And the Oscar goes to . . . EnlightenNext! Well, not quite. But this past week EnlightenNext magazine did receive two of the prestigious annual Folio awards for excellence in magazine editorial and design. Chosen from over 2,000 entries in a variety of categories, our Dec 2008 – Feb 2009 issue was awarded a Bronze “Ozzie” for best design in a new consumer magazine (“new” because we relaunched under the name EnlightenNext in 2008). And for his article, “A Theologian of Renewal,” executive editor Carter Phipps won the Gold “Eddie” in the religion and spirituality category! Check out the excerpt below to see why the judges selected his piece above the rest:
“The world must have a God; but our concept of God must be extended as the dimensions of our world are extended,” wrote [Pierre Teilhard de Chardin] almost a century ago. In the early twentieth century, evolution had changed everything, he noted. And he predicted that only those religions would survive that were willing to develop forms of their traditions that organically embrace the reality of an evolutionary worldview. . . . The consciousness of our age calls out for a God principle that lives not just in the wondrous beauty of nature, or the eternal stillness of the present moment, but in the unknown creative potential that exists in the mysterious space of the future.
Several years ago, we interviewed John Haught, the “Theologian of Renewal” featured in Phipps’ article, about his unique theology. You can listen to a clip of the conversation below or purchase the entire interview by clicking “Buy Now.”
Andrew Cohen, Editor in Chief
Carter Phipps, Executive Editor
Elizabeth Debold, Senior Editor
Ross Robertson, Senior Editor
Tom Huston, Senior Assoc. Editor
Joel Pitney, Associate Editor
“the unknown creative potential that exists in the mysterious space of the future.” Although I agree with the concept of God, Carter Phipps describes, I would argue the future doesn’t exist. When we get there it will always and all ways be the “eternal stillness of the moment.”
I agree with the perspective that the “the unknown creative potential that exists in the mysterious space of the future.” and at the same time agree that the future is there. As real as today is, the future begins today. We are destined to be as rightfully as creative as God unrolled nature that shapes today. the question is, do we adhere to the principles of growing successful environment blessed with cleanliness as opposed to being aal-rounders in growing all forms of destruction and pollution. We are blessed with His physical likeness, His spirituality and his power in faith. We have His potential. The bleak future is there my friend.
Michael you said it succinctly. We are always snapped beck to the eternal present and the “future” really is unknown and therefore created every nano-second. And this truth is pretty abstract. We can speculate about the future from the past, patterns of activity, laws of the universe and probabilities. How we work with all that, how well we create the next moment is the task of consciousness and how conscious we are at any moment is the main point and is totally up to us individually. Practice, practice, practice. Thanks.
It is much too difficult for many to see how small and insignificant we are. Having said that, I must say that each human being has the power within the self to reach for that so-called ultimate reality. That alone is the one thing we should seek. We must, must, must turn from the faith we have had in the God and gods in the heavens above, to the analysis of familiar, obvious and known things and things we take for granted. This consists of things we’ve learned from early childhood that now must be revisited so new insights can be gained. The basis is in Whitehead and a number of others who support Whitehead’s idea. He said, “Familiar things happen and mankind does not bother about them. It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious.” Again, there is support for this in Hegel, Heraclitus, Gibran, Ichheiser, Shaw and others as well. Not unlike animals, we tend to ignore what we already know , failing to see that is where insights await. Only one example: Counless millions saw lightning in the skies. So did Benjamin Franklin. He however engaged himself in analyzing this intermittent act of nature. In time he gained the insight, the realization to see that lightning could be harnessed. It’s not fair to continue here as it does get lengthy.
Respectfully submitted,
Emmanuel J. Karavousanos
Author and Speaker
EKaravousa@aol.com
You say “We must, must, must turn from the faith we have had in the God and gods in the heavens above, to the analysis of familiar, obvious and known things and things we take for granted.” and ” It requires a very unusual mind to undertake the analysis of the obvious.” In my Gestalt therapy training I learned to start a therapeutic, or for that matter any intervention, by attending to the obvious. Reflecting on a life close to nature, what has emerged over the span of my 80+ years is a spirituality parallel to pantheism, but more definitive as to elements of that spirituality, as you say, an “analysis of the obvious”. The Nine Spirits are the “familiar, obvious and known things, things we take for granted.” To Contact, To Commune, and To Decay are the universal spirits. To Take-In, To Grow, To Reproduce, To Be the Same, To Be Different and To Protect are the life spirits. They are the rhythm of this universe and story of evolution. The Nine Spirits provide a basis for human ethical behavior and a lens through which to understand and solve our current crises. I ‘m very interested in pursuing further discussion on this topic with you and others.
Thank you, James Godshalk, for your response to my comments. If I am permitted to go to what I consider the finale of the ultimate reality question, allow me to say this: once we attain that so-called mystical state — ultimate reality — (which is not a mystery at all once experienced), we do feel one with the universe. we come to all kinds of often misunderstood conclusions. There is perhaps one conclusion reached that anyone can examine. It is based on the analysis of familiar, obvious and known things, and things we have taken for granted and continuously ignore. Even with a basis in the analysis of familiar, obvious and known things, and things we take for granted, it is still understandably questioned UNTIL it is realized through insight from within each individual. This can only be independent of everyone else. It is NOT an intellectual discovery. It is, and can only be realized through insight from within one’s self. Again, it is all based on the analysis and continual analysis of the familiar, obvious and known things and things taken for granted. The universe simply exists. It always did. It always will. It changes. It was NOT created. We, ourselves, exist. We humans were not created. We evolved from wherever. All this must be realized from within. Past and future are a human blessing or curse. It is we who created measures (weights, distances, etc). Reaching the higher state of consciousness through the so-called mystical experience (the onset to the mystical state), we discover that the God we’ve been taught is an attainable state of mind. God is seen this way when one reaches the acme of that higher state of mind. The mind, the universe, nature, God are a combined batch which becomes what has been known as Oneness. Here, there is no thought, only on inner perception. How does on attain it? By looking back at things we already know. Why must we look back at things we already know? Because they are simply known only on the surface — superficially and not intuitively. Religions? How many are there? Hundreds? There are several thousand gods! We must, must analyze familiar, obvious and known things in order to attain the mystical state which indeed is ultimate reality. At 77 years of age, as I’ve said before, my interest is no longer on money or fame. It is in our children’s and our children’s children future.
Emmanuel J. Karavousanos
Author and speaker
EKaravousa@aol.com
We may be an unfinished universe, but the fact that we are conscious of this makes us more evolved than ever before. And isn’t it the beauty of things that there is always something else to become aware of? That we even consider that the God speck is within each and everyone of us is certainly a sign to me that we are moving to a higher degree of consciousness and freedom! Thank you for all you offer us. I enjoy reading your magazine, always a nugget to chew on.
So beautifully said, Irene. And isn’t it exciting to be here now, assisting the beauty of this consciousness and freedom with the God speck.
I, too, thank all of you for taking the lead in the processing and sharing of the awareness of this expansion and growth.
…And he predicted that only those religions would survive that were willing to develop forms of their traditions that organically embrace the reality of an evolutionary worldview.
Any true religion, embraces an evolutionary worldview. “Evolutionary worldview” is not something new, it is inherent in any authentic spiritual path, whether or not that path is defined as a religion or not.
The consciousness of our age calls out for a God principle that lives not just in the wondrous beauty of nature, or the eternal stillness of the present moment, but in the unknown creative potential that exists in the mysterious space of the future.
Now that just plain sounds funny to me. The God principal exists already, has always existed, even in the mysterious space of the future.
Werner Erhard eloquently spoke about this 35 years ago as a consideration of “Possibility”.
I’ve just spent a week long mingling with religious leaders and participating in discussions at the Parliament of World Religions. The general consencus amongst all faiths is that we are all one and that we all believe in the same basic principles.
The Interfaith dialogue is stronger than ever and general acceptance of our neighbours is a must as geographical boundaries don’t exist any more.
I belong to the Global New Thought movement which received immense attention in it’s ‘debut’ to the world stage (going strong since 1860) in its current form – and it is forever evolving. New Thought embraces all religions and denominations and believes all are one with God and that we all share the one Universal Mind and that we all are able to achieve the Christ consciousness and become co-creators with God.
There are limitless possibilities and our consciousness is evolving. The shift is happening before our eyes and it is wonderful to be a part of it.
I know the moments of now are embedded into eternety.
The future is there, because of a process called evolution.
Time goes by not only without any reason. We know now, that matter has it’s process of becoming and we also see, that we are one result of an universal evolution. Sure, there is no clear way up.
But through all the ups and downs a new level will always be gained.
And behind and within there is God, the mystic
creator, learning with us.
Note: Werner Heisenberg (quantum physicist): in the field of energy time is constant.
With kind regards
Walter Keil – Germany
How does a person get to read the actual article by Carter Phipps.. I was not a subscriber at that time altho I am thrilled to be one now RSVP to my email Tx ethel
Hi Ethel–you can read the full article here: http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/j42/haught.asp
Chardin’s concept of evolution was of the whole world and its inhabitants moving towards perfection in order to merge with the Corporal Body of Christ. I believe that his concept of God agreeable or not to others was very much complete. It was religion, particularly the Catholic Church, to which he took exception (and was trying to save from ultimate extinction) even as he surrendered his life to it. Phipps , in co-opting Chardin’s quote to seemingly support his call for a new “God principle” is misguided at best and disingenuous at worst. Indeed to call out at all for humans to redefine God is fairly silly and ultimately fruitless or blasphemous .
If a “God” exists, if we accept omnipotence and omnipresence as a jumping off point in attempting to define That; still, all the covers of all the books could not contain the balance of any such definition. How could they when they, the minds which conceived of them the worlds which those minds populate…are all contained within That which they would attempt to give borders to.
What is “The Truth” is constant it has always been so, It will always be so. The only evolution, the only future is of and in our perceptions.
With all due respect to commentators, no one here has said it better than Teillard de Chardin.
Tangents on ‘the future’ completely missed the spirit of his words.
The eagerness to express one’s views often glides over the gold of what has already been expressed. There is a listening that can only be aquired by reading the old ones, slowly, at length, deeply, with reflection.
god will not interfere w/ the experiences you choose to go through, but has and will give you choices for going through your life choices.
when i strengthen my heart/mind god connection, and learn to stand before god on my own two feet [first] then i may stand before the human
race in confidence and comfort.
If I am permitted to go to what I consider the finale of the ultimate reality question, allow me to say this: once we attain that so-called mystical state — ultimate reality — which is not a mystery at all once experienced, we do feel as being that which mystics have described as being one with the universe. Using the only means of communication we have, language often causes us to be misunderstood. We often have to change our words. There is perhaps one conclusion mystics reach that anyone can examine. It is based on the analysis of familiar, obvious and known things, and things we have taken for granted and continuously ignore. The basis is from Whitehead, Shaw, Gibran, Ichheiser, Koestler, Hegel, Huxley, Heraclitus and indeed, others. Even with a basis in the analysis of familiar, obvious and known things, and things we take for granted, it is still, understandably, questioned UNTIL a day comes when it is realized through insight from within. And, this can only be independent of everyone else. It must be made clear that this is NOT, and will never be, an intellectual discovery. Again, it is all based on the analysis and continual analysis of the familiar, obvious and known things and things taken for granted. We realize that the universe simply exists. It always did. It always will. It eternally changes. It was NOT created. We, ourselves, exist. We humans were not created. We evolved from wherever and whatever. Can it be proved? Perhaps not! Yet, to become a truth, it-must-be-realized-from-within. Past and future are a human blessing or curse. It is we who created measures (weights, distances, etc). Reaching the higher state of consciousness through the so-called mystical experience (the onset to the mystical state), we discover that the God we’ve been taught is an attainable state of mind. God is seen this way when one reaches the acme of that higher state of mind. The mind, the universe, nature, God are a combined batch which becomes what has been known as Oneness. At this stage and state of mind, there is no thought, only an inner perception. How does one attain it? By looking back at things we already know. Why must we look back at things we already know? Because they are simply known only on the surface — superficially and not intuitively, and because…they were taken for granted and subsequently ignored. Religions? How many are there? Hundreds? There are several thousand gods! We must, must analyze familiar, obvious and known things in order to attain the mystical state which indeed is ultimate reality. Religions should point us to the path where insights await. Too many religions are after money and power. And those spiritually needy people are used.
Emmanuel J. Karavousanos
Author and speaker
EKaravousa@aol.com
It seems to me that we might usefully pause and consider for a moment the implications of just what we don’t know. In the line of Emmanuel’s response for sure, but even more perhaps. Michael argues the idea that the future does not exist until it becomes the perfect still present moment that unfolds in the consciousness and that has a truth-perspective. But we still seem bound to a concept of linear time as something that ‘passes’. The evolutionary ideas still seem to echo this ‘time-constant’ idea, but I wonder if it stands up to deep contemplation. Time is a dimension of time-space; a continuum that describes our perceived reality. We tend to think of time as fluid and passing and space as fixed. Neither need be true or fixed. Time could be fixed with space being what moves. All possibilities of space and time could be present at once. Consciousness could be the super ordinate (that we still do not understand) which interprets those aspects of time-space that it is capable of comprehending; and in so comprehending, brings them into ‘being’ from the infinite possibilities. In this way the evolution of consciousness may not be tied to time or space, but to some other process of development. To me, this appears to be the key idea behind the concept of ‘insight’ – ‘insight’ is a-temporal and a-locational; it can happen in any place at any time. I don’t know if ‘consciousness’ is evolving or not… it may be a dimension or quality of space-time too… but the human ability to use, or access, consciousness – as manifested by the numerical increase in people ‘gaining insight’ appears to be showing that something is changing. It is all so interesting and wonderful. Insight seems to open when we engage with mind and heart, as we intuitively play along the mystical line between knowledge and belief that keeps us open to the qualia of this amazing Universe.
This keeps coming to mind…
“The Universe may
be as great as they say —
but ‘twould never be missed
if it didn’t exist!”
Doncha think?
First, I would like to apologize to Mr. Phipps for my earlier criticism of his take on Tielhard’s concept of God. It was wrong-headed and probably rude. His interview with John Haught was wonderful to read and deserving of it’s award.
Second, I would express gratitude for the thoughtful comments expressed here and elsewhere by concious individuals attempting to understand and share the universal mysteries which we buy into with our human incarnation. Perhaps the futility of any individual defining God, which I alluded to in my previous post, is off-set by the on-going accumulation of individual definitions gathered together to form that living and indeed evolving (as each person amends their personal contribution and new consciousness’ add theirs) conceptualization of the “All That Is”. That is, the billions upon billions of unique human perceptions, dreams, beliefs, and philosophies of the “Un-nameable” are each and all part of the definition.
To paraphrase an old saying; God doesn’t care what you call “Him” just don’t call him late to supper.
“the unknown creative potential that exists in the mysterious space of the future.” Although I agree with the concept of God, Carter Phipps describes, I would argue the future doesn't exist. When we get there it will always and all ways be the “eternal stillness of the moment.”
Congratulations, EnlighteNext Magaine! I’ve been very busy conducting healing art workshops for war-affected children in southern Philippines. Art will fasttrack the evolution of our concept of God.
Thanks all. I wonder whether insight is not the experience we have to have in order to develop soul, which our desire leads us to. I do not hear much about the development of soul, as in “he plays with soul.” Can we search for god without soul? Are we searching for god without soul?
In my previous comments I’ve talked about the importance of analyzing familiar, obvious and known things. All that with a basis from Whitehead and a number of other prominent names. That establishes WHY we should analyze known things. Yet, there is one important aspect missing. Even though we now know we must analyze familiar and known things in order to trigger mystical insight, we still want to know WHY the mystical will occur. As youngsters we learned that we have a consciousness. We accepted that knowing we things all the time and went on having our thoughts one after the other — continually! In order to gain insight — mystical insight — we must have one more things. What is that one things? It is faith. Yes, faith! Faith in the analysis of familiar, obvious and known things and things we’ve taken for granted. It si then that mystical insight can and will take place. In March 2010 I am speaking at Hellenic College and the Holy Cross School of Theology in Brookline, Mass. The talk will be on Intimacy and it’s relationship to Consciousness.
Emmanuel Karavousanos
Author and Speaker
EKaravousa@aol.com