One River, Many Wells: Wisdom Springing from Global Faiths

by Matthew Fox

Book Overview

Maverick theologian Matthew Fox brings readers into the common heart of the world's great religions, illuminating a deep ecumenism for seekers everywhere. We get to the core of religion by going to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1585420476
• ISBN13: 9781585420476
• Release Date: September 2000
• Publisher: Tarcher
• Length: 469 Pages
• Weight: 1.92 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 7.3" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Outside the box

One River, Many Wells is a book that made me think outside the box. It is a liberal view of religion and is well written. Some would see it as too liberal but I feel it forces us to see other religions in a respectful way. WCS

Diverse Paths but One Experience

This book by Matthew Fox is a wealth of information derived from many sources, the Old and New Testaments (Bible), the Koran, the Vedas, African religious traditions, Native American, Celtic sources, and Buddhism. Writing it must have been a huge undertaking but amazingly, the information flows *naturally* as it reveals the outpouring of Spirit in the lives of mankind throughout the world and over the millenia. Many of the experiences described are words which attempt to capture Divinity at work through particular individuals, societies, and their outcomes. The book is an *essential* exploration of mankind's relationship to each other, community, the earth, and the cosmos. It is an exploration of the meaning of Life itself. Like a previous reviewer, I had difficulty getting started. Initially, I tried reading it straight through but could not. Gradually, at different times, glancing at the chapters, I felt a surge of energy. The ideas and concepts explored by the author set my emotions and mind at ease. Eventually, I was able to "plunge in" and "swim" through the material with relative ease. The book is divided into five sections, "Relating to Creation", "Relating to Divinity", "Relating to Ourselves: Paths to Encounter and Enlightenment", "Relating to the Future: What the Divine is Asking of Us", and "Where Do We Go from Here? How Deep Ecumenism Explodes our Imaginations with Eighteen New Myths and Visions". Each section has further subdivisions where the author expands on specific themes, such as, Creation, Light, Community, the Names of God, Form, Formlessness, Nothingness, the Divine Feminine, Meditation, Mindfulness, Art and Ritual, Joy, Suffering, and Dying, Resurrection and Reincarnation, the Spiritual Warrior and other topics. Each theme is given a thorough examination connecting many different cultural viewpoints and providing unique insights. The author's vast experience in the realm or religion and personal enlightenment, along with his courage to tackle controversial subjects is greatly appreciated and admired. The author's vision for mankind is very broad and inclusive ... he sees beyond the barriers of dogmatic belief, ritual, and any other differences that separate people. He gets down to *personal* experiences as expressed by the Great Spirit of Life in the vast expanse of time both from the past, in the present and future. The subject is spiritual expression in the lives of humanity and how the many different ideas and experiences have only One source. This is a very highly recommended book for anyone who is interested in comparative religions and spirituality. Also recommended is "One Heart" by Bonnie Louise Kuchler. Her book is an excellent source of quotations and meditations from different religions and spiritual practices. It is a less complex but similar work. Many readers who find Matthew Fox too deep would benefit from her book. Erika Borsos (erikab93)

The Universal Church of God.

Fox is giving the hounds of the status quo a run for their money with this near encyclopedic outline about fighting the good fight. Those with an open mind and heart will find much food for thoughtful contemplation here. Fox admits his book is in no way complete. That it is meant to be suggestive of what future Scriptures will and must contain; wisdom from all Wisdom traditions, a bias in favor of what we have in common; a religious humility that lets traditions other than our own speak for themselves; a use of primary sources; God as experience, not doctrine... Fox succeeds in his stated goal. This book is an encouragement for fighting the good fight. For becoming a spiritual warrior. Anyone can be a soldier telling the Emperor or their Priest or their Boss what he or she wants to hear. Being a warrior means taking a stand. A warrior has a dignity a soldier never realizes. The warrior fights his holy wars with internal enemies before going on any external jihad. The enemies of personal pride and greed and such. Anyone can be a brute, or a terrorist, in the name of God or Country. Fox points out that even in Islam there is a distinction between a lesser and a greater jihad. The greater jihad being that struggle against one's own demons. As the Sufi mystic Hafiz states, battle without love, can render a person mad. As I like to say, it does not matter what a person believes if they don't have love in their heart. With that said, "One River, Many Wells" is well worth the read. It is a very good outline to work from regarding one's own spiritual journey. Fox brings to light what Meister Eckhart said 700 years ago, "God is like a great underground river." Thus "One River, Many Wells" is short for One Underground River (Source, God), Many sacred Wells-religious traditions. Again, as I like to say, God speaks to anyone that will listen. To meditate is to dig one's own sacred well. Be still and know that I am God. There are no atheists in Foxholes.

FINDING IT ALL IN ONE PLACE

I had a difficult time getting started in this book. I'd picked it up and put it down several times. But once into it, it was a pleasant surprise. I read about spiritual matters and paths of every religion and each reading talks of it's own spicific area of knowledge and experience. But Matthew Fox picks a subject and covers it from all angles, Jewish, Catholic, Islamic, Hindu, Buddist, Native American, African American, even the Celtic and the Goddess. It's a great book and a great read. And then you know why you like to study them all.

As complete a tome of spiritual knowledge possible

Matthew Fox has outdone himself with this work, taking similar themes from the works of mystics spanning diverse traditions. To those who are regular consumers of Fox's writings, this compellation provides a "Bible" for his idea of "Deep Ecumenism". It is as complete a tome of humanity's spiritual knowledge that I have seen on the bookshelf. The best part- Fox has included sources not just from typical religious sources, but from science and literature as well.