Christ and Antichrist: Matthew Fox on Democracy, Joy, and Spiritual Resistance

By Mike Morrell on December 3, 2024 in Biblical, Books, Changemaking, Contemplative, Emergence, Foresight, Guest Voices, Integral, Interviews, Jesus, Justice, Leadership, Life, Podcast, Politics, Restorative Justice, Scripture, Storytelling

Matthew Fox is no stranger to controversy. Radical priest, ritual pioneer, venerable theologian and biblical-ecological storyteller, Matthew has been leading us for decades to become more attuned to Christ, creation, and one another throughout all seasons.

We recently got to catch up, and our conversation did not disappoint! In our latest conversation, Matthew shares profound insights from his latest book on the archetypal battle between Christ consciousness and the Antichrist in our current political landscape. Drawing from his transformative experience with Signorelli’s 16th-century fresco in Orvieto Cathedral, Matthew explores how ancient wisdom speaks directly to our contemporary crisis.

We cover a lot of ground, including:

The striking parallels between historical depictions of the Antichrist and current political dynamics
How Christ’s teachings fundamentally support democratic values and “positive populism”
The critical distinction between healthy spirituality and what Fox terms “Christofascism”
A fascinating analysis of the Left’s relationship with guilt versus the Right’s approach to absolution
The power of joy and biophilia as spiritual resistance against necrophilia in politics
Practical spiritual practices for maintaining hope in challenging times
A nuanced discussion of moral complexity in current global politics

Our conversation then shifts to Fox’s upcoming collaboration with cosmologist Brian Thomas Swimme, exploring how modern scientific understanding of the universe’s creative processes aligns with mystical wisdom. Their discussion of “balanced turbulence” offers a powerful framework for navigating personal and collective transformation in these turbulent times.

Tune in here!

Ready to go deeper? Get Matthew Fox’s new book Trump & the MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ for a comprehensive analysis of our current spiritual-political crisis.

Then join Matthew and Brian Swimme for their transformative online course exploring the Four Paths of Creation Spirituality, where ancient wisdom meets modern cosmology to guide us through these challenging times.

Here’s their offering…What if our daily challenges and triumphs are actually natural and necessary steps for creating ourselves and life as we truly want them to be?

What if the ebb and flow of our daily lives, as well as our spiritual evolution, mirror what the universe has been doing for 14 billion years — and continues to do as a sacred, ongoing act of creation?

During this free online event, Access the Creational Energy of the Universe: Explore the 4 Paths of Creation Spirituality to Revitalize Your Work, Wellbeing & Evolution…

… you’ll have the opportunity to explore how the Four Paths of Creation Spirituality and leading-edge revelations of modern science synergize to illuminate our deeper potential for transformation, letting go, vitality, self-expression, and joy.

Via Positiva, Via Negativa, Via Creativa, and Via Transformativa offer a profound transformative roadmap for understanding and acting on your purpose as they mirror the cycles of the universe and guide you to live more fully and authentically.

Throughout this insightful event, you’ll:

Discover the 4 Paths of Creation Spirituality — a comprehensive framework for navigating your spiritual journey in the context of the cosmic story
Be guided in an interactive exercise that synergizes the 4 Paths of Creation Spirituality with the 4 directions to tap into your deeper humanity and creative potential
Go deeper into the Via Creativa as the bridge between mysticism and prophecy
Learn how the universe’s inherent creativity can inspire and empower your own spiritual and artistic expression
Explore “balanced turbulence” as a state that fosters creativity and resilience — in both the cosmos and your life
Discover how creativity, guided by the Holy Spirit, is essential for personal and collective evolution — and how art can become a meditative spiritual practice

Matthew, one of today’s foremost mystical scholars and recipient of the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award, offers us divinely inspired guidance on how we can rise to meet the uncertainties of our time with compassion, conviction, creativity, and grace.

A professor of cosmology at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, Brian is known for his Cosmogenesis book and Northern California Emmy® Award-winning PBS documentary, Journey of the Universe. His perspective on the nature of the Universe supports the emergence of a flourishing Earth community.

Through this remarkable dialogue, you’ll not only gain a deeper intellectual understanding of your place in the Universe, you’ll also be invited to go inward to embody the miracle of life as it unfolds within and around you…

… as you discover the awe of being alive, connect with the energy and joy of the sacred, and experience yourself as a vibrant part of creation.

If this calls to you, I warmly invite you to join us for what promises to be an illuminating event. You can RSVP here.

The Prayer of the Four Directions as Taught Matthew Fox by Sister Jose Hobday, Franciscan and Seneca Woman and Storyteller of her Tribe

Here’s a written expansion of the prayer Matthew teaches at the end of our interview, in his own words:

If there is anything that characterizes the narcissism of the modern consciousness, it is humanity (including religion) beginning with itself and not creation which birthed us and nourishes us every day of our lives. This is one reason I love the pre-modern mystics—because they begin with the cosmos and not the self.

One way to begin every day with creation—the cosmos—as distinct from self (cf. Descartes: “I think therefore I am”) is to pray to the Four Directions. One of the first prayers Sister Jose ever taught me was the Prayer to the Four Directions. It puts the cosmos as the setting for our lives and connects the psyche to the cosmos, thus deepening the Self and not just the self.

Sister Jose and I were friends and co-workers at ICCS at Holy Names College and then the University of Creation Spirituality for decades. We also led retreats and workshops together. When I was silenced for a year and then expelled from the Dominican Order after 34 years, she took a lot of flak from right wing Catholics and hierarchy for staying with and working with creation spirituality. She had lectures cancelled, etc. for staying with us.

Here is the Prayer of the Four Directions as she taught it to me. One does not read this, nor does it have to be spoken in identical words each time on prays. One prays from the heart, not from the eyes.

Stand and face the North. “Oh, spirits and angels of the North, where fierce storms come from. Come to us and give us strength and courage. Teach us to be strong like the buffalo who turns and faces the fierce winds and storms head on that come from the North. Come, spirits and angels of the North.

Face the East. “Oh, spirits and angels of the East where the sun rises every day. Bring light into our hearts and minds so we may also resurrect every morning and bring new life and creativity and renewed hope every day. Come, spirits and angels of the East.”

Face the South. “Oh, spirits and angels of the South where the sun shines the hottest. Bring warmth into our hearts and friendships and all our relations. Come, oh spirits and angels of the South.”

Face the West. “Oh, spirits and angels of the West, where the sun sets every night. Teach us to be at home in the dark and in the silence of the night and teach us to let go and to trust as we undergo sinking into the unknown and await the sun rising tomorrow. Come, spirits and angels of the West.”

Look Up to Father Sky. “Come, spirits and angels from above. Teach us to fly high with the eagle and so seek wisdom and perspective in life like the eagle. Come, spirits and angels from above, from the sky.”

Look Down. “Come, spirits and angels of the Earth. Where all plants fine their roots. Teach us to remain grounded and thankful for the Earth, our Mother, and treat her with respect. Come, spirits and angels from below.”

Cross hands on the Heart. “Come, spirits and angels from all six directions, into our hearts. Gather in our hearts and make our hearts flow with blood that is red and full of energy flowing with love and gratitude and generosity. Ah Ho. Amen.”

About My Guest

Matthew Fox, an Episcopal priest, is author of 43 books on culture and spirituality including Original Blessing, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ, A Spirituality Named Compassion, and The Reinvention of Work. His honors include the Abbey Courage of Conscience Peace Award (other recipients include the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, Rosa Parks and Maya Angelou), the Gandhi-King-Ikeda Award from Morehouse College, Atlanta, the Tikkun Ethics Award and the International Sufi Humanities Award. Find him online at MatthewFox.org.

About Mike Morrell

Michael Morrell is the collaborating author, with Fr. Richard Rohr, on The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation. He's also the founder of Wisdom Camp, a day-retreat for mystical misfits, and a founding organizer of the justice, arts, and spirituality Wild Goose Festival. Michael curates contemplative and community experiences, taking joy in holding space for the extraordinary transformation that can take place at the intersection of anticipation, imagination, and radical acceptance. Michael is also an avid writer, publishing consultant, author coach, futurist, and curator of the book-reviewing community, Speakeasy. His two children are growing up entirely too fast and he lives in Asheville, North Carolina.

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