Planting New Shoots For A New Christianity with Father Matthew Fox, Ph.D.

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The Catholic Church is in crisis, but, according to Fox, all is not lost. This crisis may offer an opportunity to press the "restart" button on Christianity. He reminds us of what Carl Jung once said, " 'Only the mystics bring what is creative to religion itself.' That is what Jesus did, what Buddha did, what Isaiah did. They are shaking up their own religious tradition. We are all living in this moment now in history, where we are called to do this. It can be done, and it can be both serious and fun." Fox, a former Dominican Priest, now an Episcopal Priest, shares his understanding of how the Catholic Church has been hijacked by Opus Dei, as led by the present Pope Benedict XVI , formerly known as Cardinal Ratzinger. Opus Dei's members have been categorized by critics as right-leaning elitists, with some individuals supporting fascist governments and the silencing of Liberation theologians. Fox goes on to share his enthusiasm for the Christian mystics, and suggests that now is time to reinvent Christianity. (hosted by Michael Toms)

Bio

Father Matthew Fox is a priest and was a member of the Dominican Order of the Catholic Church for thirty-four years. For speaking out on women’s rights, gay rights, and Native American rights, he was silenced for a year and later expelled from the Dominican Order under the papacies of John Paul II and Benedict XVI. He then joined the Episcopal Church to work with young people to create postmodern forms of ritual and worship known as the “Cosmic Mass” that incorporates dance, DJ, VJ, rap, and other postmodern art forms. He is the co-founder of the Order of the Sacred Earth and, since Mother’s day 2019, has offered free daily meditations. He holds a doctorate in History and Theology of Spirituality and is founder of the University of Creation Spirituality.

Matthew Fox is the author of more than thirty books including:

• Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality Presented in Four Paths, Twenty-Six Themes, and Two Questions (Jeremy Tarcher/Putnam 2000)
• HILDEGARD OF BINGEN: A Saint for Our Times: Unleashing Her Power in the 21st Century (Namaste Publishing 2012)
• Letters to Pope Francis: Rebuilding a Church with Justice and Compassion (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform 2012)
• Occupy Spirituality: A Radical Vision for a New Generation (coauthor Adam Bucko) North Atlantic Press 2013)
• Creation Spirituality: Liberating Gifts for the Peoples of the Earth (HarperOne 1991)
• The Coming of the Cosmic Christ: The Healing of Mother Earth and the Birth of a Global Renaissance (HarperOne 1988)
• Meister Eckhart: A Mystic-Warrior for Our Times (New World Library 2014)
• Confessions: The Making of a Postdenominational Priest (HarperSanFrancisco 1996)
• A Way to God: Thomas Merton's Creation Spirituality Journey (New World Library 2016)
• Order of the Sacred Earth: An Intergenerational Vision of Love and Action (coauthors Skylar Wilson and Jennifer Listug) (Monkfish 2018)
• The Tao of Thomas Aquinas: Fierce Wisdom for Hard Times (iUniverse 2020) 

To learn more about the work of Matthew Fox go to www.matthewfox.org.

Topics Explored in This Dialogue

• What are the three destructive forces within the Catholic Church
• Who and what did the present Pope silence prior to his election
• What is the scandal of the 33 day Papacy of Pope John Paul I and his early death
• What is the Catholic Church doing about pedophile priests
• What were the early days of the present pope, formerly Cardinal Ratzinger
• What is the history of why Fr. Matthew Fox left the priestly order of the Catholic Church
• What is the deeper part of Christianity, that is so often ignored
• Why grieving is always important

Host: Michael Toms         Interview Date: 1/31/2011       Program Number: 3396