A New Reformation: Creation Spirituality and the Transformation of Christianity
By Matthew Fox
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About this ebook
• Echoes the Reformation initiated by Martin Luther in 1517
• Addresses the corruption and authoritarian tendencies that distinguish today’s Christian institutions from the spiritual message upon which they are founded
• Offers a new vision of Christianity that values the Earth, honors the feminine, and emphasizes spiritual tolerance
In 1517, Martin Luther, disgusted at the corruption then reigning in the Catholic Church, nailed on the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, 95 theses calling for a Reformation. During Pentecost week 2005, former Dominican priest Matthew Fox nailed at that same church door a new set of 95 theses calling for a reawakening of the Christian spirit and a repudiation of the authoritarian, punitive tendencies that prevail in modern churches today. Fox’s theses not only condemn the deep corruption in the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church, made evident by the pedophile scandal and the recent canonization of a fascist admirer of Hitler, but also speak to the loss of inspiration and resulting apathy that have emptied churches of all denominations.
Fox says, “At this critical time in human and planetary history, when the earth is being ravaged by the violence of war, poverty, sexism, homophobia, and eco-destruction, we need to gather those who offer a future that is one of compassion, creativity, and justice to speak their conscience as never before. Religion ought to be part of the solution, not the problem.” His 95 theses call for a New Reformation, a radical transformation that will allow us to move once again from the hollow trappings of organized religion to genuine spirituality.
Matthew Fox
Matthew Fox was a member of the Dominican Order in good standing for 34 years until he was expelled by former Pope Joseph Ratzinger, who was a cardinal and chief inquisitor at the time. Matthew Fox is the founder of Wisdom University (formerly the University of Creation Spirituality) and the foremost proponent of Creation Spirituality, based on the mystical teachings of early Christian visionaries such as Hildegard von Bingen, Meister Eckhart, and Saint Thomas Aquinas. He is the author of 26 books, including Original Blessing and The Coming of the Cosmic Christ. In 2019, Matthew Fox was cited as one of the "100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People in the World" according to Watkins Mind Body Spirit magazine.
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Reviews for A New Reformation
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- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Five centuries ago, a monk named Martin Luther revolutionized the Christian world. He devised a new vision of Christianity in 95 theses, and nailed these theses to the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. The Reformation, as it came to be known, resulted in a schism between the Roman Catholics and what became known as Protestant Christianity.Disgusted with the fundamentalist direction of the Catholic church (Matthew Fox was a member of the Dominican Order for thirty-four years before being expelled) and inspired by Luther’s movement, Fox decided to reenact Luther’s rebellion. His own resulting 95 theses are liberal and post-modern, reflecting a more pantheistic understanding of God over the “Punitive Father” of Catholic tradition. He then nailed these theses to the very same door. (Well, the door was no longer wooden, but metal, so he had to build a little wooden frame to nail his new Reformation.)The gist of Fox’s Reformation is that the church needs to move away from religion, and toward spirituality. We have lost our appreciation and awe of creation (Fox is a long-time proponent of what he labels “Creation Spirituality.”) We would be better off without the doctrine of Original Sin, with its guilt-ridden baggage, embracing instead the Original Blessing, which recognizes awe as the starting point of true religion. There is no conflict between Fox’s version of Christianity and scientific discovery. No conflict with post-modern morality, granting equal respect and rights to women and to gays and lesbians.A sampling of Fox’s 95 theses follows:Number 6: Theism (the idea that God is “out there” or above and beyond the universe) is false. All things are in God and God is in all things.Number 13: Spirituality and religion are not the same any more than education and learning, law and justice, or commerce and stewardship are the same.Number 15: Christians must distinguish between Jesus (a historical figure) and Christ (the experience of God-in-all-things).Number 36: Dance, whose root meaning in many indigenous cultures is the same as breath or spirit, is a very ancient and appropriate form in which to pray.Number 59: Fourteen billion years of evolution and unfolding of the universe bespeak the intimate sacredness of all that is.Number 75: Poverty for the many and luxury for the few are not right or sustainable.
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