[Oe List ...] Matthew Fox history

[Herman Greene]

Thanks for this reminder, Laura. Matthew Fox's essential theological
contribution is to move the church from redemption based theology to
creation based theology. EI and RSI were out of the redemption based
tradition. Over the years EI and ICA have understood the need to move to a
creation based understanding. Because ICA is not based in theological
reflection this has not been formally integrated into the EI's theological
heritage but is being developed by many of those who experienced their
theological awakening in EI.

Herman



-----Original Message-----
From: OE-bounces at wedgeblade.net [mailto:OE-bounces at wedgeblade.net]On
Behalf Of LAURELCG at aol.com
Sent: Thursday, April 21, 2005 8:15 PM
To: fpclindsay at onemain.com; OE at wedgeblade.net
Subject: [Oe List ...] Matthew Fox history


Thought you might be interested in this background on Matt and the new pope.
Fox was scheduled to be on "Cross Fire Tuesday night to talk about he new
pope, but he was evidently again, "silenced."  Told at air time he was not
going
to be on.

http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/creation_spirituality.html



Matthew Fox and his development of Creation Spirituality have caused much
controversy and confusion among Catholics and New-Agers alike.  Fox's
problems with
the Catholic hierarchy began in 1984, when Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the
Vatican's watchdog on orthodoxy, asked the Dominican order to investigate
Fox's
writings.Three Dominican theologians examined his books in 1985 and
concluded
that they were not heretical. The Vatican however continued to object to
Fox's
teachings, such as hislack of emphasis on original sin, endorsing homosexual
unions, identifying humans as "mothers of God," and calling God "our
Mother."
The presence of the witch, Starhawk, on the ICCS staff caused uneasiness
among
church members. For these and other reasons, the Vatican in 1986 asked the
Dominican Master General to stop Fox from teaching. However, the Chicago
Dominican superior, Fr. Donald Goergen, defended Fox and let him continue
his
practices 1 . In September, 1987 Ratzinger's Vatican office began it's own
investigation of Fox and his teachings. Fr. Goergen received charges against
Fox in April
1988, but claimed that Fox's teachings had not been discredited. At this
point, the Vaticaninsisted that the Dominicans prevent Fox from teaching and
writing. Thus the Dominican order asked Fox to take a year sabbatical to
calm
the
controversy surrounding his teachings. Fox responded to this by publicly
calling the Catholic church a dysfunctional family because "power, not
theology, is
the real issue" 1 . Despite his claims, Fox began a year-long silence on
December 15, 1988.

On December 15, 1989, after a trip to South America, Fox resumed his
teaching, lecturing, and writing schedule. In 1991 Fr. Goergen ordered Fox
to
leave
the ICCS in California and return to Chicago or face dismissal from the
Dominican order.Fox refused, thus the Vatican formally announced his
dismissal from
the order in 1993; Fox would remain a priest but would be forbidden to
perform
the sacraments 1 . Fox was also ordered to distance himselffrom wicca, a
practice associated with goddess worship and sometimes witchcraft. He was
also
advised to cease disseminating his ideas about human imperfection and sin.
Then in
1994, it seemed as if Fox's troubles were over when he joined the Episcopal
Church. However, Fox's move was seen as the last straw for many followers of
his
career, "The Episcopal Church is being used to give Matthew Fox
credibility,"
says Reverend Guy Fitch Lytle, who taught at Berkeley and knew Fox. "He
wantsthe authority of the priesthood without the accountability" 9 . Matthew
Fox
continues to be associated with the Episcopal church; his university and
techings of Creation Spirituality are flourishing as well.

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