Why is it important to be talking about more names for divinity at this time in history? It is a sign of our times that many people are giving up on institutional religion in favor of spirituality. They are playing out Meister Eckhart’s prayer, “I pray God to rid me of God.”
The God of organized religion and of empires is tired. Religious organizations can become so mired in the past—dead philosophies, dead ideologies, dead patriarchal world views, dead imperial ambitions, dead liturgies, and the rest—that they no longer speak to the deep spiritual needs people are feeling.
Recently I was invited to interact with people in Italy on the occasion of the translation into Italian of my book on Naming the Unnameable: 89 Wonderful and Useful Names for God…Including the Unnameable God. In Italian it is called: Gli 89 Splendiddi Nomi di Dio, The 89 Splendid Names of God. The event was lively and full of meaningful questions. The Preface to the book begins this way:
The ancient Vedas of India tell us that “The One Existence the wise call by many names.”
How many names for Divinity are there? Do the names for God change? Ought they change as humans evolve and as circumstances of life evolve around us? Are we among the “wise” that the Vedas speak of who are eager to call the One Existence by many names? Do we have permission—and maybe a serious responsibility—to change our understanding and naming of God as we mature as individuals and as we evolve as a species and as we face a critical time, a “turning time,” in human and planetary history?
Adapted from Matthew Fox,Naming the Unnameable: 89 Wonderful and Useful Names for God…Including the Unnameable God, pp. xiiif.
Also see Matthew Fox, One River, Many Wells: Wisdom Springing from Global Faiths
To read the transcript of Matthew Fox’s video teaching, click HERE.
Banner Image: 18th-century statues of Buddhist deities at a temple in Japan. Photo by Hal Yamagucci on Flickr.
Queries for Contemplation
How many names for God do you entertain? Which ones work the best for you today? Which ones do not work for you so you are letting them go?
Recommended Reading
Naming the Unnameable: 89 Wonderful and Useful Names for God …Including the Unnameable God
Too often, notions of God have been used as a means to control and to promote a narrow worldview. In Naming the Unnameable, renowned theologian and author Matthew Fox ignites our imaginations by offering a colorful range of Divine Names gathered from scientists and poets and mystics past and present, inviting us to always begin where true spirituality begins: from experience.
“This book is timely, important and admirably brief; it is also open ended—there are always more names to come, and none can exhaust God’s nature.” -Rupert Sheldrake, PhD, author of Science Set Free and The Presence of the Past
One River, Many Wells: Wisdom Springing from Global Faiths
Matthew Fox calls on all the world traditions for their wisdom and their inspiration in a work that is far more than a list of theological position papers but a new way to pray—to meditate in a global spiritual context on the wisdom all our traditions share. Fox chooses 18 themes that are foundational to any spirituality and demonstrates how all the world spiritual traditions offer wisdom about each.“Reading One River, Many Wells is like entering the rich silence of a masterfully directed retreat. As you read this text, you reflect, you pray, you embrace Divinity. Truly no words can fully express my respect and awe for this magnificent contribution to contemporary spirituality.” –Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit
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14 thoughts on “More Names for God”
In her book GAIA: The Human Journey from Chaos to Cosmos evolutionary biologist Elisabet Sahtouri describes humanity’s gradual ‘maturing’ into the awareness of the unity of all being, from the atom to cosmos. This maturation moves us from competition to cooperation.
I think of John Shelby Spong’s statement about his ‘maturing’ at the age 12 when he realized that “girls weren’t obnoxious”. He mentioned this in answer to a question about the Blessed Virgin Mary. His message: it was time for us to ‘evolve’ our understanding of the historical Miriam/Mary. Toxic masculinity of Patriarchy was an immature relationship to the Divine Feminine.
My current name for God is ‘The Great Whoever’.
Gwen, I think you are right in saying, “Toxic masculinity of Patriarchy was an immature relationship to the Divine Feminine” but I feel that it wasn’t that their relationship with the Divine Feminine was immature–it was almost non-existent!
Elisabet Sahtouris Ph.D. is an American/Greek evolution biologist, futurist, business consultant, event organizer and UN consultant on indigenous peoples. She is the author of EarthDance, Biology Revisioned co-authored with Willis Harman and A Walk Through Time: From Stardust To Us (with prologue by Brian Swimme and epilog by Sidney Liebes).
As I listened to Mathew read some of the names for God, I began to see how naming, identifies in some sense ones essence. The thought then came to me as I listened to some of these names, which we identify as the essence of God, whom we are created in the image and likeness of, that this naming also in some way is identifying our true essence as well.
Then I questioned, do we really identify ourselves and each other with this sameness of essence, even if it only is but a small part, a small reflection of the wholeness of what we name as God.
Listening to the names again in this context, one might just get a glimpse of the potential of God’s vision for all of humanity, of our collective true identity and essence.
Perhaps the Black Madonna is coming to so many, because it’s time for the shadows and darkness of what humanity has falsely identified as its essence, and this being exposed for what it is… a pretentious illusion… so that we can resurrect what God has named us to become and be, identified with our true essence?
Jeanette, years ago I had a friend that was interviewing for a position as minister of a certain church. When she was asked about her views on the trinity she simply said, “Why limit God to three?” She said this meaning that there are so many aspects of God not covered in the three that you need many names as Matthew haw shown us. Also, I liked what you said at the end of your comment: “Perhaps the Black Madonna is coming to so many, because it’s time for the shadows and darkness of what humanity has falsely identified as its essence, and this being exposed for what it is… a pretentious illusion… so that we can resurrect what God has named us to become and be, identified with our true essence?”
All the names for god I sense I can hold individually- the only name that holds me is Love and Love enfolds and births all names. I sense no tension in Love. I have been meditating on Fr Matthew’s writings for 30 years. Thank you.
Mary, and I, together with you say, Thank you Fr. Matthew !!!
Why, after seven decades of consideration, I’ve settled on Divine LOVE as my preferred words when referring to Great Mystery. }:- a.m.
The word God, as used in English, is Allah in Arabic, Brahman in Sanskrit and ha-Shem (the Name) in Hebrew. God is Theos in Greek, the first written language of the New Testament. Nirvana in Buddhist Sanskrit can also mean absolute Truth: ultimate Reality.
Note: The Hebrew Bible uses the sacred, unspoken, YHVH (YHWH) for God; Adonai replaces it when reading Jewish scriptures. Ha-Shem is used in conversation.
I’ve enjoyed Matthew’s “Naming the Unnameable”. It really does open us to awareness of God’s
mystery and many manifestations projected by humans throughout human history. Some of the universal spiritual qualities of God-Desses’s Spirit that I’m most comfortable with as a Christian contemplative are Divine Love-Wisdom-Creativity, Loving Sacred Presence, Transcendent & Immanent, Loving Oneness & uniquely beautifully present in all diverse creation, Beautiful Divine Feminine, All in All, …. The most important thing we need to have faith/trust in is that God’s Living Spirit of Love-Wisdom-Creativity is with-in us and All ongoing Creation….
You got it, Damian !!!
Thanks for being affirming Richard!
I’ve enjoyed Matthew’s “Naming the Unnameable”. It really does open us to awareness of God’s
mystery and many manifestations projected by humans throughout human history. Some of the universal spiritual qualities of God-Desses’s Spirit that I’m most comfortable with as a Christian contemplative are Divine Love-Wisdom-Creativity, Loving Sacred Eternal Presence, Transcendent & Immanent, Loving Oneness & uniquely beautifully present in all diverse creation, Beautiful Divine Feminine, All in All, …. The most important thing we need to have faith/trust in is that God’s Living Spirit of Love-Wisdom-Creativity is with-in us and All ongoing Creation….
Thanks for being affirming Richard! I