Matthew Fox

About

Matthew Fox is an American priest and theologian known for Creation Spirituality, a movement drawing on Christian mysticism, the teachings of Meister Eckhart and Hildegard of Bingen, and contemplative prayer traditions.

Teachings

Books

A Spirituality Named Compassion1999

• Fox marries mysticism with social justice, leading the way toward a gentler and more ecological spirituality and an acceptance of our interdependence • A road map to fulfillment for the coming century In A Spirituality Named Compassion, Matthew Fox, the popular and controversial author, establishes a spirituality for the future that promises personal, social, and global healing. Using his own experiences with the pain and lifestyle changes that resulted from an accident, Fox has written an uplifting book on the issues of ecological justice, the suffering of Earth, and the rights of her nonhuman citizens. Fox defines compassion as creativity put to the service of justice and argues that we can achieve compassion for both humanity and the environment as we recognize the interconnectedness of all things. Working toward the creation of a gentler, ecological, and feminist Christianity, Fox marries mysticism and social justice, emphasizing that as we enter a new millennium society needs to realize that spirituality's purpose is to guide us on a path that leads to a genuine love of all our relations and a love for our shared interdependence.

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A Way to God2016

This unique reflection was prompted by an invitation Matthew Fox received to speak on the centennial of Thomas Merton’s birth. Fox says that much of the trouble he’s gotten into — such as being excommunicated in 1993 from the Dominican Order by Cardinal Ratzinger (who later became Pope Benedict) — was because of Thomas Merton, who sent Fox to Paris to complete a doctoral program in philosophy. Fox found that Merton’s journals, poetry, and religious writings revealed a deeply ecumenical philosophy and a contemplative life experience similar to that of Meister Eckhart, the fourteenth-century mystic/theologian who inspired Fox’s own “creation spirituality.” It is little surprise to find Fox and Merton to be kindred spirits, but the intersections Fox finds with Eckhart are intellectually profound, spiritually enlightening, and delightfully engaging.

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Christian Mystics2011

As Matthew Fox notes, when an aging Albert Einstein was asked if he had any regrets, he replied, “I wish I had read more of the mystics earlier in my life.” The 365 writings in Christian Mystics represent a wide-ranging sampling of these readings for modern-day seekers of all faiths — or no faith. F

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Cicero's Philosophy of History2007

A provocative study of Cicero's use of history, revealing that, rather than promoting his own values, Cicero uses historical representation to explore the difficulties of finding any ideological coherence in Rome's political or cultural traditions.

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Confessions, Revised and Updated2015

Matthew Fox's stirring autobiography, Confessions, reveals his personal, intellectual, and spiritual journey from altar boy, to Dominican priest, to his eventual break with the Vatican. Five new chapters in this revised and updated edition bring added perspective in light of the author's continued j

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Creation Spirituality1991

From Matthew Fox, the popular and controversial author of The Coming of the Cosmic Christ, a prophetic manifesto for the preservation of the planet. For those new to the works of Matthew Fox, and for those eager to learn his thoughts after his Vatican-ordered public silence, comes this introduction to creation spirituality--Fox's framework for a far-reaching spirituality of the Americas. Passionate and provocative, Fox uncovers the ancient tradition of a creation-centered spirituality that melds Christian mysticism with the contemporary struggle for social justice, feminism, and environmentalism. Basic to Fox's notion of creation spirituality is the gift of awe--a mystical response to creation and the first step toward transformation. Awe prompts indignation at the exploitation and destruction of the earth's people and resources. Awe leads to action. Showing how we can learn from each other, Fox's spirituality weds the healing and liberation found in both North and South America. Creation Spirituality challenges readers of every religious and political persuasion to unite in a new vision through which we learn to honor the earth and the people who inhabit it as the gift of a good and just creator.

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Creativity2004

Drawn from sermons and lectures that have electrified listeners, here is a concise, powerful meditation on the nature of creativity from Episcopal priest and radical theologian Matthew Fox. Creativityis Fox at his most dynamic: It is immensely practical and leaves the reader with a message to take into action in life. Fox tantalizingly suggests that the most prayerful, most spiritually powerful act a person can undertake is to create, at his or her own level, with a consciousness of where that gift arises from.

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Illuminations of Hildegard of Bingen2002

An introduction to the life and work of Hildegard. • Reveals the life and teachings of one of the greatest female artists and intellectuals of the Western Mystical Tradition. • Contains 24 full-color illustrations by Hildegard of Bingen. • Includes commentary by Matthew Fox, author of Original Blessing (250,000 sold). Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) was an extraordinary woman living in the Rhineland valley during most of the twelfth century. Besides being the abbess of a large and influential Benedictine abbey, she was a prominent preacher, healer, scientist, and artist. She also was a composer and theologian, writing nine books on theology, medicine, science, and physiology, as well as 70 poems and an opera. At the age of 42, she began to have visions; these were captured as 36 illuminations--24 of which are recorded in this book along with her commentaries on them. She also wrote a text describing these visions entitled Scivias (Know the Ways), now published as Hildegard of Bingen's Mystical Visions. Author Matthew Fox has stated, "If Hildegard had been a man, she would be well known as one of the greatest artists and intellectuals the world has ever seen." It is a credit to the power of the women's movement and our times that this towering genius of Western thought is being rediscovered in her full grandeur and autonomy. Virtually unknown for more than 800 years in Western history, Hildegard was featured as one of the women in Judy Chicago's Dinner Party in the early 1980s and published for the first time in English by Bear & Company in 1982. In addition to her mystical teachings, Hildegard's music has been performed and recorded for a new and growing audience.

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Matthew Fox2022

"Essential writings by Matthew Fox, theologian and leading proponent of "creation spirituality.""--

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Meister Eckhart2014

Though he lived in the thirteenth century, Meister Eckhart’s teachings were in many ways modern. His thinking was deeply ecumenical, encompassing Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism as well as shamanism and indigenous spirituality. He advocated for social, economic, and gender justice; taught about what we call ecology; and championed artistic creativity. All these elements have inspired Matthew Fox and influenced his Creation Spirituality. While Fox recognizes that Eckhart has influenced everyone from Teresa of Avila to Eckhart Tolle, Karl Marx to Carl Jung, and Annie Dillard to Anne Morrow Lindbergh, he also wants to introduce Eckhart to those activists addressing contemporary crises. Toward that end, and as he did in his Hildegard of Bingen, Fox creates metaphorical meetings between Eckhart and the Dalai Lama, Thomas Merton, Joanna Macy, Black Elk, Rumi, Adrienne Rich, and others. The result is wonderfully reader-friendly, profoundly substantive, and deeply inspiring.

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Natural Grace1997

British biologist Sheldrake and American priest Fox share an interest in going beyond the current limitations of institutional science and mechanistic religion. These dialogues emerged as the authors spoke together at meetings.

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Prayer2001

Here is a new edition of one of Matthew Fox's most powerful early books, another in a series of the classic works by the maverick priest and theologian being reissued by Tarcher/Putnam. Prayer was written by Fox when he was a radical young priest fresh from the experience of the sixties and Vatican II. Originally published in 1972, it is one of the first works to herald the revolution of liberal theology that was just beginning to sweep the nation. Originally published under the title On Becoming a Musical, Mystical Bear: Spirituality American Style, the book now has a more accessible title and appearance and is as vital today as when it first appeared.

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Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh1999

Visionary theologian and award-winning author Matthew Fox challenges traditional perceptions of good and evil by offering a new theology that lays the groundwork for a more enlightened treatment of ourselves, one another, and all of nature. In this revised edition with a luminous foreword by Deepak Chopra and a new preface that brings the book up to date with the cataclysmic events of the new millennium, Fox illustrates how, contrary to mainstream church doctrine, flesh is the grounding of spirit. Fox argues that our culture has concentrated far too much on transgressions of the flesh while failing to take into account its sacredness. Artfully weaving together the wisdom of East and West, he considers Thomas Aquinas's definition of sin as "misdirected love" and applies parallels between the Eastern teachings of the seven chakras and the Western teachings of the seven capital sins. Fox explains how the chakras teach us to direct the love-energies we all possess and proposes seven positive precepts for living a full and spirited life. He invites us to change the way we think about sin and asserts that we can combat and transform evil through love, generosity, letting go, and creativity. Crafting a blueprint for social change, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh points the way toward a deeper and more compassionate way to live while eloquently revealing the means to confront evil both within and without. From the Trade Paperback edition.

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The A.W.E. Project2006

A.W.E. is the acronym for the author's proposed style of learning, an approach to learning, eldering, and mentoring that is intelligent enough to honor the teachings of the Ancestors, to nurture Wisdom in addition to imparting knowledge, and to Educate through the author's 10 Cs, which include compassion, contemplation, and creativity.

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The Hidden Spirituality of Men2009

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The Reinvention of Work1995

In The Reinvention of Work, radical priest Matthew Fox draws on a rich legacy of great mystics and philosophers and proposes a spirituality of work. As Thomas Aquinas said, "To live well is to work well," and in this bold call for the revitalization of daily work, Fox shares his vision of a world wh

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Whee! We, Wee All the Way Home1980

This practical book leads us into a spirituality of passion that leads to compassion--coming to our senses in every meaning of the phrase.

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