Science, fear, God and the mystical
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Beatrice Bruteau -- contemporary Christian contemplative, passionate scientist, and philosopher -- speaks about the creative impulse behind the evolutionary design of the universe. She has the unusual distinction of having deeply studied the work of both Teilhard de Chardin and Sri Aurobindo -- the 20th century's great spiritual evolutionary pioneers -- and has published several books exploring their visionary work.
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Episode 1: Bruteau's spiritual journey (26 min.)
As an undergraduate, studying mathematics and physics, Bruteau was "feeling for something that you'd have to call mystical, and I wasn't finding anything that suited me," she tells Tom Fox. Then one day in a drug store waiting for a friend to buy a toothbrush, Bruteau discovered a paperback book that would change her life. "All the important things in my life have been the sheerest accidents. You would hardly believe that this would be the thing. ... I see the whole cosmic adventure as a creative activity on the part of the Divine."
Episode 2: The role of the human being is creativity (23 min.)
"The more that we have consciousness, the more we participate in the exegesis of the Infininte One. ... Our role, as human beings, is to continue the creative action," Bruteau tells interviewer Fox. "How are we not God?" she says in response to a question. "There is no way we are 'not God' because there cannot be any 'not God.' That is because God is infinite."
Episode 3: Fear: Today's spiritual challenge (16 min.)
Bruteau tells Tom Fox: "All our challenges can be reduced to efforts by one party to dominate other parties. This shows in persons, corporations, nations, religions, and warfare. ... This comes out of a psychology of fear. The basis of this fear is that we don't have a basic hold on existence. We see others precisely as others, not as equals, as children of God. ... The deeper truth is the truth of mutual affirmation and not mutual negation."
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Bruteau's books include The Holy Thursday Revolution and God's Ecstasy: The Creation of a Self-Creating World . Her studies and interests combine the spiritual and scientific as she seeks the mystical in the material and the vast creativity of God in the temporal unfolding of the cosmos. Like Teilhard de Chardin, Bruteau believes that we are at a unique juncture in history where, perhaps for the first time, evolution will not be primarily physical in nature but rather will be noetic -- a transformation or mutation of consciousness.
On the subject of the
On the subject of the temptation in the desert, and on Eucharist, touched on in the third interview, I heard recently an interpretation regarding the temptation to turn stones to bread was in order for Jesus to feed not himself, but the hungry. I thought that was an interesting take, and I found myself meditating on it and thinking that instead, he offered himself as bread, and that we, who feed on this bread are to become what we eat and in turn offer ourselves as he did. I imagine, also, that my thinking was probably prompted in part by Dr. Bruteau's book, "The Grand Option" (which I don't recall your having cited). I am looking forward to hearing more from her here. Thank you.
Thank you for another great
Thank you for another great podcast.She certainly did have a lot of creative ideas. I was so interested that I called and ordered her book. Much food for thought for me.
R. Helfman Like
R. Helfman
Like the blind men trying to decribe an elephant we each of us has something to say and some experience to articulate about our experience with the Christ. I would not agree with everything, and yet I feel sure I am not asked to. What is more important is an encounter with the risen Jesus, which is what makes a Christian. I found Tom Fox's thinking on Christian discipleship a much needed reminder of the more pragmatic elements of the faith, while the esoteric and mystical interpretations of Ms. Bruteau stretch the mind and allow one to find new ways to express one's spirituality.
THANK YOU. Wonderful
THANK YOU. Wonderful podcast. It's lovely when something makes sense.
I deeply appreciate NCR's
I deeply appreciate NCR's archiving previous podcasts because it enabled me to locate and listen repeatedly to all three of Tom Fox's interviews with Beatrrice Bruteau. Butreau's contemplative exploration of Trinitarian reality, coupled with her expansive scientific insights, surely provides us with what may be described as the Christian's emergent mind of Christ. Gratefully, Andrew Harnack