In LOVE with Humanity

Hero #049: Matthew Fox
Born in 1940, Matthew Fox is an American Episcopal priest and theologian. Formerly a
member of the Dominican Order within the Roman Catholic Church, Fox was an early and
influential proponent of a movement that came to be known as ―Creation Spirituality‖, a
theology that considers itself to be ―green‖, emphasizing a holy relationship between
humankind and nature -- where the protection & conservation of the Earth & all its
inhabitants is considered a Sacred Calling and a direct expression of God's will. It draws its
inspirations from the mystical philosophies of such medieval Catholic visionaries as
Hildegard of Bingen, Thomas Aquinas, Saint Francis of Assisi, Julian of Norwich, Meister
Eckhart and Nicholas of Cusa, as well as the wisdom traditions of the ancient Christian
scriptures. Creation Spirituality is also strongly aligned with the ecological movements of
the late 20th century (including conservationism & animal rights) and embraces numerous
spiritual traditions from around the world -- including Buddhism, Judaism, Sufism, and
Native American spirituality … Typical of many truly Great men & women, Fox's teachings
have frequently brought him into direct conflict with conventional traditions & their
authority figures -- in his case, most often those of the Roman Catholic Church ...
Among Fox‘s most controversial teachings is a belief in ―Original Blessing‖, a concept
that directly & fully contradicted the Roman Catholic doctrine of ―original sin‖. Fox‘s other
teachings also were considered ―too feminist‖ or ―too ecology-centered‖ or too accepting of
homosexuality to harmonize with current Catholic dogma … It was no small surprise then,
when in 1983, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (who would later become Pope Benedict XVI)
ordered a panel of priests and theologians to perform a two-year review of Fox‘s writings.
After the initial findings sided with Fox‘s interpretations of the scriptures, Ratzinger rejected
them and ordered a second review (which was never undertaken). Five years later, Fox boldly
wrote a public letter to Cardinal Ratzinger entitled ―Is the Catholic Church Today a
Dysfunctional Family?‖ – the contents of which were widely disseminated by the National
Catholic Reporter. Soon afterwards Cardinal Ratzinger issued an order forbidding Fox to
teach or lecture for a year. Fox openly disobeyed this edict (of course) and in 1993, he was
expelled from the Dominican Order for ―disobedience‖, effectively ending his relationship
with the Catholic Church … Fox was subsequently accepted into the far more liberal
Episcopalian Church, and continues to lecture, write and publish books to this day.
―I don't think that fundamentalism has anything to do with Jesus Christ. Fundamentalists call
themselves Christians, but if that's Christian, count me out. That kind of fundamentalism is built on
fear and greed ... Creation is all things and us. It is us in relationship with all things. And by 'all
things', I mean ALL THINGS -- the ones we see and the ones we do not; the whirling galaxies and
the wild suns, the black holes and the microorganisms, the trees
and the stars, the fish and the whales - the molten lava and the
towering snow-capped mountains, the children we give birth to
and their children, and theirs, and theirs ... To connect with the
great river we all need a path down to its banks, but once we
get down there, we understand that there's only one river … A
civilization built on dualism and war within and between
persons, one that puts its most creative minds and its best
engineers to sadistic work building more and more destructive
weapons, is no civilization at all. It needs a radical
transformation from the heart outwards. It needs to outgrow
and outlaw war just as in the last century it outlawed slavery.
The human race has outgrown war, but it hardly knows it yet …
What is within most moment of compassion is not feelings of
pity but feelings of togetherness … The only way to learn
compassion is through your heart.‖ ~ Matthew Fox
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