The “Wow” Factor, Science, Learning & Spirituality a la Tom Fox

What I call the Via Positiva and Heschel calls awe, educator Tom Fox calls the “wow.”  In addition to the ‘wow’ of our universe and its ways of operating, their writings [scientists like Wilzek] frequently express the ‘wow’ of how our minds can imagine and work together to share that understanding….Both of these exuberant ‘wows,’ they say, are why they write for the general public.

Here, in his wonderful naming of “exuberant ‘wows,” Tom Fox is in my wheelhouse of mysticism.  I love that phrase, “exuberant wows” and will surely be appropriating it for my future efforts to name what a mystical experience is. 

But Tom himself recognizes exactly what he has just said and is not afraid to name how we move from science and education to the realm of spirituality. Combining a scientist’s wonder of nature with a deep respect for human intelligence demonstrates that a scientist’s work is a spiritual quest as well as a scientific one. 

In his [Wilczek’s] account, all scientific inquiries, past and present, lead the scientist not only to a deeper appreciation of the grandeur of the universe we inhabit but also to a deep appreciations of the mind we humans have developed over eons, the very mind that allows us to recognize the reality of that grandeur and to engage with its mysteries, religious and otherwise. 

Einstein said much the same.  Most researchers and inquirers I read refer to a similar awe of the mind that emerges from the work at the frontiers of what is known, including the challenge to throw away their certainties as they proceed.*    

And it is because they are writing for us non-scientist neophytes, that they learn more while trying to communicate their findings to us.  Uncertainty urges them on. Education should begin with such uncertainties as these.  And the neophytes can often lead the way.

Thomas Aquinas employs the term “ecstasy” to name the experience of awe, wonder and the divine.  He also talks about getting drunk on the beauty of the universe and employs the term “intoxication” in doing so, citing the Scriptures:  “Intoxication is a kind of excess, as the Song of Songs says, ‘my beloved, you are drunk with love’.” 

Citing the psalmist, he offers a one word exegesis, “’They shall be drunk with the beauty of thy house,’ that is, the Universe.”

If Heschel is correct that “awe is the beginning of wisdom,” we find ourselves on sacred ground when we pay attention to our awe as we study the facts of our universe and begin the journey from knowledge to wisdom.  

To be continued.

*G. Thomas Fox, on becoming edGe-ucated: how uncertainty can link the frontiers of expert inquiry to the education of all. Reykjavik: Bósala Stúdenta, 2024, pp. 225, 226f.

See Matthew Fox, The A.W.E. Project: Reinventing Education, Reinventing the Human.

And Fox, The Tao of Thomas Aquinas: Fierce Wisdom for Hard Times, pp. 8-15.

And Fox, Confessions: The Making of a Postdenominational Priest, pp. 116f., 126-165, 327-362.

And Fox, Creativity: Where the Divine and the Human Meet.

Banner Image: Tabby’s Star is one of the most unusual stellar objects known. Also called KIC 8462852, or Boyajian’s Star, the object experiences unusual dips in brightness. Citizen scientists have had an integral part in exploring Tabby’s Star since its discovery. Photo credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

Queries for Contemplation

Do you recognize “Wows” and “exuberant wows” and ecstasy and intoxication as central to your learning experiences?  And your growing awareness of the stories today’s science is teaching us of the universe that is our home?  What follows from that?

Recommended Reading

The A.W.E. Project: Reinventing Education, Reinventing the Human

The A.W.E. Project reminds us that awe is the appropriate response to the unfathomable wonder that is creation… A.W.E. is also the acronym for Fox’s proposed style of learning – an approach to balance the three R’s. This approach to learning, eldering, and mentoring is intelligent enough to honor the teachings of the Ancestors, to nurture Wisdom in addition to imparting knowledge, and to Educate through Fox’s 10 C’s. The 10 C’s are the core of the A.W.E. philosophy and process of education, and include: compassion, contemplation, and creativity. The A.W.E. Project does for the vast subject of “learning” what Fox’s Reinvention of Work did for vocation and Original Blessing did for theology. Included in the book is a dvd of the 10 C’s put to 10 video raps created and performed by Professor Pitt.
“An awe-based vision of educational renewal.” — Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice.

The Tao of Thomas Aquinas: Fierce Wisdom for Hard Times

A stunning spiritual handbook drawn from the substantive teachings of Aquinas’ mystical/prophetic genius, offering a sublime roadmap for spirituality and action.
Foreword by Ilia Delio.
“What a wonderful book!  Only Matt Fox could bring to life the wisdom and brilliance of Aquinas with so much creativity. The Tao of Thomas Aquinas is a masterpiece.”
–Caroline Myss, author of Anatomy of the Spirit

Confessions: The Making of a Post-Denominational Priest (Revised/Updated Edition)

Matthew Fox’s stirring autobiography, Confessions, reveals his personal, intellectual, and spiritual journey from altar boy, to Dominican priest, to his eventual break with the Vatican. Five new chapters in this revised and updated edition bring added perspective in light of the author’s continued journey, and his reflections on the current changes taking place in church, society and the environment.
“The unfolding story of this irrepressible spiritual revolutionary enlivens the mind and emboldens the heart — must reading for anyone interested in courage, creativity, and the future of religion.”
—Joanna Macy, author of World as Lover, World as Self

Creativity: Where the Divine and Human Meet

Because creativity is the key to both our genius and beauty as a species but also to our capacity for evil, we need to teach creativity and to teach ways of steering this God-like power in directions that promote love of life (biophilia) and not love of death (necrophilia). Pushing well beyond the bounds of conventional Christian doctrine, Fox’s focus on creativity attempts nothing less than to shape a new ethic.
“Matt Fox is a pilgrim who seeks a path into the church of tomorrow.  Countless numbers will be happy to follow his lead.” –Bishop John Shelby Spong, author, Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, Living in Sin