Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality Presented in Four Paths, Twenty-Six Themes and Two Questions

by Matthew Fox

In this critically acclaimed bestseller, named "the overall most influential psycho-spiritual book of the 1980's", maverick theologian Matthew Fox provides a daring view of historical Christianity, and a theologically sound basis for the personal discovery of spiritual liberation.

Christianity once celebrated beauty, compassion, justice, and provided a path of positive knowledge and ecstatic connection with all creation. Is this Western mystical tradition still alive? Why does modern Christianity place so much emphasis on original sin? Is there a basis in our own spirituality for environmentalism, feminism, political activism,and social justice?

Genres: Spirituality, Religion, Theology, Christianity, Nonfiction, Mysticism, Unfinished

353 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

About the author

Timothy James "Matthew " Fox is an American priest and theologian. Formerly a member of the Dominican Order within the Catholic Church, he became a member of the Episcopal Church following his expulsion from the order in 1993.
Fox has written 35 books that have been translated into 68 languages and have sold millions of copies and by the mid-1990s had attracted a "huge and diverse following"

Reviews

[JHM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matthew Fox's transformational exploration of the roots of "Creation Spirituality" -- a spirituality which believes that we are born in blessing rather than sin, and which honors the mystics, earth religions, and the feminine while remaining within the bounds of orthodoxy (at least in his opinion -- he was kicked out of the Catholic church for his writing).

This is book is a dense, fabulous ride through the joyousness possible in Christianity, embracing elements of the tradition which many people think they can not find there. Fox's scholarship and theology are outstanding, as is his sheer exuberance for his topic.

This is a book I frequently recommend to people who are disenchanted with Christianity, or who think Christianity is all about guilt and sin, with no room for an appreciation of other faiths, women, or the earth itself.

[Holli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book back in the 80's when I was in my twenties. It made perfect sense to me. I picked it up again a few years ago and as I leafed through it I thought, "Matthew Fox thinks just like I do." Then I realized, "No, I think just like he does." All these years later I can see his influence in my life. Thanks to Fox, Thomas Merton, Cynthia Bourgeault, Martin Luther King,Jr. and Bono, I still think of myself as a Christian. I'm glad I read this before I had children so that I could raise them as original blessings rather than as original sinners.

[Roger Buck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fox would seem to aspire to a marriage here which I once cheered, but now see problematic (to say the least).

I mean to say the marriage between Christianity and the new so-called global "holistic spirituality". For those really interested in such "marriage aspirations" I would highly recommend instead the astonishing, anonymous masterpiece Meditations on the Tarot - which manages to build bridges between Catholic Christianity, Western Hermeticism, Jungian psychology, Western and Eastern religion and philosophy and much, much more ... I have a review of Meditations on the Tarot here:

http://corjesusacratissimum.org/2009/...

Yes years ago, I applauded Matthew Fox. Quite literally, as I clapped when I went to hear him lecture, as well as read his books, showed a video of his to friends etc.

But Meditations on the Tarot convinced me there is a far better way to build bridges than Fox, who ends up sacrificing too much of the transcendent Mystery of the Christ. The book also turned my post-Findhorn life inside-out and upside down. See my review for more, if interested.

[Erin Buckner · Rating 1 out of 5]

To say that I was disappointed with this book would be an understatement.

Matthew Fox is self-aggrandizing, manipulative, and deceitful. To those not familiar with theological writings, there's much to like about this book at first - quotes from distinguished thinkers such as Meister Eckhart, Julian of Norwich, and Hildegard von Bingen, to name but a few, litter the pages. These quotes will make you feel good because they were written by great minds full of the love of God. However, Mr. Fox picks and chooses from their writings to suit his own needs. For example, he paints devoted Catholic Hildegard von Bingen as a new age earth-mother figure, and if you were to read his publishing company’s version of her writings, you would be inclined to agree - they choose to deliberately omit all of her opinions that are not touchy-feely, like the her actual views on sex (conservative!), and the importance of theological components like baptism and the Eucharist. Rather than reading Mr. Fox’s versions of these works, your time would be better spent reading the unedited originals by the authors themselves - many religious texts, such as the Tao, the Dhammapada, George Fox’s Journal, and the writings of Julian of Norwich, are available online for free in their entirety. Mr. Fox’s suggestion to purchase “selections” from these authors, published by his own aforementioned publishing company, is an effort both to further his personal agenda and line his pockets.

Mr. Fox also loves to blame St. Augustine for everything wrong with the modern church (he mentions this almost 40 times in the book), and prescribes his own “creation spirituality” as our salvation from St Augustine. St. Augustine was one man, writing his own opinions in a new and vulnerable way. He himself did not think he was right about everything. If you have ever struggled with addiction, guilt, shame, etc., and picked up a copy of his “Confessions,” what you will find there is comfort, not judgement. Mr. Fox also contradicts himself in his own writing - if he is inventing a wholly new concept, how is he able to pull quote after quote from leaders in the established Church that say the same thing? What he calls “original blessing” and “creation spirituality” are incredibly common schools of thought in the modern church under different names (if you like to use the word “cosmic” a lot, like Mr. Fox, you can also do that for free any time you want). The exception would be certain puritanical and southern protestant sects that are not in dialogue with other communities. Many people that grow up in or are exposed to these sects suffer significant emotional trauma from their experiences, and it on these vulnerable people that Mr. Fox hopes to prey.

Mr. Fox does not seek to lead these vulnerable people into the tender, loving care of God or honor their unique, authentic histories. He instead seems to want to lead them into his own, separate sect, where all cultural and religious traditions are combined into a pile of context-free mush that honors no one. It’s distinctly capitalist, and distinctly gross - it’s what Kabbalah is to Judaism.

Yes, God is love, and yes, there are many paths to Him. Also yes - it is impossible to understand and worship Him without wonder at and responsible stewardship of His creation. You don’t need a deceitful huckster to lead you to God, He is already here. Save your money, take a walk in nature, and download a free book by one of the many incredible religious thinkers whose ideas Mr. Fox can only hope to grasp at.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes you come across a book written many years ago that transforms your current life. This book by Matthew Fox is one of those books..at least for me. Part autobiography, part instruction manual, this book has liberated my in so many ways. It has enabled me to view the Bible differently and more profoundly. It has helped me see who I truly am, a beautiful child of God who has a mission to be and do the work of Spirit NOW and not some future time. It has broken the chains of guilt and revealed God's plan FOR ALL of humankind. Calling upon the mystics of the past and present, seeing reality through the eyes of Eastern thought,
and liberating me from the theology of fall/redemption, it has enabled me to believe even more strongly in the Christ within ME as it was in the
personage of Jesus of Nazareth. If you are on a serious Spiritual Journey, I feel this book will guide you along.

[Sarah Bollinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally mind blowing. Helped me to reclaim a faith that has been so harmful and abusive. I have been looking for a framework from which to understand the Christian God after I tossed the old one because it was manipulative and traumatic. This book painted a whole new picture for me. It has also impacted my work with clients as well.

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an important missing piece in my theological education and I am glad for it. I don't think he explains the relationships between the four paths to my satisfaction, and I think at times he overstates the problems of modern Christian church life, but I do think he is fundamentally correct about the importance of a creation-centered spirituality as opposed to the concept of original sin and the need for creativity in the religious life, especially artistic creativity aimed at reparation of the world.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are two books called Original Blessing: this one first published in 1983 and a newer one by Danielle Shroyer. Though quite different in content, both propose a contrary viewpoint to the doctrine of original sin. They focus on humanity's originary and fundamental state as blessed rather than corrupt. This different emphasis paints a different picture of God as blessing and generative rather than judging and wrathful.

Scandal! So scandalous in fact that Matthew Fox's ideas about this, and some other things as well, got him excommunicated from the Catholic Church. His chief nemeses in this were Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (the guy who became the pope before the current one... Anthony Hopkins in the recent film) and Fox's own Dominican order. He protested against Catholic doctrine and ended up where such protesters end up... in the Protestant church. He's now safely enconsed as an Episcopalian (Anglican) priest.

Fox's Original Blessing is subtitled 'A Primer in Creation Spirituality' - Creation Spirituality being a panentheistic view of the cosmos - i.e. though creation is not God (as in pantheism), God is present in and through creation. It really takes seriously the idea that we live and move and have our being in God, the idea of a wider incarnation and the old theological idea that nature is the first scripture. Fox's perspective takes things quite far from orthodoxy in places (I have at least a small amount of sympathy for Ratzinger), he repurposes sources, and is sometimes strangely combative, which seems to run a little counter to the essence of the message (though Fox would see this as a necessary battle against a damaging ideology). But by and large I'm down with the gist and structure.

In my reading journeys, I had heard mention of the intriguing terms via positiva, via negativa, via creativa and via transformativa, and, interest strongly piqued, had traced them to this book. That's how I ended up here and I wasn't disappointed on that front - they are wonderful terms for making sense of the spiritual/existential journey; a superb framework with or without the specifics of the theological material that Fox contains in it. I've already begun exploring them further. I treasure the book for that - and for the high value Fox puts on creativity.

Briefly, via positiva is knowing God through presence, addition, abundance, sound, celebration and joy (typologically: creation, incarnation). Via negativa is knowing God through absence, subtraction, the dark night of the soul, silence, lament and sorrow (crucifixion). In other words, there is no existential space in which God cannot be known. Via creativa (resurrection) is the dialectic of via positiva and via negativa - creativity born of these two together, or resulting from holding these two in tension and knowing them both. Via transformativa (Pentecost, eschaton) is the action of creativity for real systemic and paradigmatic change in the world - the Kingdom of Heaven. Did I mention how much I love this?

Fox proposes the fourfold framework as an alternative to the teaching of orthodox Catholicism with regard to the spiritual pathway of purgation, illumination and union. For mine, purgation is always going to be the most conceptually problematic of those stages - the idea that sinfulness is 'burnt' off us and our flesh put in its place through suffering. It has resulted in ideas such as Purgatory and deliberate acts of mortification. Via negativa is a much more nuanced, more psychologically sound and existentially compelling way of dealing with suffering, I think, with regard to interrelating with the divine. For one thing, in the via negativa suffering finds a greater companionship in Christ - it is not wretched humans that suffer but rather God, Godself and us in fellowship with that.

Fox recruits an array of thinkers, movements and belief systems (a 'deep ecumenicism') to create an overall picture of a tradition and emergent paradigm of creation spirituality. I'm not sure all these would have signed up willingly or endorsed all his conclusions, but the book seems to have been influential, and the vision he sets forth is often compelling.

Fox is a huge fan of the German (Rhineland) mystics of the Middle Ages: Hildegarde of Bingen (whose artwork graces the cover of the book), Mechthild of Magdeburg and in particular Meister Eckhart (the subject of Fox's doctoral thesis). These mystics are the mainstay of his ideas, and amongst many other things, he apparently draws the fourfold pathway that I love so much from Eckhart's thinking. I still can't gel with Eckhart in general. So far, his statements too often don't ring true for me... But as I've said in a previous review, I often find myself liking the writings of people who have been influenced by him.

Fox speaks against dualities, either/or, in favour of dialectics, both/and, in a Hegelian (I think) kind of way... what Richard Rohr (who describes Fox as a personal friend - you can see their interflow of ideas) would call 'third way thinking'. Whenever you find yourself in an either/or paradigm, faced with choosing between just one of two options, look for a third possibility, which can be born in that space. This is creativity, it allows for the holding of tensions and paradox in a deeply meaningful and generative way.

Interestingly, Fox sets up a clear duality (explicitly charting it at the back of the book) between fall/redemption theology and creation spirituality, between original sin and original blessing... so thereby seeming to go against one of his own central tenets. He defends himself on this at one stage in the book. But what might happen if we formed a dialectic between original sin and original blessing? That could be very interesting indeed, if it's possible. Perhaps it's nearer the truth. Both/and without an over-obsession with either. Fox is all about beauty; redemption is one of the most beautiful concepts I know. It is, to my mind, the epitome of via creativa. And actually, in effect, this is where Fox lands with the via transformativa.

The via transformativa is Fox's eschatological vision, the prophetic imagination (Walter Brueggemann is referenced in the book) employed to envisage what the outcome of the dialectic of via positiva and via negativa leading to via creativa might look like.

It's a provocative book in the best sense. There aren't many like this that elicit such a dynamic array of positive and negative reactions leading to so many thought journeys and, yes, possibly even transformation in some kind of way.

[Robert Fritz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book when it first came out in the mid-80's since an artist friend was quoted as part of the book. I used it extensively when I was teaching art because at the beginning of each chapter, it has the best quotations on life and art. (I used these on the blackboard for wake-up calls.) Currently re-reading the new edition with a book group and thoroughly enjoying it. Found it interesting that in the new preface it mentions William James "Varieties of Religious Experiences" since I recently read that one.

[Gineen · Rating 5 out of 5]

each page is a meal, manna for true...
matthew fox, a redeemer of artists souls
brilliant scholarship
makes an irrestible case for
work and play and art divisions
to be healed...
as a quote from the book says
"he is a crusader and smasher of chains"
it is my daily reader bible, just reading a page a day to savor it and make it last.
and he's a feminist!

[Manuela Ghirardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good book about how spirituality can perfectly suit to everyday life. No guilt, no blame, no original sin or whatever kind of restrictive message Catholic Church is willing to convey. Yet it is not a book against believers. It's about feeling happy to believe and most of all trustful. :)

[Gladys Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating introduction to Creation Theology and how it needs to replace Fall/Redemption approach as we move forward.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEFORE THERE WAS "ORIGINAL SIN," THERE WAS AN "ORIGINAL BLESSING"

Matthew Fox (born 1940) is a theologian and bestselling advocate of "Creation Spirituality." He became a Catholic priest of the Dominican order, but was removed in 1992, and has subsequently become an Episcopalian priest. He has published an autobiography, 'Confessions: The Making of a Post-Denominational Priest,' as well as many other books (e.g., 'The Coming of the Cosmic Christ,' 'Creation Spirituality: Liberating Gifts for the Peoples of the Earth,' etc.)

He wrote in the Introduction to this 1983 book, "I believe that the creation-centered spiritual tradition represents the appropriate spiritual paradigm for our time... The subtitle for this book is 'A Primer in Creation-Centered Spirituality'... in the West we are all children when it comes to creation-centered spirituality... theologians and biblical scholars as much as wandering troubadours or seminary students or parish activists..."

He asks early in the book, "If... original blessing is behind all that is, what about the famous doctrine of original sin?... Even if original sin is to be taken literally ... if we take the universe to be about twenty billion years old... then sin of the human variety is about four million years old... But creation is 19,996,000,000 years older! ... Nineteen billion years before there was my sin on the earth, there was blessing." (Pg. 46)

While admitting that Pantheism ("everything is God and God is everything") is a "declared heresy," he argues that Panentheism ("God is in everything and everything is in God") is "altogether orthodox." (Pg. 90) He argues for Ecumenism, which he explains is "not about talking together or putting out position papers together but about creating together." (Pg. 215) He suggests that the image of God is "truly an image in motion," and that Christians should "not be afraid of terms like 'new age.' Newness is a divine attribute." (Pg. 255) Moreover, the creation tradition is "the feminist tradition in the West." (Pg. 271)

While some of Fox's bubbling enthusiasm now seems pale (no one talks about a "new age" anymore, for example), the general thrust of his spirituality is still compelling, even thirty years later.

[Lelia · Rating 2 out of 5]

On a fundamental level I agree with Fox's cosmic view, that in living the paradoxes found in life on earth we are able to participate in the creative energy of the divine. As he writes in the 3rd section of the book, "In letting both pleasure and pain happen, both light and darkness, both naming and unnaming, both cosmos and void, we allow a third thing to be born... It is our creativity which is the full meaning of humanity's being an 'image of God.'"

However, I don't enjoy Fox's writing style or the way he structured the book. He's didactic and tends to stack quotes on top of quotes as if citing other people he agrees with proves his point. His presentation of the Via Positiva and Via Negativa in separate sections makes sense, but I didn't find it effective. Instead I found myself arguing with his Via Positiva which seems naive, as if he's cramming in all the rainbows and lollipops, ice cream and puppy dogs that he can. Unfortunately, they don't all make sense together. For example, Fox writes, "When the human race learns - if it learns soon enough - that it is to our pleasure to outlaw war, then war will be outlawed." He elaborates on this idea by describing the way he uses redirection to keep his dog from chasing squirrels. However, repressing his dog's natural instincts contradicts his next chapter in which he "laments what the human race loses by going to great lengths to eliminate the animal in us." Every chapter is full of these contradictions, and he doesn't address the complexity. After confusing us with antithetical ideas, Fox quotes Robert Henri: "It is disorder in the mind of man that produces chaos of the kind that brings about war."

I found less to argue with in the Via Negativa section and deeply appreciate Fox's belief that "suffering is not, as the fall/redemption tradition emphasizes too much, the wages we pay for sin." Rather it's a portal we pass through that deepens and matures us. But overall I found this book more frustrating than illuminating.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matthew presents the case for Creation Spirituality rather than the predominant western religious tradition of Fall/Redemption theology. He proposes a journey along four paths - Via Positiva, Via Negativa, Via Creativa and Via Transformativa - which are too broad to recount here, with the idea that 'Religion' should be replaced by 'Spirituality' and the displacement of patriarchal control and pessimism with a philosophy of Hope which is non-dualistic, compassionate and creative.
Matthew presents quotations and references from the many Christian mystics, writers and philosophers from the past 2k years as well as the many non Christian traditions in the world such as indigenous natural traditions, Jewish scripture, Buddhist, Hindu and many more. To Me, the book reads like a semi scholarly work - meaning every page has references to the source of quotations and scripture - with some biblical quotes given in a non binary way eg God as He/She.
To make this review brief I will suggest that anyone with an inclination to inclusive religion or spirituality should read this book. It is a large book published originally in 1984 and updated in 2000 but is totally in tune with present day innovative spiritual teachers such as Father Richard Rohr and Rev. Cynthia Bourgeault to name just two from within the Christian fold. The book deserves 5 stars for its ideas and detailed pathways of instruction but I have given it 4 stars because I personally found it heavy going. There would be great benefit to be gained from a few more reads which I will be hoping to do.

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fox makes a case in these pages for a recovery of what he deems to be either a lost or at least repressed theological tradition in the West, the tradition of creation-centered religiosity/spirituality, as opposed to one obsessed with individual sin and redemption. In addition to the Hebrew and Christian scriptures themselves Fox holds up examples both historical and contemporary of beleaguered champions of the ludic, celebratory kind of spiritual life that he commends to us. For one whose fidelity is to the Christian tradition I can see where this work might be revelatory and even inspiring, but I confess that I found it somewhat redundant and perhaps even guilty at times of using a straw argument against the dominant tradition (into which he lumps pretty much everything he dislikes) in order to throw the virtues of his preferred vision into greater relief. I applaud Fox's call for religion to be erotic, playful, celebratory, creative, transformative, and experiential, as opposed to ascetic, grave, somber, repressive, oppressive, and doctrinal, but I have my doubts whether a faith tradition that has as much baggage as the Christian can carry any additional weight. Since I do not share Fox's commitment to the figure of Jesus as uniquely salvific, I think organic progressivism will look as diverse as the faces of humanity.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a refreshing perspective on what it means to be human created in the image of God. Based on a creation-centered spirituality, reminding us that Scripture starts in Genesis 1, created "very good" as a basis for our identity (as opposed to the emphasis on us as sinners from Genesis 3 that is so often over emphasized). Fox outlines four movements of this paradigm of the spiritual life. 1. The via positiva, a path that affirms all of creation, that by and large we have lost sight of or at least minimized in Western society 2. The via negativa, a path of letting go and loss, emptiness, silence, death that inevitably comes as part of the cycle of life. This coincides with the path of the cross. 3. The via creativa in which from the emptiness new life arises, and 4. The via transformitiva. Both of which coincide with resurrection life. This paradigm invites us out of shame and fear to live with love, creativity, and freedom without fear, for the good of the world. A textbook type read, but if you're looking for an alternative to the evangelical, overly sin-centered and self focused theology we've been handed, I highly recommend! Supported with Scripture and many well known and respected mystics and theologians.

[Colleen O'leary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a example par excellence of “Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t.”

There’s a lot of good stuff in here (lots of flags/underlines/circles).

But, there’s also a lot of self-indulgent repetition and word vomit that is disrespectful of the reader’s time, energy, and bandwidth.

The self-indulgent 2-to-2 1/2 pages of quotes at the beginning of each section, often including quotes from the same person/source, becomes grating quickly.

Also of (negative) note is the reliance, and heavy reliance at that, on quotes from that famous domestic abuser and sexual predator, Mohandas Gandhi, who the author insists on referring to by the undeserved honorific “Mahatma”.

I’m glad I read it, but will not be reading it cover-to-cover again, only the flags, underlines, and circles.

[Evan Kostelka · Rating 4 out of 5]

The chapters are dense with a lot of quotes included to start each one.
The main thesis here is that the West has lost the story of Original Goodness for the story of Original Sin. The author terms these worldviews as Fall/Redemption and Creation-Centered.
There's a helpful appendix contrasting the two as well as another appendix with selected writings and people who embody the Creation-centered view.
Although this was originally published in the 1980s it reads just as revolutionary today. The Creation-centered worldview is much more in line with Judaeo Christian roots and is more apt to deal with loss, change, failure, etc. Basically life in general.
A must read for those wanting a refreshing word on spirituality.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seemed really dated. I am sure back in the late 70's and early 80's discovering the beauty of nature was radical and challenged the theology of the time. But now I read it and think OK what's the big idea. The author is steeped in the very theological thinking of which he is trying to rid himself. He includes all the hierarchy and structure but frames in Creation. It is still a rigid structure.

[Don Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly insightful book. This is a remarkable work and one that should leave the reader asking many questions about why the message of Jesus was hijacked by those who decided instead to follow Augustine. This is one of the best books I've read recently. Original Blessing is a blessing to read.

[Matthew Dimick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book which helped me best understand fall/redemption theology as a poor replacement for creation-centered theology. So much of my evangelical upbringing sits uncomfortably within me—this text helped me give name to what felt wrong.

Strongly encourage reading of this text for those looking to develop a more cosmic and compassion centered theology akin to the teaching of Jesus.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this with a spiritual friend which made it much better. It took awhile to read it but it was worth the time. It can be challenging at times but the theology is hopeful and encouraging. Matthew Fox supports his information with scholars who come from all religions and generations. Please take time to learn about compassion and creation spirituality.

[Debra Waites · Rating 3 out of 5]

Original Blessing by Matthew Fox is, as the subtitle states, a primer in creation theology. He draws from some of the mystics, some feminists, scientists to make his point that before the Fall, there was Blessing. It was an interesting though at times a laborious read.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book I'd like to read again, more slowly. It's a little dated and I think revised edition would have much to offer an audience who would like to hold onto some kind of faith but one that embraces nature, inclusivity and a message of blessing rather than damnation.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another 3.5. He is very wordy, but I like his concept of Original Blessing, rather than original sin and how he expounds on that idea.

[Paris Faas · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of my forever favorites.

don't question it. just read it.

[Maria Fledgling Author Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this interpretation of the Eden story in the Bible and it's implications on the role of sin and worthiness.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had lots of good quotes but not an easy read.

[John Laliberte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing insights bringing us back to a foundation that is much needed today.