Rosemary Radford Ruether, the great feminist theologian
was one of the first to see patriarchal/dualistic thinking –
that things are divided not one –
causes not only sexism but also racism and environmental destruction
theology itself can be patriarchal/dualistic
if it does not paradoxically give up
what it has always asked other disciplines to give up: supremacy –
like all sciences it must submit to the greater wisdom
of evolutionary cosmology – the blueprint of the universe –
the unrelenting progress from atoms to humans to divinized humans –
astronomy blesses us with a scientific revelation of God’s Plan
whereas classical thermodynamics said closed systems dissipate energy
and thus the whole cosmos is winding down –
which breeds nihilism – we are ultimately doomed so why care about anything?
but biologist Ludwig von Bertalanffy, inventor of General Systems Theory
revealed that open systems do not run down
because they get new energy from their environment
but systems are not The System that wants to fool us and rule us –
the culture we live in is deceptive and hegemonic –
“We need Christ and the poet/artist/mystic to give us liberated vision –
new ways to see” – Canadian folk legend Bruce Cockburn
the journey to find new ways to see
the departure of the hero on the Hero’s Journey – has sub-stages:
The Call
The Refusal of the Call (and the folly/futility of resistance)
Supernatural Aid
Descent into the Night:
God calls Moses to free the Israelites from slavery in Egypt
Moses says “No way, I cannot go, who am I to challenge Pharaoh?”
God says “I will be with you”
Moses leaves for Egypt and the rest is history
“The True Calling for all of us is the Present Moment –
that’s why they call it the “Present” – the “Gift from God” –
the bigger miracle is not for one person to walk on water
but for all of us to walk on our blue/green planet
in the Eternal Now”
– Thich Nhat Hanh
if you live in the One and the Now
dualistic thinking has no power over your True Calling.
Intelligent Christian Spirituality 