It's been several weeks since I was at Heaven & Nature Store for the first time. It's a cozy little shoppe in the Harrisburg area, selling spiritual jewelery, essential oils and a variety of other "New Age" type products. I went looking for ear candles, because I saw them on Tyra a long while ago and wanted to try them out. While I was there, I browsed the books in the corner and saw a book by Matthew Fox called The Hidden Spirituality Of Men: Ten Metaphors For Awakening The Sacred Masculine. I had just wrapped up a Bible study for my church, and we were discussing the possibility of a male-centric study, so I picked it up. I was hesitant about picking up a book by an author I knew nothing about, but I gave into the urge.
As it turns out, Matthew Fox is a major writer and speaker and a founder of the "creation spirituality" movement. I wouldn't know this because I come from a very traditional church background and am just now exploring new avenues of spirituality that allow for a Christian perspective. The Hidden Spirituality Of Men is perfect for stretching the mind of both men and women.
It's not an light book to read, but real truth rarely presents itself with ease. The ten metaphors explore different facets of the human spirit, and while the focus is men, Fox is quick to emphasize that all people have a marriage of the sacred masculine and the divine feminine. Basically, ladies are welcome. Unlike some of the modern men's movements in the church, Fox does play power games in the war of gender roles.
I found myself intrigued by the ways that much of the eastern spiritual practices like Buddhism dovetail into the western religions and even the rituals of the native peoples of the Americas. I also liked the fact that Fox doesn't put a higher stock in one over the other. I still found myself uncomfortable with some of the eastern imagery being raised to the heights as the Christian traditions, but it does force one to explore the validity of God's hand in all people and traditions.
The chapters on the Earth Fathers and the Green Man are both quite timely with the emphasis on the link between our spiritual and ecological health. The metaphors of Earth Father, and Icarus and Daedalus, were especially revealing in terms of being both a father in the physical sense and the broader sense of mentor. I think most men will appreciate the validity brought to the sexual aspect of our spirituality, which is a refreshing change from the shame-based system currently in play at most religious institutions.
I really would recommend this book to those looking to ask the hard questions about male spirituality and challenge old stereotypes about gender roles and world culture. You may find it a hard read, but it quite worth it.
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