Like Cusa, I find more truth in talking about what God is and what God does than talking about “Does God exist?” What kind of God do we worship or honor or emulate or want to imitate?
I think these are the deeper questions in our time–what gods or God are we worshipping? Gods of power and wealth and bigotry? Gods of selfishness and anthropocentrism that distance us from the love of other creatures besides the human? Gods of indifference to truth and champion of “alternative facts”? I hope not.
The God of Truth and Beauty, Justice and Compassion? I hope so.
Like Cusa and Pseudo-Denys and Thomas Aquinas, I too have wrestled with the names of God and I invite you to do the same. This is one useful way we can refresh our souls. God talk can often become stale and frozen and oh-hum—and our souls with it.
In my recent book called Naming the Unnameable: 89 Wonderful and Useful Names For God…Including the Unnameable God, I propose 89 names especially useful today. Among them are names of the apophatic Divinity such as these: Superessential Darkness; Silence; The Ineffable One; The Unknown One; The Great Mystery, etc.
And also divine feminine appellations such as: The Goddess; Tara; Kuan Yin; Oshun; Isis; Black Madonna; Mary; Shekinah; etc.
But also, those taken from today’s science and other sources including: Flow; Energy; the Mind of the Universe; the Eco-Mind; Life; Light; the Artist of Artists; the Beloved; Truth; the Tao; Mother; Father; Joy; the Self of the Universe; the Wounds of the Universe; Spirit; the Cause of Wonder; the One to Whom we give our Thanks; Justice; Beauty; Love, etc.
Adapted from Matthew Fox, Naming the Unnameable: 89 Wonderful and Useful Names For God…Including the Unnameable God.
To read the transcript of Matthew Fox’s video teaching, click HERE.
Banner Image: The Sanskrit symbol of the sacred syllable AUM, chanted in Buddhist, Hindu and other traditions, invoking the ultimate reality or divine spirit, entirety of the universe (Brahman) and the Self within (Atman). “Ohm-symbool / AUM” by dietmut is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Queries for Contemplation
Be with one or more of these names of God. Which of the names for divinity listed above most speak to you? Why is that? Which do you think our current culture most needs to practice?
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
13 thoughts on “Naming the Divine, continued”
I want to start a discussion group using Matthew’s books and material. Is rhere guidance for doing so?
Diana, That would be great! The perfect book to start with would be ORIGINAL BLESSING. This book lays out Matthew’s basic thoughts and everything else builds upon that. Also, we have an organization called, “Creation Spirituality Communities” which is a resource to different Creation Spirituality study groups.* I facilitate a Creation Spirituality Community, called Spiritwind–which is a study group that is based on Matthew’s book, ONE RIVER, MANY WELLS…
*You can find Creation Spirituality Communities on Facebook or google it!
I find two sites for CSC on FB and one leads to the other, but it is mostly posts of Matthew’s DM’s. Does one have to join to find your study group or other study groups? Thank you.
Sue, try going to cscommunities.org. Also, you can check out my Community on Facebook at Spiritwind…
What today’s DM invites us into is the spiritual practice of Lectio Divina. This is a beautiful tradition that Mathew has spoken of, which can be applied to many things, as a form of meditation, contemplation and reflection… a pathway that leads to hearing that small still voice within… that desires to be heard making things known, personally and intimately to each one of us all.
When I think about the naming of things, I am reminded how God in the biblical story invites humanity to participate in this naming of all things, as a co-creative partnership with the Creator of the all and the everything.
Jeanette, Lectio Divina is my primary spiritual practice. It is as you say, “a form of meditation, contemplation and reflection… a pathway that leads to hearing that small still voice within…” Amen!
Ponder Divine LOVE and perhaps They will speak to your heart? }:- a.m.
I have been pondering Unconditional Love for a while. It is not something that I can comprehend, except partially in my mind. It does mean that God does not require good behavior or anything else from me or anyone, which means that God loves Hitler just as God loves me. And if I love God with all my heart and all my mind and all my strength, then it follows that I must love all that God loves. Not so easy.
Sue, you’re right. “God loves Hitler just as God loves me.” And “And if I love God with all my heart and all my mind and all my strength, then it follows that I must love all that God loves.” “Not so easy” you say, and you are absolutely right. But as it was at the time of my ordination–when I was asked questions concerning my willingness to do all that I was called to do, my answer was to be, “I will, with the help of God.” I think the same applies when asking us to do hard things, like loving a Hitler or any other unlovable person…
Thank you Richard for the resources, and I will check them out. I had to answer the same when I was ordained an elder in the Presbyterian Church–with the help of God, I will. That is the only way I can do anything, really, and especially the tough things. One of the practices that helps a bit is the lovingkindness one, metta I think the Buddhists call it.
Love-Light-Life…
Sacred Stillness Silence Peace…
Loving Healing Eternal Presence…
Loving Beautiful Creative Oneness…
Beloved Christ and Holy Spirit…
Divine Mother-Sacred Father Creator…
Beautiful Beloved…
Mysterious Creative Silence….
These are some of my favorite daily mantras/names for our Loving Living Creator God-Dess within, through, among, and all around us In All of Creation/Cosmos in the Sacred Process of the Eternal Present Moment….
— Amen
Damian, Thanks for sharing! A very good response to todays meditation!
Wisdom-Peace-Justice-Compassion