Week of 4/29-5/4/2024: Christofascism, the Un-Supreme Court, & the Wisdom of Dorothee Soelle

April 29, 2024: Five Men on the Once Supreme Court Embarrass Themselves Anew
Regarding SCOTUS being willing to consider immunity: One lawyer called it a “dark day” for the rule of law. Another called it an “embarrassment.” Another suggested that we move the Supreme Court to the RNC Headquarters because that is whom SCOTUS is now serving. Is all the self-adulation of the male judges merely a smokescreen to deny voters the right to see before the November election all the evidence gathered on a former president who staged a coup? Are these so-called judges deliberately denying voters access to facts which will help them make an informed decision? We cannot afford the luxury of despair; we must act.

April 30, 2024: The Triumph of Disdain: Patriarchy & the Boys at SCOTUS
This Supreme Court sees everyone as beneath them and displays disdain frequently. They show disdain for judicial ethics (Justice Thomas refusing to recuse himself even though his wife played a role in the January 6 insurrection), disdain for rules (accepting bribes from billionaires), disdain for voters (who deserve to hear the facts before voting in November), disdain for women (ending Roe v. Wade),disdain for the law, disdain for the Constitution, disdain for the separation of church and state, and disdain for democracy.

May 1, 2024: SCOTUS & the Unleashing of Patriarchy, Christofascism & Misogyny
What a contrast there was last week between the female and the male Supreme Court justices! The former talked about speeding up the process and about the price to be paid for allowing presidents vast immunity loopholes. The latter exuded arrogance and spoke about their concerns for the future while purposely ignoring the elephant in the room, which is that voters have a right to know the facts behind January 6 before they vote. Fascism was also at work as Leonardo Leo, Opus Dei operative, is known to have handpicked the last six ultra conservative male justices. And both patriarchy and fascism are all about control.

May 2, 2024: A Deeper Look at Opus Dei, Christofascism, Misogyny & SCOTUS
Because christofascism is so apparent in today’s SCOTUS, let’s look more closely at Opus Dei, the organization who helped shape this far-right court. Opus Dei was founded by fascist priest Josemaría Escrivá. Maria del Carmen Tapia worked with Opus Dei for 18 years, seven of them as Escrivá’s secretary. She wrote a tell-all book revealing Escriva as a misogynistic and cruel man who was reportedly obsessed with sex. He yelled at Tapia frequently, shaming her and degrading her, one time declaring:You’re a wicked woman, sleazy, scum! That’s what you are!  She endured many interrogations and was frequently followed. She wrote: I began to shake almost constantly as a result of my terror. I was afraid they would take me to a mental institution as I knew they had done to other members. Escrivá hated Vatican II and liberation theology and was heard praising Hitler. Many U.S. bishops today are members of Opus Dei or admirers of the sect that readily cozies up with the rich and powerful.

May 3, 2024: Dorothee Soelle Offers Medicine for Christolatry & Christofascism
Is there medicine or balm for this scourge of christolatry and christofascism? Yes, we can find insight in the work of feminist theologian Dorothee Soulle. For instance, in her poem “Credo” (“I Believe”), she writes: I believe in god/ who did not create an immutable world/a thing incapable of change/who does not govern according to eternal laws/that remain inviolate/or according to a natural order/of rich and poor/of the expert and the ignorant/of ruler and subject/ I believe in god/who willed conflict in life/and wanted us to challenge the status quo/through our work/through our politics. Clearly, Dorothee believes in a faith of action and of justice. Our work and our politics matter.

May 4, 2024: Beyond Patriarchy: Teachings on Mysticism from Dorothee Soelle
Dorothee Soelle was someone who beautifully united the mystical prophetic activism. About mysticism she said: The mystical certainty that nothing can separate us from the love of God grows when we ourselves become one with love by placing ourselves, freely and without guarantee of success, on the side of love. She also declared: I am completely and utterly in God, I cannot fall out of God, I am imperishable. As far as feminist theology is concerned, she said: The issue is not about exchanging pronouns but about another way of thinking of transcendence. Transcendence is no longer to be understood as being independent of everything and ruling over everything else, but rather as being bound up in the web of life….

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Banner image: The front facade of the Supreme Court. Photo by Ian Hutchinson on Unsplash

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Recommended Reading

Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society

Visionary theologian and best-selling author Matthew Fox offers a new theology of evil that fundamentally changes the traditional perception of good and evil and points the way to a more enlightened treatment of ourselves, one another, and all of nature. In comparing the Eastern tradition of the 7 chakras to the Western tradition of the 7 capital sins, Fox allows us to think creatively about our capacity for personal and institutional evil and what we can do about them. 
“A scholarly masterpiece embodying a better vision and depth of perception far beyond the grasp of any one single science.  A breath-taking analysis.” — Diarmuid O’Murchu, author of Quantum Theology: Spiritual Implications of the New Physics

Christian Mystics: 365 Readings & Meditations

As Matthew Fox notes, when an aging Albert Einstein was asked if he had any regrets, he replied, “I wish I had read more of the mystics earlier in my life.” 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.
“Our world is in crisis, and we need road maps that can ground us in wisdom, inspire us to action, and help us gather our talents in service of compassion and justice.  This revolutionary book does just that.  Matthew Fox takes some of the most profound spiritual teachings of the West and translates them into practical daily mediations.  Study and practice these teachings.  Take what’s in this book and teach it to the youth because the new generation cannot afford to suffer the spirit and ethical illiteracy of the past.” — Adam Bucko, spiritual activist and co-founder of the Reciprocity Foundation for Homeless Youth.