Creativity: Where the Divine and Human Meet

by Matthew Fox

The author of Original Blessing explores how the highest communion with the Divine can be found right at our fingertips in the simplest expressions of human creativity.

Drawn from a sermon that has electrified listeners, here is a concise, powerful meditation on the nature of creativity from Episcopal priest and radical theologian Matthew Fox.

Creativity is Fox at his most dynamic: It is immensely practical and leaves the reader with a message to put into action in life. Fox tantalizingly suggests that the most prayerful, most spiritually powerful act a person can undertake is to create, at his or her own level, with a consciousness of the place from which that gift arises.

Genres: Spirituality, Art, Nonfiction, Faith, Writing, Religion, Self Help

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

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

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I already gave this book back to the library. It reads kind of like a secondary source re-analysis might, relying heavily on quotes from Meister Eckhart, St. Thomas Aquinas, Wendell Berry and others. A few thoughts I especially enjoyed from it went something to the effect of:
Creativity is the longest-standing habit of the Universe. Therefore it should be taught in school. And the Universe (Biology especially) doesn't just solve a problem once in one particular way and then stop. Kudos to schools that explicitly embrace creativity. There were also a few lines from the Upanishads that link joy with creativity. Where there is one there is the other.

So I have to give kudos to the district public school my children attended, where the community identified as its core values: Excellence, Openness, JOY & CREATIVITY. These values had been operating there for a while, but were only named through a long process a couple of years ago and much work is going on to see that they are uplifted, celebrated, and lived as the school's culture. Maybe this book could inspire more educational embrace of creativity.

Note, even though it was part of what I loved about this author decades ago, I'd have to say I found it hard to sustain interest in the couple Christianity-focused chapters in the middle.

[Marci · Rating 2 out of 5]

Recommendation from a member of my book group. It felt like a lot of work to read, and I have a low tolerance for repeated discussions of what others have written. It's your book, dude.

[John A. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many words were written in the production of this book. A few of them actually said something, too.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've had this book on my shelf for years, and even asked Fox to sign it when I saw him speak in 2016... the topic of creativity, and its intersection with the divine, is a really juicy one, and I was excited to read his thoughts on the matter! TL;DR version of this review: the author's approach distracts from the many valuable and resonant sections.

As other reviewers have mentioned, there is a rather low proportion of Fox's own thoughts in this book; the vast majority (halfway through at least) relies so heavily on his interpretations of OTHER people's writing that I feel like I'd have been better off reading Meister Eckhart, St. Thomas Aquinas, or Hildegard von Bingen directly. Given this structure, it feels a bit like an academic thesis that's missing the associated academic rigor (as in, statements that are written as if they've been clearly justified by the preceding references, but that still feel a little lacking in logic). I realize that's an absurd comment to make about a book that tackles a very spiritual topic but if you're considering reading this book, this feels like an important factor to mention.

That said, I have marked so many sections! For me, this is one of those books that shines a light on, validates, and gives language to a particular experience that I've had glimpses of and struggled to describe, and for that I'm grateful. And I'm also glad to have had more exposure to the work of others whose writing I can now look forward to checking out.

[Artemisia Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read a lot of books on creativity and I’m a firm believer that a truly creative act is also a spiritual one. So reading a book on creativity by the bold founder of the Creation Spirituality movement was an inviting prospect. I say bold, because Fox was literally silenced by the Catholic Church in 1995 for teaching his belief that rather than being born in original sin we are born in possession of “original blessing”. His days as a Catholic priest were numbered after this, and I was fortunate enough to be introduced to this brilliant man when I saw him give a rousing sermon-like address at a transpersonal psychology conference at Asilomar around this time. In this book, published in 2002, this passion for his beliefs in our ability to find spiritual nourishment through artistic expression is still alive and well. To Fox, making something from our own imaginations is a sure means of connecting to the Divine in its purest forms. It also has the power to save us, as individuals and as a species. And bring us deep joy not only in the process of creating something but in what comes from that act. There’s a lot to digest and consider here and the author’s own very active thought lines are evident as he pursues many aspects of the imaginative process. And though he may seem to ramble at times, soon some new jewel emerges that will have you seeing your own art, music or other creative work in a new light.

[Karen May]

DGL

[David Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not sure when I first read Original Blessing by Matthew Fox. I do remember that it didn't engage me. Years later, as a Catholic Priest, I found myself wrestling with what the Catholic Church had become under John Paul II and then Benedict XVI. I found a kindred spirit in Matthew Fox's two books: 1) Pope's Wars and 2) Letters to Pope Francis. Later I began daily reading and meditation of Matthew Fox's "Daily Meditations". This led me on a journey to re-read Original Blessing, with a completely different experience. This reading journey continued with Creation Spirituality, Wrestling with the Prophets, Sins of the Spirit-Blessings of the flesh and to culminate in CREATIVITY.
From this book this quotation has become my personal experience: "We might say that Divine Intimacy is experienced as creativity and New Creation, which is accompanied by risk, surprise, and the courage needed for both."
I have experienced all that this quote names in writing my book JESUS GARDENS ME.

[Jerry Akin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a pastor and a songwriter/poet, so I have mixed feelings about this book. The pastor part of me cringes at many of Fox's theological leanings. If you are even slightly orthodox in your faith, you will readily see that Fox doesn't just cross over into heresy, he takes long baths in a sea of it. However, the artist in me found several reasons to nod in wide-eyed agreement as I read many of his statements about human creativity and how it ties into our relationship with God. It's tragic that the Church has backed away from art in the past few hundred years because the belief that it leads to idolatry and heresy. Unfortunately, this book won't do much at all to dispel those notions. Nonetheless, it is a good read for creative types who sense something happening on the spiritual level whenever they create.

Oh, and I wish he'd chill with all the Meister Eckhardt worship. I mean, seriously... he quotes him on nearly every other page.

[Shannon T.L. · Rating 2 out of 5]

a couple of quotes i liked:

quoting walter brueggemann: "Every totalitarian regime is frightened of the artist. it is the vocation of the prophet to keep alive the ministry of imagination, to keep on conjuring and proposing alternative futures to the single one the king wants to urge as the only thinkable one." (page 102)

quoting pablo neruda: "all paths lead to the same goal: to convey to others what we are. And we must pass through solitude and difficulty, isolation and silence, in order to reach forth to the enhanced place where we can dance our clumsy dance and sing our sorrowful song-but in this dance or in this song there are fulfilled the most ancient rites of our conscience in the awareness of being human and of being in common destiny." (page 171)

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Matthew Fox is an inspiration and cool breath of fresh air. An ousted Roman Catholic Priest for his "radical" beliefs of Creation Spirituality, now an author and Episcopal priest, reminds us all of what we were meant to be as humans-- co-creators with that ultimate creative being. I found myself hopeful about our spiritual futures because here for the first time, I read a religious leader's point of view that was open enough to include all spiritual traditions as well promote the divinity of women and this world's need for more feminine energies. This point of view unifies humanity and is simple in its elegance, the essence of all truth.
I was captivated by the author's ideas, but I found the writing and structure of the book not to my liking-- thus 3 stars, instead of 4.

[Carolyn Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I dabble in so many books on theology, spirituality and life-in-general these days. I consult them as I prepare articles-to-write and talks-to-give and tend to use them, possibly even egregiously, for my own purposes. The dirty truth, however, is that I rarely read them in their entirety in these hurried, pragmatic post-university days (my addiction to contemporary literary fiction doesn't help, neither does having a job... and 2 kids... ) But I read Matthew Fox's Creativity in big, hungry bites, and licked the plate until it was clean. There is probably much to question in his theology and, on a different day of the week, I could speak at length on it. But, this week, this book nourished my soul in ways that were all good.

[David Waggoner · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mix of "1 star", "2 star", "3 star", "4 star", and "5 star" material. Examines creativity from a place of deep-ecumenism/sycretism. It contains different degrees of creative "wisdom", with an overall compassion for life and living. All of this is explored in many other books, but this is a good prerequisite synthesis of it. It is both inspired and tired. Proceed with caution into these kinds of waters (aka be creatively critical when the similarities of various religious traditions are not balanced with their inherent differences. Not presenting a full/more complete picture does disservice to the "great" religions of the world.)

[Warren B · Rating 2 out of 5]

First off, this is not among Matthew Fox's best books for a number of reasons.

I read Mr. Fox's books for some of the great insight and quotations that he can be counted on for. I don't however agree with much of what he has to say theologically; oftentimes I'm not even sure that he is sure of what he believes.

I understand that many people with a Christian worldview couldn't read Matthew Fox and take anything that he has to say seriously because of his self-defeating pluralistic views of spirituality, but if you can stomach the nonsensical and absurd there are, I believe some good points to be had.

[Roberta Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matthew Fox is never clearer than in this accessible book celebrating our nature as creative beings, in the image of the ground of our being, however you might conceive that. This isn't a romantic notion. In fact, he's clearest when he shines a light on the darker aspects of creative life.

So what happened to the University of Creativity Spirituality he founded? Can it be resurrected as an online project with roving conferences, similar to Ted Talks? Count me in and my board I'm sure would sign on (www.artwalkinc.org)

This book could be the textbook for Creative Spirituality 101.

[Ho · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book on creativity, how to and why. One
of the best I've read, very inspiring. Well worth a second and third reading. an instant classic in this genre. For anyone working in the arts
or even cooking a meal. Useful in all endeavors of life, to see life as the great adventure it is.

[Chrysty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the introduction of the this book is the best part. It has a lot of interesting cosmology which I found fascinating. However, the writing is very circular and repetitive so I struggled to keep my focus while reading it.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super optimistic, hopeful and eye opening. "Awakening imagination can arouse our creativity to solve problems and move our species to its next level of evolutionary development." "Creativity is the key to our survival and sustainability as a species."

[Esmeralda Hendrix · Rating 1 out of 5]

Niet de moeite waard. Opeenstapeling van citaten, inzichten van andere schrijvers waar deze auteur het mee eens is. Er zijn betere boeken hierover, diepgaander.

Structuur: ja, en toch onsamenhangend. Ook een kunst.

[Susie Bm]

Waiting for it to arrive.

[Joan Huenemann Michie]

One of the best books on creativity that I have ever read.

[Suzan Alteri · Rating 4 out of 5]

So far, so brilliant.

Stayed brilliant.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating, insightful meditation on the spiritual dimensions of creativity and a practical discussion on ways to live a more creative life.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A new way to see spirituality.

[Lori Archer- burnham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like his perspective and easy style.

[Christine Nolfi · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for motivation to spark your creativity, this book is chock full of inspiring thoughts. Recommended for anyone wishing to live a more creative life.

[Anthony Oliva · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my style. I didn't enjoy reading this at all.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are lot of thought-provoking ideas here. It's a little bit floaty in places for my taste but that's just me. Each to their own.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The essence of creativity and the creator. Spirituality, creativity, and the meaning of life all wrapped up in one beautiful read.

[Jodi Gehr · Rating 4 out of 5]

LOVE!

[Roger Miller · Rating 1 out of 5]

Matthew Fox book is a new age synchronistic statement on creativity. It is full of gobbleygook.