Matthew Fox is the author of over 30 books including The Hidden Spirituality of Men, Christian Mystics, and most recently Meister Eckhart. A preeminent scholar and popularizer of Western mysticism, he became an Episcopal priest after being expelled from the Catholic Church by Cardinal Ratzinger, who later became Pope Benedict XVI.
Episode Outline:
- Meister Eckhart: An Overview of His Rebellious Life –Matthew discusses Meister Eckhart’s formative spiritual years, the influence of old school mystics such as Rumi and Hafiz, the corruption of the church, Eckhart’s working with women before it was socially acceptable and why Eckhart’s teachings are as important and relevant today as ever.
- Interfaith – Matthew talks about the similarities between Meister Eckhart and Thich Nhat Hanh, the Godhead, spirituality as being grounded home in both the dark and the light, astronauts becoming mystics, a conversation between Suzuki and Merton in 1959 and more.
- Spiritual Nourishment – From a seemingly harmless inner experience while listening to a Chris Brown song, Sera talks about how she learned that spiritual practice is paying closer attention to what feeds and nourishes your soul, and awakens your body, regardless of what that may be.
- Science and Spirituality – Matthew discusses Teilhard de Chardin and Thomas Berry among other scientists in relation to Eckhart’s teachings. While science often loggerheads with religion today, but Matthew discusses Eckhart offers an opposite relationship between science and spirituality.
- A Million Names and Faces – There’s no shortage of dogma that comes along with all of the world’s great wisdom traditions, but possibly none more than with Christianity and Catholicism. Matthew talks about creating new ways to express the Divine that are more accessible to today’s seeker, regardless of their particular tradition.
- Timely and Timeless – Matthew offers his advice for the up and coming generation of spiritual seekers. Listening deeply to our individual callings, connecting with the values we cherish, going deeper into the psycho-spiritual potential of our species and more are discussed.
- Shamanism – Matthew discusses the relationship between Eckhart’s teachings and shamanism, the reemerging interest in shamanism and its healing nature over the past several years, reestablishing our sense of the sacred, living more simply and more.
Recommendations:
Matthew’s Books: Matthew Fox’s Amazon Page
Other Books: The Heart of the Buddha’s Teachings by Thich Nhat Hanh, Sex, Ecology, Spirituality by Ken Wilber, The Essential Mystic’s by Andrew Harvey, Red Hot & Holy by Sera Beak
Movies: 1 Giant Leap, Thrive, Sacred Activism