The Second Axial Period
(after the First: from 800 to 200 BCE)
developed from the Protestant Reformation to now
(the shift from religion to science)
and is gradually becoming global/communal/ecological/cosmic
and challenging religions to integrate
matter/spirit/secular energy/sacred energy
into one complete human energy.
Wilber’s Four Quadrants accomplish this by including
– self and consciousness (“I:” upper left quadrant)
– brain and neocortex (“It:” upper right)
– culture and worldview (“We:” lower left)
– social systems and environment (“Its:” lower right).
Wilber later concluded even this was incomplete
and the dark side of things needed to be included
so he added “shadow” –
shadow only seems bad because it contains
all the parts of me that society does not accept –
but shadow is in fact a treasure buried in a field
because it also paradoxically contains everything
that can make us whole/holy.
Therefore, if someone asks
“What kind of Christian are you?”
the most honest answer is “A bad one but
I am on a pilgrimage with God
as my guide and destination.”
One of the manifestations of shadow is loneliness
which is essential to human experience –
papered over with busyness/success/money
but never eliminated because
nothing earthly can satisfy the longing of the heart
not even married love because
loneliness is ultimately longing for God.
Authentic married love overcomes loneliness
if caught up into Divine Love
and governed and enriched
by Christ’s redeeming power.
Authentic joining of self/spouse/world/God
unites spirit/matter/secular/sacred.
Intelligent Christian Spirituality 