Review: DF109
ASUMMARYCRITIQUE CONFESSIONS: TheMakingofaPost-DenominationalPriest
a book reviewof Confessions:TheMakingofaPost-DenominationalPriest by MatthewFox (HarperSanFrancisco, 1996)
Thisreviewfirstappearedinthe ChristianResearchJournal,volume19,number4(1997).Forfurtherinformationorto subscribetothe ChristianResearchJournal goto: http://www.equip.org
Whenrumorsemergedin1994thatMatthewFox hadbecomeanEpiscopalian,IcalledHerbCaen, therecentlydeceasedcelebritycolumnistforthe SanFranciscoChronicle,toaskaboutperhapsthemost famousvictimofJosephCardinalRatzinger.Caenpausedforanawkwardmoment.“Doyoumeanthe actor?”heasked.Fameisaficklelover,especiallywhenamanchangesfromdissidentCatholicpriestto thelatesticonoftheEpiscopalChurch’sself-advertisedvastinclusivity.
ForyearsFoxcultivatedhisimageasapersecutedgenius,suppressedbyamonolithicchurchnot sophisticatedenoughtoappreciatethetheologicalgoldhehaddepositedinbookslike OnBecominga Musical,MysticalBear;Whee!We,WeeAlltheWayHome; and TheComingoftheCosmicChrist. TheVatican haddisciplinedFoxwithayearofsilencein1989-90.Foxthenemergedfromit,referringtohisbeing “rudelyinterrupted”bytheVatican.Yes,hedoesstand-up,too!
NowFoxdeliverstheinsidestoryon thatyearofsilence,onhisformationasapanentheist,andonhis visionforaliturgyanimatedbythehallucinogenicmusicofRavedancesimportedfromEngland.
Inthesecondparagraphofhisintroductionto Confessions,Foxadmitsthatanothertheologianoncewrote abookwiththesametitle:“St.AugustineofHippowasapsychologicalgeniusbutaphilosopherof dualismandatheologianoforiginalsin.Heisnotmyfavoritetheologian.Idoubtthathisandmybook haveanawfullotincommon....Butmaybe,forthediscerningreader,AugustineandIdohavesomething incommon.Atleastawillingnesstotellourstories.Andtotrytolookfortheroleofspirittherein”(p.1).
Ifreadingisoneoftherewardsofheaven,however,Foxprobablyisn’tamongSt.Augustine’sfavorite theologians,either,sinceFoxspendssomuchspacetrashinghim andanyoneelsewhoembodiesorthodox RomanCatholicism.
FoxandtheVaticanwerestuckwitheachotherformostofhispriestlycareer,andtheirprotracted conflictdoesnotmakeforpleasantreading.ByMarch1993,theOrderofPreachers(theDominicans) disciplinedFoxfordisobeyinganordertoleaveOaklandandreturntotheorder’sheadquartersin Chicago.Foxinterpretedthatorderasanotherattempttocontrolhisprolificworkasthehighpriestof whathecalls“creation-centeredspirituality”(orpanentheism thebeliefthatthecreationis intrinsically relatedtoGodandthusdivine).
Despitehisoft-stateddreamofa“post-denominationalChristianity,”Foxsoonrecognizedthatthe EpiscopalChurchwashistheologicalTrueNorth.FoxjoinedtheEpiscopalChurchinJanuary1994.
Besidesbeingpartscore-settling, Confessions isalsopartautobiography.Foxhasagiftfornarrative,writing affectionatelyabouthisCatholicchildhoodinWisconsin,hisenthusiasticstudiesinseminary,andhis daringmovetopursueadoctorateinParisduringtheheadydaysofstudentrevolutions.Fox’snarrative giveswaytoamoreself-righteoustoneashebecomesimmersedincreation-centered spirituality.
AtBaratCollege,forexample,Foxwas“abletoenterintothe[spiritual]awakening”ofmanywomen.“I rememberonedayayoungwoman,whowasfulfillingaclassrequirementbyleadingthegroup,camein withredtea. Wesatarounddrinkingitassheexpoundedonwhatitwaslikegoingthroughher menstrualperiod”(97).
DuringaroadtriptoNewEngland,healsoengagedinopen-endeddiscussionsofweightyethical questions:“Oneofthewomen,whosehusbandwasalsothere,raisedthefollowingquestion:‘My neighborisawidower,’shesaid,‘andIfeelsorryforhisloneliness.Iwonderifitwouldbeamoralacton myparttosleepwithhimoccasionally.’Theentiregrouptookupthediscussionatthatpoint,andatthe endoftheeveningavisitingpriestfromMainecameuptome,staggeredandobviouslyshaken,hiseyes asbigasgrapefruits.‘Inourparishes,’hesaid,‘thehotquestionhasbeenwhethertohavecommunionin thehandornot!’”(92)
DuringtheVatican-orderedyearofsilence,Foxwentonaquestfilledwithvisionsofanimals,the MadonnaandChild,andaveryspecialguestinacameoappearance:“‘Whatisthatupinthetopofthetree? Isithe?Yes!’ItwasErnie,theSesameStreetcharacter,smilingatmefromonhigh”(191;emphasisinoriginal). AllofthiswouldmerelybeunintentionalcomedywereFoxnotsodeadlyseriousabouthisownideasand aboutpronouncingotherbelieversrepressed,uninformed,or,worstofall,notintouchwiththeirchakras:“Not oneofthepastorspreachinghadanythingtosayaboutthemeaningofChristmastoday.Onereadhissermon, whichwasallplatitudesabout‘ideasbecomingreal’andwordslike‘peace’and‘joy’thrownaroundthathad nogroundinginasinglechakraofourbodyorsouls.ThatsermongetsaD”(222).
EvenacasualobserverofFoxmaynotbesurprisedthathedismissesthelateCardinalCodyasa“bully,” describesCatholicsUnitedfortheFaithas“anideologicalgroupofthugswhoattackbylies and innuendoanyonetotheleftofAttila,”andcaricaturesPopeJohnPaulIIas“authoritarianandsexist.” Still,Foxreachesnewlowsinhiscontemptfortraditionalbelievers.Hewriteswithclearsatisfactionof eludingtherequestofaright-wingFrenchwomantohearherconfessioninamomentofduress.Healso concludesthatsomeclericalmartyrsoftheFrenchRevolutionreallyhaditcoming,becausetheywere “privilegedecclesiasticswhoweresuckingthepoordry”(68).
ByHalloweenof1994,while studyingtobecomeanEpiscopalpriest,Foxplayedhostto36groovyyoung peoplefromBritain,whostagedadanceparty–cum–EucharistcalledthePlanetaryMass(orRaveMass) inthebasementofGraceCathedralinSanFrancisco.
“Thepossewasthepriest,”FoxwritesinRaveMassjargon.ThepossealsoreliedontheRev.ChrisBrain,a formermanagerforrockbandsandanordainedpriestintheChurchofEngland.Brainpresidedoveraservice thatreinterpretedGospelpassagesintopostmodernPoliticalCorrectness.WhenJesuscondemnedsorcery,for instance,Hecouldn’thavereferredtoneopagansandpanentheists.HemeantTVevangelists.Foxwrites:
Therewasaplethoraofgiftgivingatthismass,rangingfromthefourSufidancerswho twirledinthefour directionsoftheroomthroughoutthemass,tothesingersandthe rapperswhogavetheirgiftswithabundance;fromthemixersanddeejayswithcapson backward,tothewildyoungmandancingmadlyunderthestrobelights;fromthe designersofthemass totheleadersofit.Allsacrificed(manytookaweekofffromtheir jobstocomeandworkonthemassinSanFrancisco).Thiswasevident.Ithelpedtomake theoccasionspecialandspiritualandpure.Anightofdeepprayer.(262)
FoxmakesanobliquereferencetoascandalinvolvingFatherBrain,whichoccurredwithinthefollowing year:“Anumberofwomen[inEngland]haveaccusedpriestChrisBrainofabuseofauthoritygoingback twelveyears”(289).That’ssomethingofanunderstatement:twentywomenclaimedthatBrainseduced theminto“nonpenetrativesex,”allinthenameof“developingapostmodernethicofsex.”
FoxdistancedhimselffromBrainthroughapressrelease,sayingtheyoungparson’sactivitieswere“an antithesisofallthatMatthewFoxhasworkedfor[in]30yearsasaChristianpriestandaCreation Spiritualitytheologian.”Nevertheless,there’snotawordin Confessions thatwoulddissuadeanyreader fromdevelopingapostmodernistethicofsex(nonpenetrativeorotherwise).Foxunequivocallyaffirms homosexualityandotherformsofnonmaritalintercourse.
Indeed,Foxgenerouslylistswhathelearnedfrompracticingcelibacyandfrom“lettinggoofcelibacy.”
Thelatterlistincludes,inFox’squirkylanguage:
•fun
•givingandreceiving
•body-soul-spiritcontinuum
•the presenceofGodinnature our ownhumannature
•incarnation:Sophiamadeflesh
•cosmicmysticismenhanced
•lovemakingasartasmeditation
TojudgefromFox’swork,oneofAugustine’sworstsinswasmakingpeoplefeelguiltyabouttheir “lovemakingasartasmeditation.”Thatlong-deadsainthasbeentrumpedinFox’smindbythespirits whovisitedhimduringhisvisionquest:“Iaskedsomequestionsofthespirits....’Whataboutalifeof intimacyformyself?’ Abeautifulsculpturelikeleafyfigure(Rodin-like)ofanakedman[went]‘flying’ throughtheairafteranotherperson.Itwasgracefulandbeautiful.”
MatthewFoxhastheexegeticalandtheologicalsavvytobecomeabishopinthepostmodernEpiscopal Church.Youreaditherefirst.
reviewedby DougLeBlanc