Evagrius Ponticus, writing in the fifth century, states openly that there is nothing within the person that may keep her from desiring wholeness and that there is no point in not trying to achieve it. Subsequent readings of Evagrius have moralized the tenor of his affirmations, but I am convinced that he meant to say that wholeness — not moral perfection — is available to everybody, as long as people put out real efforts.
Mechtild of Madgeburg, living in the twelfth century and represented by Dante in his Purgatorio as happily collecting flowers in the garden of Eden, was no stranger to the harshness of life, yet she lived as somebody not weighed down by sin in any way. She lived as somebody who could be whole in this very life (see DM Nov 13).
Catherine of Genoa, at the turn of the fifteenth century, may be seen as a representative of the fall/redemption paradigm which Fox contrasts with Creation Spirituality because of her emphasis on the purifying qualities of blood of Christ, but I see in her demeanor the opposite tendency as well, i.e. the utter conviction that no (male) authorities and perhaps not even celestial ones can prevent her from becoming truly and completely herself (see DM Nov 22).
These are just three examples of how people throughout Christian history have been able to avoid, overcome, or circumvent the nefarious effects of the doctrine of original sin and recover the archetype of wholeness as their polar star.
But here comes a criticism. Several friends of mine, involved in the fields of Lacanian and Jungian psychology, knowing that I work with Matthew Fox and his material, have pointed out to me independently of each other that while, in the recent past, the double-bind between the stain of original sin and the call to moral perfection caused the lack of self-confidence to be the pivotal issue in the Western psyche (see DM Nov 26), the situation today is completely different.
They say — correctly — that narcissism is rampant, with some well-known public cases of malignant narcissism on display. So the issue today is not that of freeing the psyche from imaginary bounds but, on the contrary, to do something in order to reinstate some limits. Some of my friends even doubt, however, that anything can be done. They expect a psychic epidemic to hit the human species strongly.
While I am no seer, my answer to this challenge is this: in both the lack of self-confidence and narcissism, the archetype of wholeness is missing.
Historically, at least in some cases, keeping people under the fear of damnation and hell helped curb their egotistic tendencies. Today, the disappearance of such a fear as a deep element of the psyche is the apparent reason for bouts of narcissistic grandiosity. But the solution cannot be a return to the previous situation, both because it is never possible in human history to go back, and because it was a pretty miserable condition anyway.
The Creation Spirituality critique of the doctrine of original sin and its consequences is solid. The challenge that Creation Spirituality faces today is that of bringing forward the archetype of wholeness as a solution to the rampages of narcissism, which consist of nothing else than public displays of the shattered shards of one’s psyche.
Banner Image: Embodied spirit: solo dancer in live show during Ramallah Contemporary Dance Festival. Photo by Ahmad Odeh on Unsplash
Queries for Contemplation
What is your response to narcissistic displays? Are you tempted by them, as they seem to represent the spirit of our era?
Related Readings by Matthew Fox
Passion for Creation: The Earth-Honoring Spirituality of Meister Eckhart
Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality
Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul and Society
Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ
A Spirituality Named Compassion: Uniting Mystical Awareness with Social Justice
Occupy Spirituality: A Radical Vision For a New Generation by Adam Bucko and Matthew Fox
11 thoughts on “Wholeness (part three)”
I think we need to reassess darkness and light in exactly this context. Spiritual folk are always talking about the light … and darkness is perceived to be bad.
And yet our planet plainly tells us that we need 50-50 of darkness and light. Even at the poles, the equation works out over a full year.
In the last 30 years we have allowed Lucifer in – artificial, glamorous and dangerous light which looks wonderful, offers us entertainment 24/7 and does our thinking for us. Some of us even sleep with the television on in our bedrooms…
Even more, societal culture has made vampires attractive; redeemable and sexy while TV has made clerics and spiritual folk appear stupid, corrupt, naive… So we are calling the darkness of the vampire excitement and looking towards eternal physical life without a soul instead of realising that — as Gianluigi writes — the ‘old rules’ were there exactly to preserve and strengthen our soul and bring us to wholeness.
We have a vampire in the White House. It’s not DJT – it ate him long ago – it’s the system of MAGA.
I think one of the solutions is to honour the Dark Mother – return to the womb and sit in the night time. Via negativa of course…and the best via negativa of honouring pain and being willing to sit in the silence and the dark to ask our questions… all seen in Matthew’s Cosmic Mass.
There is such wisdom in today’s DM and in Maggy’s comments. Thank you! Flaubert’s quote comes to mind again:”the worst form of pride is to despise oneself.” Narcissism may be a potent anesthetic for shame, but it does nothing to heal the wounds below, it is a coping mechanism for deep shame. Calling some narcissists “shameless” only means they are unaware of it, but we rightly recognize their behavior as “shameful.”
The association of narcissism and hubris with catastrophe goes back to Greek mythology (Icarus, Tantalus, etc.) and, in modern times, it is embodied in the tragedy of the Titanic and the recent wreck of the sub “Titan” in its vicinity.
I fully agree with Gianluigi’s characterization of narcissism as “public displays of the shattered shards of one’s psyche.” What worries me, though, is the foreseeable shipwreck ahead, because I don’t see how else this could end when the Earth “cries out to us because of the harm we have inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse” while Homo Narcissus (who, nowadays, has a king), remains deaf as a door-nail.
I found today’s message, as well as the previous two comments, very thought provoking, thank-you Gianluigi, and the assertions make sense. It is chilling to think there is an explosion of narcissism. But I wonder why it is there are so many narcissists within original sin believing evangelical Christians, fundamentalists of all religions, and ultra conservative Catholics? Evangelicals seem to view Christ as their “secret weapon” as one evangelical once said to me, meaning their weapon for success, wealth, well-being, and of course going to heaven. Nothing about serving others to relieve suffering, nothing about the wonder of creation and taking care of it, just me, me, me… And now add, having power to bring the rule of God, their patriarchal version into rule over all.
“Why it is there are so many narcissists within original sin believing evangelical Christians, fundamentalists of all religions, and ultra conservative Catholics”? Because Narcissus was begotten in the adepts of a literal reading of the shame-based biblical cosmogony between Genesis 2:25 [“And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed”] and Genesis 3:7, only seven lines down the same page [“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings”] And ever since, “Our only health is the disease/If we obey the dying nurse/Whose constant care is not to please/But to remind of our, and Adam’s curse,/And that, to be restored, our sickness must grow worse.” [Eliot, East Coker]
It’s good to consider the psychological errors of narcissism and its opposite, self-loathing. The problem is how to strive for a “golden mean” of self-respect and openness to the pleasures that are natural. A book of quotations includes the anonymous saying about moderation: “Moderation in everything except virtue.” I like Robert Frost’s remark about “free verse”–It’s like playing tennis without a net. And likewise, that freedom is “running easy in harness.” There must be limits to our actions, no license, boundaries of respect for others, the Golden Rule that seems to have nearly universal acceptance. Meditation can bring some to this wisdom, but for many more, experience and the guidance of mature other people are often more helpful in educating anyone in virtue.
I am not tempted by narcissism. I am learning to react to it with love over and over again trusting that love will pull me through even if the narcissist never changes.
“Narcissistic displays” in our times, especially among authoritarian world leaders, to me is closely related to “western civilization’s” increasing shadows the last few centuries of spiritually unbalanced patriarchal values of duality, egocentricity, pride, racism of all types, control, power, greed, materialism, separation from the Sacredness of Life within and among Us… which have contributed to increasingly destructive wars, social injustices, genocides of indigenous peoples, ecocide of our planet, … We have not only polluted and destroyed much of Our Sacred Mother Earth/Her living creatures/graceful abundance, but we are thereby threatening the extinction of our human species. These are personal and communal shadows of the Via Negativa which continue to be alarming if enough of Us don’t continue to consciously become more aware and take responsibility for the Vias Positiva, Negativa, Creativa, and Transformativa in our personal and communal spiritual journeys within and together with the DIVINE SPIRIT of LOVE~WISDOM~TRUTH~PEACE~JUSTICE~HEALING~COMPASSION~FREEDOM~CREATIVITY~ LOVING DIVERSE ONENESS… and with Our Sacred and evolving multidimensional beings and dimensions of Our multiverse COSMOS….
It’ is possible that the Chinese drawing of the Tao might be helpful today, It shows the light in tune darkness and the darkness in the light in the great circle of eternal existence. It is the oneness and wholeness of all that is.
Control of people with shame is old. It’s how the church controlled us in a kind attempt to keep us good enough in life to earn heaven. It’s not meanness. It is misguided.
Psychology says shame (I am unworthy) is unhelpful. It controls us, but carries fear, anxiety, grandiose thinking, narcissism, anger, addictions along. This leads away from “God within” that Creation Spirituality shows us. It’s the peace of Christ, the Kingdom of heaven, nirvana, Buddha Nature.
The best way to help people release this shame baggage is to sit with them, listen, and experience our mutual baggage to create empathetic space.
The church didn’t help us replace the shame with “I am enough” based wholeness. We were abandoned to going wild when released from shame. Thus, the animosity of our society. Slow change is needed. Fast is impossible.
“Go back” leaders who want to return to the shame box is ludicrous. People want relief so they leave church. Shamed based thinking to correct is like releasing prisoners from their cells w/o understanding why they committed crimes and no help. It’s all they know. Shame addicted leadership.
Focus on the root cause of shame to solve it faster. Love never Fails!
It seems that we are in a time of malignant narcissism. I am trying to recall when the trend of taking selfies began, but the very title of the practice makes pretty clear what is going on. I certainly can be self-centered, but rather than being tempted by it, I try to be aware of the tendency and don’t let it rule my actions–at least, most of the time, I hope. Narcissism is practiced and encouraged by “leaders”, who know how vulnerable it makes people to fear and manipulation. After all, in the myth, Narcissus did not have a good outcome. Fortunately, there is a remnant of faithful and courageous people, who continue to speak the truth and act for the general welfare in the journey toward wholeness–which in my tradition is what salvation is: healing and wholeness.
Powerful thoughts. Gianluigi, Maggie, and others, your words inspire deep thought. I am not clear enough to add anything to your wisdom, but I am thought-ful. I hope, in these meditations, we will continue to explore these ideas, including how to help guide Western civilization from the concept of being “sinners in the hands of an angry God” to the acceptance of original blessing without narcissism. Maggie, I believe you are onto something as you suggest we “honour the Dark Mother – return to the womb and sit in the night time … honor pain and [be] willing to sit in the silence and the dark to ask our questions.” I do believe we are in transition as a civilization, and as a mother, I know that “transition” is the hardest part of birth. May we stick with it. As Ali Newell says, when one is this far into birth, “there’s no going back.”