Relating

Creation Spirituality to

Lutheranism~

Viewed from the perspective of

Education for Social Change

This dissertation is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirments

for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

to the faculty and board of the

Western Institute for Social Research, Berkeley, California by

by Marilyn E. Jackson

September, 2004

Cynthia Lawrence, Ph.D. _____________/s/______________
WISR Core Faculty

John Bilorusky, Ph.D. _____________/s/______________
WISR Core Faculty

Deborah Pruitt, Ph.D. _____________/s/ _____________
WISR Core Faculty

Judy Andreas, M.A. _____________/s/______________
WISR Ph.D. Student

Roger Mason, M.A. _____________/s_______________
WISR Ph.D. Student

Rev. Sarah Isakson, M. Div. ____________ /s/_______________
Pastor of Lutheran Church of the Cross, Berkeley, CA

~

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION

A World in Crisis

Creation Spirituality for Modern Times

Creation Spirituality and Lutheranism?

Overview

Spirituality and Culture in a Postmodern Era

A Swedish Lutheran American Perspective on Creation Spirituality

Going Back, Looking Up, Down, & Forward: Robert Bly & The Sibling Society

Reconsidering Christianity in a Context of Education for Social Change

II. CREATION SPIRITUALITY ACCORDING TO MATTHEW FOX

Background on Matthew Fox’ Development of Creation Spirituality

ICCS

The Development of Creation Spirituality Theologian, Matthew Fox

Meister Eckhart, the Beguines & More

Hildegard Of Bingen

III. ORIGINAL BLESSING: A SUMMARY OF MATTHEW FOX’S "PRIMER OF CREATION SPIRITUALITY

First Path: VIA POSITIVA (VP)~Befriending Creation

VP 1: Dabhar/Creative Energy (Word) of God

VP 2: Creation as Blessing and the Recovery of the Art of Savoring Pleasure

VP 3: Humility as Earthiness

VP 4: Cosmic Consciousness

VP 5: Trust

VP 6: Panentheism

VP 7: Royal Personhood

VP 8: Realized Eschatology

VP 9: Holiness as Cosmic Hospitality

VP 10: Sin, Salvation…Creation and Incarnation

Second Path: VIA NEGATIVA (VN)~Befriending Darkness, Letting Go & Letting Be

VN 11: Emptying: Letting Go and Letting Be and Letting Silence be Silence

VN 12: Being Emptied: Letting Pain Be Pain: Kenosis

VN 13: Sinking into Nothingness and Letting Nothingness be Nothingness

VN 14: Sin, Salvation and a Theology of the Cross of Jesus Christ

Third Path: VIA CREATIVA (VC) ~ Befriending Creativity, Befriending Our Divinity

VC 15: Cosmos to Cosmogenesis: Our Divinization as Images of God [&] Co-Creators

VC 16: Art as Meditation

VC 17: Faith as Trust of Images: Discipline?—Yes! Asceticism—No!

VC 18: Dialectical, Trinitarian…Beauty

VC 19: God as Mother & Child/Humans as Mothers of God, "Birthers" of God’s Son

VC 20: Sin, Salvation, Christ…Resurrection

Fourth Path: VIA TRANSFORMATIVA (VT) ~ Befriending New Creation: Compassion, Celebration, Erotic Justice

VT 21: The New Creation: Images of God in Motion Creating a Global Civilization

VT 22. Faith as Trusting the Prophetic Call of the Holy Spirit

VT 23. Spirituality of the Anawim: Feminists, Third World, Lay, and Other Oppressed Peoples

VT 24. Compassion: Interdependence, Celebration, and the Recovery of Eros

VT 25. Compassion: Interdependence and Erotic Justice

VT 26. Sin, Salvation, Christ…: A Theology of the Holy Spirit

IV. MATTHEW FOX’S WORK SINCE ORIGINAL BLESSING

Year of Silence

University of Creation Spirituality & Cosmic Mass

Summary of Matthew Fox’s Work

V. RELATING LUTHERANISM TO CREATION SPIRITUALITY AND OTHER POSTMODERN TERNDS FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF EDUCATION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

Trends in Religion of Recent Decades

Popular and Dialogic Education: A Way To Tie People And Ideas Together

Lutheranism and Creation Spirituality

Catholics, Lutherans, Protestants and More….

What is Lutheranism?

Matthew Fox on Protestantism and Creation Spirituality

The Influence of The Theologica Germanica on Martin Luther’s Spiritual Beliefs

VI LUTHERANISM APPLIED TO THE FOUR PATHS FROM ORIGINAL BLESSING

1) Via Positiva of Lutheranism

Salvation by Grace

God’s Holiness and Praise

The Bible & the Gospel

Spirituality

N.F.S. Grundtvig’s Perspective on Being Human as Well as Christian

Protestant Creation Theology

God and Creation in Hymns

2) Via Negativa of Lutheranism (or the Yin and Yang of Lutheranism)

Original Sin & Grace

Feminine Presence and Absence

More on Sin & Forgiveness

Larry Rasmussen on Environmental Apartheid

Martin Luther vs. Satan

Theology of the Cross as Earth Ethic

3) Via Creativa of Lutheranism

Earth Faith Symbolism

Reclaiming Science

Earth Ecumenical Habitat

Earth Economics

Ecumenical Dialogue Between Lutherans and Eastern Orthodox Christians

Deep Ecumenism

Ethnic Backgrounds of American Lutheran Churches that Merged into the ELCA

Magaly Rodriguez: Multichannels

Lutheran Communities

Hymns

IV. Via Transformativa of Lutheranism

The Weber Analysis: The Call, Calvinism and Capitalism

Lutheran Peace Fellowship

Education and Social Change and the Legacy of N.F.S. Grundtvig

Bonhoeffer: The Christian’s Song of Songs

Swedes, Socialists and Secularists

Historical Perspective on the Swedish Lutheran American Church’s Social Stance

The Kingdom of God

Rasmussen on justice, for humans and earth alike

Earth Action

A Danish Model

Hymns of Transformation

VII. Old & New Ways: Finding a Way Through the Carnival

Native and Nature Spirituality, Old and New

Just Beyond The Lutheran Horizon: Elaine Pagels, Another Protestant Current

Lutheran Theological Response:
Keeping the Book of Concord within Sight and Easy Reach

Larry Rasmussen’s Search for an Earth Ethic/Earth Faith

VIII. Interviews and Conclusion

Introduction

Interview Process and Ideas for Future Projects

Statistical Results

Reflection and Analysis from a Summer of Interviews

Summary and Conclusion

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ADDENDUM I ~ Interview Collection

Interviews I

Interviews II

Interviews III

ADDENDUM II ~ The Life of the People: The Legacy of N.F.S. Grundtvig & Nonviolent Social Change Through Popular Education in Denmark
(Please email Marilyn Jackson at estraloe@sbcglobal.net for a copy of this chapter from the book, that is referenced in the Bibilography.)


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