism, and other faiths, seeking healing to support the well-being of all life and planet Earth. Published with permission. |
i.e., the vow of obedience/belonging. While none of this is easy, I insist that we need our tribe and we need maps that help us walk through the “dark night of democracy” and the “dark night of the Earth” — as Matthew calls them — that are prepared for us at this time. We must make use of the
circumstances to become the fierce and loving beings that the Creator always intended us to be. |
*All quotes by Matthew Fox are from Order of the Sacred Earth: An Intergenerational Vision of Love and Action, pages 38-46.
Banner Image: Sister Simone Campbell of “Nuns On The Bus” speaking up for justice at the Whitehall / South Ferry terminal, lower Manhattan. Photo by Thomas Altfather Good on Wikimedia Commons. |
Queries for Contemplation What maps are you adopting for your spiritual journey at this
time? |
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. |
UPCOMING EVENTS See Matthew Fox's full calendar 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. |
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Join Matthew Fox and journalist Gil Duran in a 2-part online lecture/discussion event countering Peter Thiel's apocalyptic theories. Wed-Thurs., October 8-9, 7-8:30 pm ET. Register HERE.
Session 1 – Peter Thiel and the Antichrist: What Would Jesus Say? Matthew Fox explores the Antichrist archetype in light of his book Trump & the MAGA Movement as Antichrist, offering a spiritual lens
for understanding Thiel’s fixation. Session 2 – Billionaires, Political Theology, and the Future of Our Democracy Matthew Fox and Gil Duran explore together how a peculiar and perverse political theology is shaping the
imaginations of tech billionaires and what this means for our shared future. |
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
HERE Register for a free information session HERE |
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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 |
We are honored to introduce the Matthew Fox Lecture Series Collection—a
rare opportunity to experience decades of teachings from one of today’s most respected spiritual voices. Spanning over 60 years and more than 40 books, Matthew Fox’s work has inspired countless seekers to embrace awe, creativity, and justice as essential paths for living with meaning. Now, for the first time, this collection brings together over 50 hours of lectures that explore themes of Creation Spirituality, The Cosmic Christ, Eco-Justice, Mysticism, and the Sacredness of Everyday Life. |
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This collection is both a resource and a companion for anyone looking to deepen their spiritual practice and connection to the wisdom of the mystics. And to celebrate its release, we are offering it at 70% off for a limited time. |
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