The Rebirthing of God, livre ebook

Dare to imagine a new birth from deep within Christianity, a fresh stirring of the Spirit.

"The walls of Western Christianity are collapsing. In many parts of the West that collapse can only be described as seismic.... There are three main responses or reactions to this collapse. The first is to deny that it is happening. The second is to frantically try to shore up the foundations of the old thing. The third, which I invite us into, is to ask what is trying to be born that requires a radical reorientation of our vision. What is the new thing that is trying to emerge from deep within us and from deep within the collective soul of Christianity?"

—from the Introduction

In the midst of dramatic changes in Western Christianity, internationally respected spiritual leader, peacemaker and scholar John Philip Newell offers the hope of a fresh stirring of the Spirit among us. He invites us to be part of a new holy birth of sacred living. Speaking directly to the heart of Christians—those within the well-defined bounds of Christian practice and those on the disenchanted edges—as well as to the faithful and seekers of other traditions, he explores eight major features of a new birthing of Christianity:

• Coming back into relationship with the Earth as sacred


• Reconnecting with compassion as the ground of true relationship


• Celebrating the Light that is at the heart of all life


• Reverencing the wisdom of other religious traditions


• Rediscovering spiritual practice as the basis for transformation


• Living the way of nonviolence among nations


• Looking to the unconscious as the wellspring of new vision


• Following love as the seed-force of new birth in our lives and world

Introduction ix

Chapter 1:
Reconnecting with the Earth 1
The Cathedral of Earth, Sea, and Sky
The Whole Universe Takes Part in the Dance
At the Heart of Matter Is the Heart of God
A Spirituality of Intimacy with the Natural World

Chapter 2:
Reconnecting with Compassion 15
A Revolution of the Spirit
The Courage to See
The Courage to Feel
The Courage to Act

Chapter 3:
Reconnecting with the Light 29
Turn But a Stone and an Angel Moves
The Light at the Center of Every Cell
Be Filled with Light and Shine
Letting Go to the Light
Chapter 4:
Reconnecting with the Journey 43
Journeying into Unknown Territory
Traveling as Pilgrims
Shedding Our Attachment to the Ego
Finding the Other Half of Our Soul

Chapter 5:
Reconnecting with Spiritual Practice 59
A Contemplative Orientation
Finding Our Diamond Essence
Plunging Deep into the Heart of the World
Nurturing the Seed-Force for Change

Chapter 6:
Reconnecting with Nonviolence 75
Response-Ability
Love-Force Not Brute-Force
Love Is the Strongest Yet Humblest Force
Blessed Are the Peacemakers

Chapter 7:
Reconnecting with the Unconscious 89
Opening to the Well of the Imagination
The Marriage of the Conscious and the Unconscious
The Promise of Union
Dreaming the Way Forward
Chapter 8:
Reconnecting with Love 105
God Is Love
Saying Yes to the Heart of the Other
Giving Up Our Imaginary Position as the Center
There Is No Distinction between Love and Justice

Epilogue 121
Notes 125
Suggestions for Further Reading 134
About the Author 135