430. Matthew Fox

Buddha at the Gas Pump

Matthew Fox is a spiritual theologian, an Episcopal priest, and an activist. As a spiritual theologian he has written 34 books that have been translated into over 60 languages. Among them are Original Blessing, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ, A Spirituality Named Compassion, The Reinvention of Work, The Hidden Spirituality of Men, Christian Mystics, and The Pope's War. He has contributed much to the rediscovery of Hildegard of Bingen, Meister Eckhart and Thomas Aquinas as pre-modern mystics and prophets. Fox holds a doctorate in the history and theology of spirituality from the Institut Catholique de Paris. The founder of the University of Creation Spirituality in California, he conducts dozens of workshops each year and is a visiting scholar at the Academy for the Love of Learning in Santa Fe, NM. In joining the Episcopal church over 20 years ago, Fox has been working with young people to reinvent forms of worship by bringing elements of rave such as dance, dj, vj and more into the Western Liturgy. The Cosmic Mass has been celebrated over 100 times and in dozens of cities in North America. Fox is recipient of the Abbey Courage of Conscience Peace Award (other recipients being the Dali Lama, Mother Teresa, Ernesto Cardenal and Rosa Parks), the Gandhi King Ikeda Award, the Tikkun National Ethics Award and other awards. His latest books are Order of the Sacred Earth: An Intergenerational Vision of Love and Action; Stations of the Cosmic Christ; and A Way to God: Thomas Merton's Creation Spirituality Journey. He teaches regularly at the Fox Institute for Creation Spirituality in Boulder, CO and resides in Vallejo, CA. Discussion of this interview in the Batgap Community Facebook Group. Transcript of this interview Interview recorded November 11, 2017. Video and audio below. Audio also available as a Podcast. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:07 - The Everyday Buddha 00:08:31 - Democratizing the Mystical Experience and Contemplative Wisdom 00:13:09 - Taming the Reptilian Brain 00:17:28 - Celebrating Love as a Theophany 00:25:39 - Shifting Human Consciousness and its Impact on the Planet 00:30:08 - Laudato Si and the Destruction of Coral Reefs 00:33:59 - The Environmental Crisis 00:38:25 - The Impact of War and Peace 00:42:27 - Becoming an Episcopal Priest 00:46:14 - The Difference Between Spirituality and Religion 00:50:37 - The Beginnings of the Creation Tradition 00:55:17 - Creation Spirituality and the Cosmic Christ 00:59:15 - Cosmic Imagery in Religious Teachings 01:03:05 - The Immensity of Intelligence in Creation 01:06:56 - The Relationship Between Enlightenment and Compassion 01:11:00 - The Power of Denial and Its Consequences 01:14:50 - Chosen Ignorance 01:19:02 - The Four Paths of Spiritual Journey 01:23:06 - The Power of Compassion and Healing 01:26:50 - A Doctorate in Spirituality 01:30:35 - The Murder of Thomas Merton 01:34:18 - Merton's Mystical Experience in Downtown Louisville 01:38:15 - Reality and Metaphysics 01:43:03 - Joy and Consciousness in the Universe 01:47:06 - Sat-chit-ananda and the Joy of Creating 01:51:09 - Accessing the Inner Joy and Happiness 01:55:25 - The Intellect and Values 01:58:37 - Invitation to All Lifestyles and Traditions 02:01:42 - Thinking outside the box