I have some exciting news that is well timed, given that the Democratic National Convention is in session. My new book called Trump & the MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election comes out today as an e-book and audio book (learn more and order HERE). It will be available as an in-hand book within a few weeks.
In mid-June this summer I traveled to Orvieto, Italy to lead a week-long workshop on Thomas Aquinas in honor of his 800th Birthday and 750th anniversary of his death. He spent time in Orvieto himself teaching and writing poetry (see the Daily Meditation HERE).
While there, I visited the famous late 13th century Cathedral of the Assumption—some call it the most beautiful church in the world—and in it is a chapel housing three very large frescoes, one being “The Anti-Christ” finished in 1503 by Luca Signorelli. While standing in front of it, my first words were, “it feels like Donald Trump.” I have since learned that Sigmund Freud visited it three times and called it “the finest painting” he saw in his life. The fresco profoundly influenced his work and an entire book has been written on Freud Visits Orvieto. Also, Michelangelo spent three months there studying it before he painted the Sistine Chapel.
In returning home, I knew I had to write my new book, Trump & the MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ: A Handbook for the 2024 Election.
A word about the Anti-Christ:
The archetype of the Anti-Christ has been mostly invoked by fundamentalist Christians. This book turns the tables by holding it up to help name the current battle of democracy vs. theocracy and of lovers of the Earth vs. deniers of climate change in our time. This powerful archetype names real evil in our midst, evil that is not stupid or without talent, for evil seldom is.
The Antichrist—whether that of Hildegard, Signorelli, Luther, Calvin and other reformers—is an archetype for our troubled times because it helps name Evil in our midst. And its remedies. The first of which is shedding light on the shadows we can easily fall into.
I am deeply grateful to my colleagues Caroline Myss and Andrew Harvey for her solid Foreword on the power of archetype and his scintillating and challenging Afterword.
I offer this book to assist those who want to support Kamala Harris and Tim Walz and the future of a government of, by and for the people in this land (not of, by and for billionaires). For far too long the (mostly) religiously illiterate press in America have been identifying “Christianity” and “Christians” as fundamentalists even though they make up a minority of the believers in America today and many are jumping the Christian Nationalism ship.
The values of the Christ that underscore the meaning of democracy include the dignity of the individual and also the commitment to community, solidarity and the common good. Truth, Justice, Beauty and Joy, are primary. They are held by people of many faith traditions and of none (such as Freud was).
Included in the book are ten colored paintings, seven of Signorelli’s frescoes, one by Fra Angelico and two by Hildegard of Bingen, one on Christ and one on the Anti-Christ.
To be continued
See “Announcing Matthew Fox’s Newest Book, Confronting Evil in Our Time” on MatthewFox.org.
Also see Matthew Fox, Illuminations of Hildegard of Bingen, Plate 18 and pp. 122-126
See also Matthew Fox, A New Reformation: Creation Spirituality & The Transformation of Christianity.
See also Matthew Fox, Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society.
Banner Image: Detail of “Sermon and Deeds of the Antichrist.” Fresco by Luca Signorelli, Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, Orvieto. Wikimedia Commons.
Queries for Contemplation
Do you sense evil in attempts to kill democracy and deny the realities of climate change–thus contributing to the killing of Mother Earth today?
Recommended Reading
Illuminations of Hildegard of Bingen
An introduction to the life and work of Hildegard of Bingen, Illuminations reveals the life and teachings of one of the greatest female artists and intellectuals of the Western Mystical Tradition. At the age of 42, she began to have visions; these were captured as 36 illuminations–24 of which are recorded in this book along with her commentaries on them.
“If one person deserves credit for the great Hildegard renaissance in our time, it is Matthew Fox.” – Dr Mary Ford-Grabowsky, author of Sacred Voices.
A New Reformation: Creation Spirituality & The Transformation of Christianity
A modern-day theologian’s call for the radical transformation of Christianity that will allow us to move once again from the hollow trappings of organized religion to genuine spirituality. A New Reformation echoes the Reformation initiated by Martin Luther in 1517 and offers a new vision of Christianity that values the Earth, honors the feminine, and respects science and deep ecumenism.
“This is a deep and forceful book….With prophetic insight, Matthew Fox reveals what has corrupted religion in the West and the therapy for its healing.” ~Bruce Chilton, author of Rabbi Jesus: An Intimate Biography
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
7 thoughts on “Announcing My New Book on Trump, MAGA & the Anti-Christ”
I have seen Trump as the anti-christ for years. So glad you wrote a book on it. Thank you@
Is the correct title of the book referred to “Freud’s Trip to Orvieto”?
Yes. Sorry about that. Subtitle is: The Great Doctor’s Unresolved Confrontations with Antisemitism, Death, and Homoeroticism; His Passion for Paintings; and the Writer in His Footsteps. The first chapter interacts deeply with that very solid and provocative study.
Yes!!! Congratulations Matthew on your recent timely book! Looking forward to reading it. The reality of the archetype of ‘evil’ in our personal, societal, institutional, and unbalanced patriarchal lives needs to always be exposed with its historical and ongoing destructive effects on humanity. Carl Jung, depth psychologist, has explained this archetypal and shadow phenomenon in our conscious and unconscious personal/societal lives. This explains why so much evil still exists in our society and around the world with autocratic movements, like Trump and his MAGA cult followers in our country (and Hitler/Nazism in our recent past). Our personal responsibility on our Faith spiritual journeys is more important than ever to be open to God’s Spirit of LOVE, Truth, Peace, Justice, Freedom, Healing, Strength, Creativity, Joy, Beauty, Transformation, Diverse ONENESS, Compassion… Present within, through, and among Us in our daily lives….
Thank you so much for this connection and important framing around the antichrist.
In terms of protection of the earth, besides the whole, interconnected call to stewardship, the Holy Mother, in a statement on Sept 25, 2020 to the visionaries in Medjugorje, Yugoslavia, spoke about saving us “and the Earth on which you live.”
Beautiful.
beloved father,brother dr. fox, i am a long time follower of you and your inspiring literature and books. i must push back on your latest book and say that i totally disagree. i have generally voted democrat until the clinton era i started voting independent or third party. perhaps you did not attend the democratic convention or did not watch or listen to it. the democratic convention was the first time in US history to have the head of the CIA as a featured speaker. i believe there has been an inversion of the two major parties.. the democratic party is and has become the party of war. just look at all the conflicts we have become embroiled with and we,the usa, keep shipping and selling weapons of mass death and destruction. we have gone from the sixties and the kennedy democrats to being a cheney demoicrat. all the war criminals from the fraudulent iraq war have been pushed out of the republican party and are now embedded in the democratic party john bolton and george w. bush and the cheney’s. they like it in the democratic party because the dnc is the party of war, of censorship, of bio warfare. i will stop here and wait for your response
I have to agree he is a Antichrist and we will see if he is THE antichrist.The first plan is to round up millions of people many who are Christians and put them in internment camps.Why does that not upset people.A Christ like mind should be very disturbed.Its all done so people can retain their wealth while others parish.There is a large movement of migrants to all countries – could we see this spread?Its a direct attack on the poor.His false prophets have compared him to Jesus and it has even been said he has suffered and been persecuted the same.That alone is enough to call him a Antichrist.How can some one have such influence over so many could it be Satanic?World leaders and his own grovel for his approval.He claims he’s bringing a new golden age raining material wealth on the USA and they all want it at any cost blinded by him.I really am worried there is nothing Christian about him. I don’t get why people think a Antichrist will not say they are Christian they certainly will.