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 10/18/2025 |
The
Oxford Martyrs — whose feast-day was celebrated yesterday in worldwide Anglicanism — were three men who held ecclesiastical rank and power in England under Edward VI, the boy-king, and were killed by the state under his sister and successor, Mary. |
It is very unlikely they ever heard of a Spanish nun named Teresa (see DM Oct. 16) or that she knew about them, even though
they were contemporaries. They had, indeed, very little if anything in common with Teresa of Avila, having contributed, or at least |
The ruins of Glastonbury Abbey, dissolved in 1539 following the execution of the abbot. Wikimedia Commons. |
going along with, the dissolution of monasteries which happened under the previous king, Henry VIII. Their faction understood the vows that nuns and monks made before God as unbiblical. Therefore, they thought that vows should be prohibited. My understanding and recovery of the meaning of vows
(see DMs Sept. 24, 25, and
26) happens, of course, within a postmodern frame that allows for a much larger freedom of thinking and behavior. They were instead living at the onset of Western modernity, which showed its rigidity right away. Hugh Latimer and Nicolas Ridley were
burned at the stake on October 16, 1555; Thomas Cranmer was brought to witness their horrible end from a high tower, but after a series of recantations, he was finally martyred in the same way on March 21, 1556. |
Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, martyred by being burnt at the stake. From John Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, 1563 edition. Wikimedia Commons.
| It is
unclear whether these three men could have saved their lives had they consistently affirmed that the pope was the supreme authority in the Church. In any case, they believed that the people of England should be able to hear the Bible read to them in English, to participate in the Eucharist through bread and wine around a common table, and should |
be taught that the miraculous change happening at each celebration of the Lord’s Supper — as they called it — was that of the hearts, not that of bread and wine. These three people died for their beliefs. For wanting the religion of Christ to become more democratic and less hierarchical, more
personal and less esoteric, more about the union of the people with each other and less about individual efforts to please God. But they also contributed to the expulsion of about 12,000 people from monasteries and nunneries — around 1.5% of the population of England. In many cases, these people were forced to marry as the
heterosexual family became the social norm. The Oxford Martyrs somehow began the process of reading the Bible historically, but they were also convinced that it could be used as the arbiter of all truth. They certainly were giving more weight to their interpretation of the Bible than to the lived mystical experience of the
divine. |
In short, the Oxford Martyrs embody the jumble of contradictory themes which would have been later unraveled, in the course of the modern religious history of the English-speaking world. Even those of us who have rejected this history entirely, or those who come from a different stream (including
myself), are deeply affected by it. Ironically, one of the best books on Teresa of Avila was written only |
Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally, when she was installed as Bishop of London, 2018. Wikimedia Commons. |
twenty years ago by Rowan Williams, a successor of Thomas Cranmer to the see of Canterbury. The recent election of Sarah Mullally to the same ecclesiastical dignity is yet another step, and a cause of conflict, for the tradition of Anglicanism, which originated in such fraught and tragic
circumstances as the martyrdom of bishops Latimer, Ridley, and Cranmer. |
Banner Image: The 1760 Cambridge Edition of the King James Bible, “with the former Translations diligently compared and revised, by His Majesty’s Special Command.” Wikimedia
Commons |
Queries for Contemplation Are you aware of the subtle influences that the modern history of
English-speaking Christianity has upon you? |
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. |
Critical Conversations for Our Time |
|
| Counterpoint: A Response to Peter Thiel’s AntichristAn Important Conversation with Matthew Fox and Gil Duran Did you miss this two-session series with its powerful counter-narrative rooted in |
wisdom, justice,
and authentic spirituality? This is your chance to add it to your library of classics to be watched, re-watched, and contemplated. Fox explores the archetype of Christ and Antichrist as it plays out in our world today but also in artists of old. He draws from the teachings of Jesus and Hildegard of Bingen, Meister Eckhart, Carl Jung, and other mystics and visionaries, illuminating the stark contrast between life-giving and life-destroying spiritual energies. Purchase HERE. |
UPCOMING EVENTS See Matthew Fox's full calendar 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 |
|
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 |
Join Matthew Fox for a transformative 4-part series that brings together some of the most provocative spiritual leaders, thinkers, and activists of our time. Together, we’ll explore the deep spiritual roots of this political moment and uncover pathways toward
collective action, resilience, and renewal. Learn more HERE. |
|
|
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: |
|
|
|
