Is The Creation Spirituality Tradition A Sacred System, A Religion Or Something Else?
By Rev. Roxanne WhiteLight, D. Min.
There has been considerable discussion within the Creation Spirituality community about whether Creation Spirituality is a religion. I don't believe this is a particularly useful conversation to enter into because I could not find a single highly agreed upon definition of what a religion is to contrast it with. I do find it meaningful to ask if the Creation Spirituality Tradition qualifies as a sacred system.
Bruce Lerro outlines eight common ingredients of all sacred systems. They are: core beliefs, myths and stories, morals or ethos, symbols, collective dramatic actions or rituals, techniques, practices, and a transmission system for educating the next generation. By comparing the Creation Spirituality Tradition to the list of common elements of a sacred system we can draw some conclusions.
Ø Does the Creation Spirituality Tradition have core beliefs?
The Creation Spirituality Tradition has articulated core beliefs. These are evidenced by the ten principles of Creation Spirituality, and the writings of Matthew Fox.
Ø Does the Creation Spirituality Tradition have myths and stories?
The Creation Spirituality Tradition starts with the cosmic creation story. Because it draws upon the wisdom of indigenous cultures it is informed by these stories as well. The wisdom teachings of the world's great religions and especially the stories of the mystics also provide teaching stories. For example: In 1273, while celebrating the Eucharist in the chapel of St. Nicholas on December 6, Thomas Aquinas had an experience that rendered him mute. The only words he spoke after that were as follows: "such things have been revealed to me that all that I have written seems to me as so much straw." This story gives pause to many students of the Creation Spirituality Tradition, since Thomas Aquinas's writing are among some of the most beautiful in the Creation tradition, and after his experience he saw them as being like "straw".
Ø Does the Creation Spirituality Tradition have morals or ethos?
I believe that the first moral of the Creation Spirituality Tradition is the focus on action to create a sustainable future for Earth. It is also informed by the common ethical elements of the mystical teachings of the world's religions. Fox has written in Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh about the post-modern "sins" of acedia, addiction, violence, avarice, consumerism, rationalism/reductionism and envy. The impact on the individual and on the larger whole is discussed and each of the "sins" is accompanied by a redemption of the value or moral they represent.
Ø Does the Creation Spirituality Tradition have symbols?
There are no symbols that are specifically identified with the Creation Spirituality Tradition. The fact that the tradition has so much breadth makes it difficult to identify a specific symbol associated with it.
Ø Does the Creation Spirituality Tradition have collective, dramatic actions or rituals?
This is one area where the Creation Spirituality Tradition is developing. The Cosmic Mass is a unique example of a Creation Spirituality Tradition ritual. Because of the reliance on the wisdom of indigenous cultures the Creation Spirituality Tradition has incorporated many of the rituals from those traditions.
Ø Does the Creation Spirituality Tradition have techniques for inducing altered states of consciousness?
Many testify that The Cosmic Mass is a consciousness altering experience. During training sessions in Creation Spirituality, each day has a segment devoted to art-as-meditation. Several of the sessions offer activities that induce altered states of consciousness like drumming, shamanic journeying and Qigong. As noted above many techniques that are taught in Art as Meditation arose from indigenous cultures and the world's mystical religious traditions.
Ø Does the Creation Spirituality Tradition have practices or disciplines for daily attunement?
The Creation Spirituality Tradition introduces students to a multitude of practices for daily attunement. In the pedagogy (teaching/learning approach) used in Creation Spirituality, each day has a segment devoted to body prayer. This is a form of daily attunement that involves body, mind, spirit and community. The Creation Spirituality Tradition also shares forms of attunement seen in other traditions, like meditation, and uses the process group at the end of the day as a psychological process that furthers attunement with self and community.
Ø Does the Creation Spirituality Tradition have a transmission system for educating the next generation?
Fox has lectured for several organizations that serve youth. He has a consuming passion that they be included. The Cosmic Mass uses music to which youth are drawn. At this time there is no continuous outreach that seeks to transmit the Creation Spirituality Tradition to the next generation; however, the University of Creation Spirituality (until 2004) prepared students at the Masters and Doctoral level who work in diverse settings including: business, health care, religion, education and others. Each of these people has the potential to reach out and inform youth. The fields of education and religion specifically have formal programs that educate youth. I sincerely believe that the Creation Spirituality Tradition would like to have a more developed transmission system.
I believe that the Creation Spirituality Tradition meets all eight of the common ingredients in all sacred systems, so I conclude that the Creation Spirituality Tradition is an evolving sacred system.
In summary, I believe that because it is founded on the three rivers of wisdom: the wisdom of indigenous cultures, the wisdom of post-modern science and the wisdom found in the mystical traditions of the world's great religions, the Creation Spirituality Tradition has a broad base from which to confront the challenges and enhance the opportunities that are presenting themselves. The eight tenets of the sacred system contain the ingredients to lead us toward a more sustainable relationship with Earth and the interconnected web of life.
