Breathe in me O Holy Spirit that my thoughts may all be holy;
Act in me O Holy Spirit that my works, too, may be holy;
Draw my heart O Holy Spirit that I love but what is holy;
Strengthen me O Holy Spirit to defend that is holy;
Guard me then O Holy Spirit that I always may be holy.
-St. Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-430)
As Philosopher– St. Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354 – 430) was an Algerian-Roman philosopher and theologian of the late Roman / early Medieval period. He is one of the most important early figures in the development of Western Christianity, and was a major figure in bringing Christianity to dominance in the previously pagan Roman Empire. He is often considered the father of orthodox theology and the greatest of the four great fathers of the Latin Church (along with St. Ambrose, St. Jerome and St. Gregory).
Original sin is an Augustine Christian doctrine that says that everyone is born sinful. This means that they are born with a built-in urge to do bad things and to disobey God. It is an important doctrine within the Roman Catholic Church. The concept of Original Sin was explained in depth by St Augustine and formalised as part of Roman Catholic doctrine by the Councils of Trent in the 16th Century.
Original sin is not just this inherited spiritual disease or defect in human nature; it’s also the ‘condemnation’ that goes with that fault.
Looking at Creation in progress, “God saw that it was good” five times and “found it very good” after the sixth day (Genesis 1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31). We all need to know that this wonderful thing called life is going somewhere and somewhere good. It is going someplace good because it came from goodness—a beginning of “original blessing” instead of “original sin.” Matthew Fox illustrated this rather well in his groundbreaking book, Original Blessing. [1] ~Richard Rohr Original BlessingWednesday, January 4, 2017
Matthew Fox – Original Blessing and Creation Spirituality
Matthew Fox is an internationally acclaimed theologian and spiritual maverick who has spent the last 40 years revolutionizing Christian theology, taking on patriarchal religion, and advocating for a creation-centered spirituality of compassion and justice and re-sacralizing of the earth.
THE PARADIGM SHIFT FOR A POST-MODERN ERA:
FROM FALL/REDEMPTION RELIGION TO CREATION SPIRITUALITY
In my book Original Blessing, published in 1983, I offer a list that contrasts the two traditions of Fall/Redemption Religion and Creation Spirituality.
Fall/Redemption
Creation Spirituality
Begins with sin
Begins with Dabhar, God’s Creative energy
Emphasizes original sin
Emphasizes original blessing
Faith is “thinking with assent” (Augustine)
Faith is trust
Patriarchal
Feminist and Gender balanced
Ascetic
Aesthetic
Mortification of body
Discipline toward birthing
Control of passions
Ecstasy, Eros, celebration of Passion
Virtue lies in the will (Augustinians)
Virtue lies in the passions (Aquinas)
Passion is a curse
Passion is a blessing
God as Father
God as Mother, God as Child, as well as Father
Suffering is wages for sin
Suffering is birth pains of universe—all beings suffer
Death is wages for sin
Death is a natural event, a prelude to recycling and rebirth
Introspective in its psychology
Cosmic (connecting psyche to cosmos) in its psychology
Emphasizes introvert meditation
Emphasizes art as meditation (also known as extrovert meditation)
Science is unimportant
Science, by teaching us about Nature, teaches us about the Creator
Dualistic (either/or)
Dialectical (both/and)
Spirit is in opposition to matter
Spirit and matter form a “wonderful communion” (Aquinas)
“Spirit is whatever is not matter” (Augustine)
Spirit is the ‘elan” in everything (Aquinas)
Suspicious of the body and violent in its body/soul imagery: “Soul makes war with the body” (Augustine)
Welcoming of body and gentle in its body/soul imagery: “soul loves the body” (Eckhart)
“Humility is to despise yourself” (Tanquerry)
Humility is to befriend one’s earthiness (humus). “Holy people draw to themselves all that is earthy.” (Hildegard)
Be in control
Letting go—ecstasy, breakthrough
Pessimistic
Hopeful
Climbing Jacob’s Ladder
Dancing Sara’s Circle
Elitist
For the many, democratic
No Cosmic Christ
Cosmic Christ
Emphasis on Jesus as Son of God but not Jesus as prophet
Emphasis on Jesus as prophet, artist, parable-teller, wisdom figure and Son of God who calls others to their divinity
Personal salvation
Salvation, healing and divinizing of people, the earth and the cosmos (theosis)
Build up church
Build up Kingdom/Queendom
Kingdom = church
Kingdom = cosmos, creation
Human as sinner
Human as royal person who can choose to create or destroy
Time is toward the past (lost perfection) or future (heaven): unrealized eschatology
Time is now and making the future (heaven) begin to happen now: realized eschatology
Eternal life is after death
Eternal life is now
Contemplation is goal of spirituality
Compassion, justice, and celebration are goals of spirituality
A spirituality of the powerful
A spirituality of the powerless, the anawim(those without a voice)
Emphasizes the cross
Considers the cross as significant for the Via Negativa, but also emphasizes the Creation, Resurrection and coming of the Spirit in co-creation
Emphasizes the cross
Considers the cross as significant for the Via Negativa, but also emphasizes the Creation, Resurrection and coming of the Spirit in co-creation
Tends toward christolotry and Docetism with an underdeveloped theology of the Creator and the Holy Spirit
Trinitarian in full sense of celebrating a Creator God, a prophetic Son of God, and the Holy Spirit of divine transformation
Emphasizes obedience
Emphasizes creativity
Tends to abstractions
Sensual
Righteousness
Justice
Duty
Beauty
Guilt, shame and redemption
Thanks and praise
Purity from world
Hospitality to all beings
Apolitical, i.e. supportive of status quo
Prophetic, i.e. critical of status quo and its ideologies
Humanity is sinful
Humanity is divine yet capable of demonic and sinful choices
Faith is in intellect
Faith is in imagination
Suspicious of the artist
Welcomes the artist since all are called to be co-creators with God
"Great restaurants are, of course, nothing but mouth-brothels. There is no point in going to them if one intends to keep one's belt buckled." ~Frederic Raphael
