Recently I saw the announcement of the release of a new book by Richard Rohr, one of my favorite contemporary writers on spirituality. Rohr is a Franciscan who heads up the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, NM. I like what Rohr does in his books and his daily blog. I will definitely read this new book, which he entitles, The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope For, and Believe. After reading many of his books, I already have a fair idea of what I expect to see. But I will read it anyway.
Again recently, I saw my first review of Rohr’s book. It is always fun to read a book review when I have not actually read the book yet. I thought it would be fun to share some insights from this review as a first glimpse of what we will find in Rohr’s books. The review itself gives us some nuggets from Rohr and the writer of the review, Cathleen Falsani, who offers her own insights.
Falsani interviews Rohr and her initial comments suggest that Rohr thinks he offers a theological rationale for a “reformation of the Christian faith.” Obviously, that is a pretty bold agenda. It sounds a bit like Martin Luther and John Calvin in the sixteenth century---the reformers who finally broke from the Catholic Church and found their own way of protesting and became known as “Protestants.” I am confident this is not what Rohr has in mind, but who knows what will happen.
Falsani correctly observes, some within the Catholic Church think Rohr is “dangerous” and “heretical.” Those are not easy terms to throw around! I do think Rohr is offering a critique within Catholicism itself. I am confident he has no intentions of leaving the Church. But I also am confident he is speaking to a much bigger audience that the Catholic Church---as large as that is.
Rohr is quoted as saying about this Christ figure, “This is the Cosmic Christ, who always was, who became incarnate in time, and who is still being revealed.” And he feels this is not a novel idea for our own times. Instead, it has played a role within Christian tradition from the beginning. And it is part of what he calls the “perennial tradition,” by which he means a religious tradition that “teaches that all wisdom and knowledge in world religions and philosophies are rooted in the same universal source.” While I find this appealing, this is the kind of statement that does get him in trouble in certain quarters.
To talk about the perennial tradition runs the risk of making Christianity just like any other religion. It feels like a threat to some who see Christianity as the best of all religions or the only one that counts. Other folks clearly do not see it this way. And there is the place for dialogue---hopefully---and not fights! I fully expect that Rohr hopes he contributes to this dialogue.
Rohr contends this will be his last book. In that sense it should stand as his final take on religion, spirituality and what life looks like when lived spiritually. This has always been the contribution Rohr has offered me and even the contemporary college generation I am still trying to teach. Rohr is not simply interested in doing theology---the intellectual approach to Christian thinking. He always looks for implications---for ways the faith is lived out. We only have to look at the title of his Center. It is a center for action (which comes first) and contemplation. That kind of balanced life is what I have always sought.
Rohr’s own spiritual pilgrimage necessarily influences how the understands life and its meaning. The reviewer, Falsani, shares with us that within the last few years, Rohr has dealt with prostate cancer and, more recently, a heart attack. She assures us that Rohr does not feel like he is on his deathbed, but he does have the sense of being in the last chapter of his own life. He shared that the cancer has returned and he is taking medication that amounts to doing chemotherapy. Appropriately, he tells Falsani, “That I could have two things that would normally be fatal and still be sitting here? I am nothing but grateful for the miracle of modern medicine.”
Perhaps this is a good note on which to end. Rohr has found a way to be grateful. He is specifically grateful to modern medicine. So am I. but I would guess beyond that specific gratitude, Rohr senses a gratitude for life itself---for the chance to experience and know this universal Christ and to know that Christ is at the heart of the love that is the core of everything in this world.
To say this is to suggest that Rohr is confident he knows the “why” of life. The universal Christ is the incarnation of Love Itself, which is another way of talking about God. But it is not only Christ’s privilege to bring that Divine Love to birth and give it life. So do all of us. Each of us is also a kind of Christ-figure. But we can also say no to this possibility. We can choose to live egotistically and be egomaniacs in the world.
I am confident Rohr’s new book will tell us not to choose that route. Instead, we should come to know and imitate Christ. That is a very old message---but still good news.
Again recently, I saw my first review of Rohr’s book. It is always fun to read a book review when I have not actually read the book yet. I thought it would be fun to share some insights from this review as a first glimpse of what we will find in Rohr’s books. The review itself gives us some nuggets from Rohr and the writer of the review, Cathleen Falsani, who offers her own insights.
Falsani interviews Rohr and her initial comments suggest that Rohr thinks he offers a theological rationale for a “reformation of the Christian faith.” Obviously, that is a pretty bold agenda. It sounds a bit like Martin Luther and John Calvin in the sixteenth century---the reformers who finally broke from the Catholic Church and found their own way of protesting and became known as “Protestants.” I am confident this is not what Rohr has in mind, but who knows what will happen.
Falsani correctly observes, some within the Catholic Church think Rohr is “dangerous” and “heretical.” Those are not easy terms to throw around! I do think Rohr is offering a critique within Catholicism itself. I am confident he has no intentions of leaving the Church. But I also am confident he is speaking to a much bigger audience that the Catholic Church---as large as that is.
Rohr is quoted as saying about this Christ figure, “This is the Cosmic Christ, who always was, who became incarnate in time, and who is still being revealed.” And he feels this is not a novel idea for our own times. Instead, it has played a role within Christian tradition from the beginning. And it is part of what he calls the “perennial tradition,” by which he means a religious tradition that “teaches that all wisdom and knowledge in world religions and philosophies are rooted in the same universal source.” While I find this appealing, this is the kind of statement that does get him in trouble in certain quarters.
To talk about the perennial tradition runs the risk of making Christianity just like any other religion. It feels like a threat to some who see Christianity as the best of all religions or the only one that counts. Other folks clearly do not see it this way. And there is the place for dialogue---hopefully---and not fights! I fully expect that Rohr hopes he contributes to this dialogue.
Rohr contends this will be his last book. In that sense it should stand as his final take on religion, spirituality and what life looks like when lived spiritually. This has always been the contribution Rohr has offered me and even the contemporary college generation I am still trying to teach. Rohr is not simply interested in doing theology---the intellectual approach to Christian thinking. He always looks for implications---for ways the faith is lived out. We only have to look at the title of his Center. It is a center for action (which comes first) and contemplation. That kind of balanced life is what I have always sought.
Rohr’s own spiritual pilgrimage necessarily influences how the understands life and its meaning. The reviewer, Falsani, shares with us that within the last few years, Rohr has dealt with prostate cancer and, more recently, a heart attack. She assures us that Rohr does not feel like he is on his deathbed, but he does have the sense of being in the last chapter of his own life. He shared that the cancer has returned and he is taking medication that amounts to doing chemotherapy. Appropriately, he tells Falsani, “That I could have two things that would normally be fatal and still be sitting here? I am nothing but grateful for the miracle of modern medicine.”
Perhaps this is a good note on which to end. Rohr has found a way to be grateful. He is specifically grateful to modern medicine. So am I. but I would guess beyond that specific gratitude, Rohr senses a gratitude for life itself---for the chance to experience and know this universal Christ and to know that Christ is at the heart of the love that is the core of everything in this world.
To say this is to suggest that Rohr is confident he knows the “why” of life. The universal Christ is the incarnation of Love Itself, which is another way of talking about God. But it is not only Christ’s privilege to bring that Divine Love to birth and give it life. So do all of us. Each of us is also a kind of Christ-figure. But we can also say no to this possibility. We can choose to live egotistically and be egomaniacs in the world.
I am confident Rohr’s new book will tell us not to choose that route. Instead, we should come to know and imitate Christ. That is a very old message---but still good news.
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