Father Matthew Timothy Fox O.P. (Order of Preachers, commonly
known as the Dominicans), has placed himself at the center of a storm
inside the Catholic church. What gave rise to the conflict between
Fox and Catholic leadership? Is Fox a danger to the Christian church?
These are questions we shall seek to answer in this article.
Matthew Fox was born on December 21, 1940, entered the Dominicans
in 1960, and was ordained a priest in 1967. In 1970 he received a
doctorate, summa cum laude, from the Institut Catholique (Paris) in
Medieval theology.
His first popular book on prayer, On Becoming a Musical, Mystical
Bear (1972), created the impetus which eventually led to his
establishing the Institute for Culture and Creation Spirituality
(ICCS) in 1977 at Mundelein College, a small Catholic women's college
in Chicago. He moved the ICCS to Holy Names College, another small
Catholic college in Oakland, California in 1983, where it has remained
to the present day.
The ICCS teaching staff includes Starhawk the witch (alias Miriam
Simos); Buck Ghost Horse, a shaman (mystic guide healer); Luish Teish,
a Yoruba (West African) voodoo priestess; and Robert Frager,
representing Sufism (Islamic mysticism). Typical of New Age approaches
to spirituality, some psychology is thrown in: John Giannini, a
Jungian analyst, and Jean Lanier, a Gestalt therapist. Brian Swimme is
the resident cosmologist, and "geologian" (i.e., exponent of
environmental wisdom) Fr. (Father) Thomas Berry teaches on occasion.
Fox established Bear and Company to publish creation spirituality
books, such as Earth Ascending, by Jose Arguelles, originator of the
1987 "Harmonic Convergence," and Medicine Cards: The Discovery of
Power through the Ways of Animals, complete with book and "medicine
shield" cards. Later he founded Creation, a magazine sponsored by the
Friends of Creation Spirituality, Inc., whose president and
editor-in-chief is Fox. Creation describes itself as "deeply
ecumenical, deeply cosmological, deeply practical and deeply
alternative." A recent issue portrays a nude Jesus Christ, seated in
the yoga lotus position, with antlers on His head (July/August, 1991).
Another shows the "Qetzalcoatl Christ," with the Lord's face in a
picture of Qetzalcoatl, the Aztec Plumed Serpent deity (May/June,
1992).
Fox's problems with the Catholic hierarchy began in 1984 when
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the head of the Vatican's department for
protecting orthodoxy, asked the Dominican Order to investigate Fox's
writings. Three Dominican theologians examined his books in 1985 and
concluded they were not heretical. One of them, Fr. Benedict Ashley,
O.P., reported at a 1991 lecture that Fox's work did not seem worth
condemning because it was too superficial and did not appear to be a
danger to the faithful. He was wrong, as he now admits.
The Vatican continued to object to Fox's teachings, such as his
diminishing or even denial of original sin, refusal to deny belief in
pantheism (the belief that God is all and all is God), endorsing
homosexual unions in the church, identifying humans as "mothers of
God," and calling God "our Mother." The presence of the witch,
Starhawk, on the ICCS staff caused another scandal. For these and
other reasons, the Vatican in 1986 asked the Dominican Master General
to stop Fox. But the Chicago Dominican superior, Fr. Donald Goergen,
O.P., wrote a detailed defense on Fox's behalf and let him go on.
In September, 1987 Ratzinger's Vatican office began its own
investigation of Fox and his teachings. Fr. Goergen received charges
against Fox in April, 1988, but claimed that Fox's theological views
had not been disproven. At this point the Vatican insisted that the
Dominicans prevent Fox from further teaching and writing. Accordingly,
the Master General asked Fox to take a one year sabbatical to calm the
situation. In a "Pastoral Letter to Cardinal Ratzinger and the Whole
Church," Fox responded by publicly calling the Catholic church a
dysfunctional family because "power, not theology, is the real issue."
Still, he began a year-long silence on December 15, 1988.
On December 15, 1989, Fox resumed his busy teaching, lecturing,
and writing schedule -- including appearances at John Denver's (New
Age) Windstar Foundation and an Easter retreat at Findhorn, Scotland
(a prototype New Age community). 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, and at the time of this writing
his dismissal awaits only the Vatican's formal approval. If dismissed,
Fox would remain a priest, but would be forbidden to perform the
sacraments.
Fox continues to have tremendous influence -- both within and
outside the Catholic church. Recently CNN International featured him
as a theologian speaking for the environment. His books are used by
nuns, are found at Catholic retreat houses, and are distributed in
bookstores -- religious and New Age alike. Influenced by Fox, some nuns
include wicca (witchcraft) ceremonies in their rituals and
celebrations, breaking the hearts of believing Catholics who witness
it. Creation spirituality (see glossary) is taught to young children,
neglecting the doctrines of sin and redemption, but starting classes
with a "Pledge of Allegiance to the Earth."
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Glossary...
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