I think it may be time that Christians put the Nicene Creed on the shelf for a while and start paying attention more to the Cosmic Christ.  The Cosmic Christ has been ignored in Christian discourse in great part during the modern era.  Consider these observations from notable thinkers:

— Theodore Roszak: “The Enlightenment held mysticism up for ridicule as the worst offense against science and reason.”  If the Cosmic Christ is the primary archetype of mysticism—which it is—then the Cosmic Christ was held up for ridicule also.  And it was and is deeply ignored in much religious discourse.

In her Cosmic Egg mandala, Hildegard of Bingen equates the torch that is the sun with Christ, “the sun of justice having the lightning of burning love.” – Matthew Fox, Illuminations of Hildegard of Bingen

— Jaroslav Pelikan, a church historian who is part Orthodox and part Lutheran says: “The Enlightenment deposed the Cosmic Christ and made the quest for the historical Jesus necessary.”  Yes, the Cosmic Christ was deposed, thrown out, in favor of the Christ of redemption which can easily be reduced to an anthropocentric Christ who encourages human narcissism with the neurotic question: “Am I saved?” instead of the Biblical question about the holiness of Life itself.

— Teilhard de Chardin complained that he couldn’t find anyone—lay person or theologian—who wanted to talk about the Cosmic Christ.  He also talked of what happens when the Cosmic Christ is forgotten. “Because it is not exalted by a sufficiently passionate admiration of the universe, our religion is becoming enfeebled.”

The “enfeeblement of our religion”—is that not where we are at today?

Why do I propose putting the Nicene Creed on the shelf for a while, put together by an Emperor and Bishops of the fourth century in very Greek philophical concepts at the time of Christian empire building? 

“(In the) Transfiguration…Jesus’ inner light shone; his Divinity was on display. As is ours and that of the rocks and other beings, if we see correctly.” Ullrrich Javier Lemus, The Transfiguration, #6 in the Stations of the Cosmic Christ.

First, because it is not from the time of Jesus whereas the Cosmic Christ is—indeed all the great stories of Jesus’ life are set in a cosmic context (See Stations of the Cosmic Christ)

Furthermore, the earliest Christian sources—Paul and the Gospel of Thomas– teach about the Cosmic Christ.  It is a scandal that these primary sources have been ignored especially in the modern era.  (Medieval or pre-modern Christian writers like Hildegard of Bingen, Thomas Aquinas, Meister Eckhart, Nicolas of Cusa and more very often speak of a Cosmic Christ.)

Also, post-modern times draw on pre-modern wisdom.  The Cosmic Christ archetype, that is not so much a dogma as an experience, lies at the heart of pre-modern Christianity.  It derives from putting the experience of the Divine before the building of empires.


Adapted from: Matthew Fox and Mark Andrus, Stations of the Cosmic Christ. 
Matthew Fox, Christian Mystics: 365 Readings and Meditations, p. 218;
Matthew Fox, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ.
Banner Image: “O Cor Jesu – Andromeda” composite image by William Ockham, Teilhard.org


Queries for Contemplation


Do you agree with Teilhard de Chardin that an “enfeeblement of religion” has settled in to Western consciousness? 

How can the experience of the holiness of all things, the Cosmic Christ experience, reawaken authentic spirituality and religion?

Recommended Reading

In what may be considered the most comprehensive outline of the Christian paradigm shift of our Age, Matthew Fox eloquently foreshadows the manner in which the spirit of Christ resurrects in terms of the return to an earth-based mysticism, the expression of creativity, mystical sexuality, the respect due the young, the rebirth of effective forms of worship—all of these mirroring the ongoing blessings of Mother Earth and the recovery of Eros, the feminine aspect of the Divine.
 

This is a book of meditations on the Cosmic Christ, accompanying the images of 16 wonderful clay tablets by Javier Ullrrich Lemus and M.C. Richards. Together, these images and meditations go far beyond the traditional Stations of the Cross to inspire a spirit awakening and understanding of the cosmic Christ Consciousness, Buddha consciousness, and consciousness of the image of God in all beings, so needed in our times.

The 365 writings in Christian Mystics represent a wide-ranging sampling of these readings for modern-day seekers of all faiths — or no faith. The visionaries quoted range from Julian of Norwich to Martin Luther King, Jr., from Thomas Merton to Dorothee Soelle and Thomas Berry.

 
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7 thoughts on “Time for the Cosmic Christ?”

  1. The Holy Spirit of Spirituality is awakening the Cosmic Christ in movements that challenge our thinking on living things. The Environmental movement, The Peta movement, The Vegan movement and the self sustenance movement to name a few all honor our presence in a world that is less concerned about personal salvation and personal spirituality. We are moving from anthropocentric thinking to the interdependence of all Life. In any context the Cosmic Christ is spoken we must witness the presence of the Spirit in real time the challenge to Renew the face of the Earth. Deacon’82 Environment and Global Interdependence.

  2. Dearest Matthew Fox as long as you continue to enrich us with your incredible words and spirit I believe the passion for our universe can never be completely lost!
    Enfeeblement of our religions? Certainly their power to transform us and bring us closer to our real self, each other, Nature and God seems to have evaporated. In Christianity we are pushed to believe in Jesus and cling dismally to his ‘name’ rather than internalise the power of his teachings and work on ourselves, kindly yet strongly and sincerely to serve the highest good in joy, freedom and true connection. Getting beyond words – especially the limp and diluted versions that have lost SO much in translation – is very hard if we don’t get to know how different are the ancient Semitic languages from English, and modern western thought. That’s why I love to chant the Aramaic words of Yeshua that I have learned from your friend Neil Douglas-Klotz.
    Thank you for your beautiful works including these meditations, I LOVE them, and all your writings that I have so far read. ‘One River, Many Wells’ was required reading on my course towards ordination with the One Spirit Interfaith Foundation, and ‘Radical Prayer’ which I have on audio I keep re-visiting again and again. I hope more will come on audio in good time as I get so little time to actually visually read!

    Every blessing and much love to you and yours

    Helen

    1. Gail Ransom

      Dear Helen,
      Yes, “Enfeeblement” is the perfect word for our “limp and diluted” religions. As western religion developed as an activity of the individual mind, you and I and millions of other sincere seekers and their deluded leaders have been robbed of our path into our true nature as divine beings living in a divine cosmos. All those spiritual lives lost – and now Earth as well. I will pass on your suggestion of more audiobooks to Dr. Fox. People need to hear what he is saying. Meanwhile, please pass these meditations on to your friends.
      Gail Sofia Ransom
      For the DM Team

  3. Dear Peter,
    Matthew’s book, The Coming of the Cosmic Christ, was written 30 years ago. While there are many reasons to despair that enough people did not catch on to the concept of Christ as Cosmos, as you point out, there does seem to be a groundswell of such understanding within contemporary movements now. Could we, in fact, actually be experiencing the coming of the Cosmic Christ in human thought and activity? The web of activity you describe is reason for hope. We should all keep at it.
    Gail Sofia Ransom
    For the DM Team

  4. I enjoy these daily meditations very much. I would like to make a contribution for them but I’m not sure where to send it. I am Canadian. Please advise me as to an address.
    Thank you,
    Joan Doyle

    1. Phila Hoopes

      Dear Joan,
      Thank you for reaching out, and for your inquiry! If you scroll all the way to the end of each post, below Matthew’s bio, you’ll see a line that says, “Daily Meditations with Matthew Fox is made possible through the generosity of donors. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation.” The last sentence is actually a link – if you click through that, you will land on a page where you may make your donation. Many thanks!

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      Phila Hoopes
      Blog Coordinator

  5. It was asked, “How can the experience of the holiness of all things, the Cosmic Christ experience, reawaken authentic spirituality and religion?” The answer to me is simple; it makes us One….with each other….and with the One. When one experiences the holiness of all things, the response is compassion. It makes us strive, with an inner longing, toward the highest goals any spiritual path or religion could offer. Please keep in mind I am a very simple minded, middle aged woman in Kansas 🙂 but to me the holiness in all things is a result of Life…Light….the energy, the frequency, the vibrations, the MIRACLE of Life giving life giving life! It is within us…it is all around us! (I truly believe that in the future, physicists and quantum mechanics will give to us a much better “map!”) Much love and joy to all from Beth in Kansas!

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