Creation Spirituality and Lutheranism

Creation Spirituality and Lutheranism Marilyn Jackson And Notes from a Presentation by Larry Rasmussen Augustana Heritage Gathering Rock Island, IL, June, 2010 Part I: Presentation by Marilyn Jackson, PhD, Western Institute for Social Research, Berkeley, CA; Augustana BA, religion major graduate and MA graduate of Institute in Culture and Creation Spirituality, Holy Names College, Oakland, CA Introduction to Creation Spirituality as defined by Matthew Fox: As a young Catholic priest, in the 1960s, Matthew Fox was concerned about the flocking of his peers to Eastern Spirituality. He set out to discover what “Western Spirituality” had to offer. He developed Creation Spirituality, which includes any religion that holds earthly creation to be a dynamic, creative subject of our spiritual belief. Fox studied at graduate school in Paris , France, where Pere (Father) Chenu, named the "creation centered" vs. "fall/ redemption" spiritual traditions for him. He then developed an institute for the study of Western Spiritual traditions that took a few different forms in recent decades. Spirituality is a newer term for Lutherans than for Catholics. For many it means an inner experience but this inner work leads to a difference in one’s outer life as well. Mysticism is a similar word, often thought of as unrelated to every day life, though that is a narrow view, because as we change inside, it naturally changes what occurs in our outward lives. Matthew Fox expanded the definition for the terms of spirituality, mysticism and religious experience, to include art as meditation, seeing the activity of creation happening in creativity and artistic endeavor. He linked the concept of transformation and social justice. Fox points out two traditions, one that is a fall/redemption model and another that is based in what he calls Original Blessing, responding to centuries of emphasis on the predominant Christian theme of Original Sin. Original Blessing is one of many themes based in Biblical tradition in passages about the goodness of God's Creation and God's positive outlook on Creation, including humans’ role in the world. Fox’ writings teach that spirituality starts with Original Blessing or what he calls with Latin terminology, the Via Positiva (the positive way) which is followed by the Via Negativa (negative way). Fox brought to the attention of modern day mystics, the teachings of Christian mystics from the middle ages in Europe. The women’s lay movement, the Beguines was one. Hildegarde of Bingen, a German Benedictine abbess of the 12th century was another. Meister Eckhart was a priest who lived a century later. Fox found, to his surprise, that Eckhart's writings echoed ideas he had been developing ideas in his own research in spirituality. Fox points out the healthiness for our psyches to have a balance of four spiritual paths rather than to have a prime emphasis on just one negative aspect of spirituality, or even two, as in the Yin and the Yang of Eastern tradition. It is much easier to examine difficulty if one has started with a positive outlook. The Via Negativa, the second path, can be different than original sin. The letting go aspect of the Via Negativa can also mean to let go of judgment. In balance with other spiritual paths, the Via Negativa becomes a valued experience and can be defined as a sinking or letting go and being quiet; not just a time to feel badly and remorseful. This can be more like what many think of as mysticism, the retreat from the business of life. So after the embracing and letting go of the first two paths, one is buoyed up and onto the third and fourth paths: Via Creativa and Via Transformativa. The Via Creativa often 1