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Our guest for this episode is, Fr. Richard Rohr. Richard is a Franciscan priest of the New Mexico Province. He is the founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation and academic dean of the CAC’s Living School. An internationally recognized author and spiritual leader, Fr. Richard teaches primarily on incarnational mysticism, nondual consciousness, and contemplation, with a particular emphasis on how these affect the social justice issues of our time.
Richard and James begin their conversation with a discussion of the soul, and how we define it. Both Smith and Rohr expound on the idea of the Christ-form and how it defines who we are. Whenever you deal with a spiritual mystery it never stops revealing itself, both agree this applies to the soul.
In the second half of their conversation, James and Richard discuss how we deal with a life crisis and how we can get through it. They close the episode talking about Richard’s book The Universal Christ and the message behind it.
Related Episodes:
1. Conversation with John Mark Comer
2. Conversation with William Paul Young
3. Conversation with Emily P. Freeman Part 2
4. Create Space for Grace
5. Say No to Say Yes
Full disclosure, I have misgivings about Rohr’s theological framework. That said, I have a tremendous amount of respect for Dr. Smith and the work you do. So, I am genuinely curious as to how reading Rohr could help someone like me who wholeheartedly loved your John Mark Comer episode and find myself firmly planted in that framework. What aspect of knowing Jesus does Father Rohr help open up for those of us in the Protestant tradition who also are wary of those who seem to be communicating a more Universalist message (which I wish could be true, but seems to go beyond what Scripture allows). Admittedly, I have yet to read any of his works, but plan to explore Universal Christ in the near future. Thank you for your time, and no hard feelings if this gets lost in the shuffle.
I agree with James’s comment. I do not see how the God of the Old Testament, who was jealous that what He reveals about Himself, and the Father that Jesus reveals fits with the message I thought Father Rohr was giving. I find it difficult to reconcile “The Way, The Truth and The Life” that Jesus proclaimed with what I thought I understood from Father Rohr.
I am a newer listener to your podcast and have appreciated your contribution to my understanding and application of spiritual formation concepts in my life through your books and podcast.
However, I felt concerned when I saw Richard Rohr was your guest on this podcast. From what I have read and heard from him, he seems to be veering way off course from evangelical Christian and Catholic theology.
Can you help me understand how the doctrines he is teaching line up with scripture?
I believe there is actually such thing as false doctrine/teachers as the Bible indicates and shouldn’t we be cautious of it? So many of his ideas are contrary to our Christian beliefs.
My intent of this email is not to criticize but to truly try to understand what you have in common with Richard Rohr’s teaching as a Bible believing Christian. It seems many in the spiritual formation camp are moving toward the progressive Christian movement which is concerning and disappointing to me. Can you shed some light on this for me?
Leandra,
Thanks for sharing your question and concern about having Fr. Richard Rohr on the Things Above podcast. First, let me say it is good to be on the watch for dangerous teachings. This was true in the first century and it is true in the twenty-first.
Second, let me say that I do not agree with everything Richard believes or states in his writings. However, this would be true of every guest I have on the podcast. But it would also be true that Richard does not agree with everything I believe and write about, and this would also be true of every guest who has been on our podcast. If I only had people on the podcast whose theological views were identical to mine, I would not have any guests at all.
The question for me is this: How big is our tent?
Meaning, is the tent of Christian fellowship large enough to hold people of differing beliefs? And if so, how large is it?
I believe the center pole of the tent is Jesus Christ. I believe that belief in Jesus as the incarnate Son of God, who rose from the dead, must be the central belief of our faith.
John Wesley famously said, “If your heart beats in love for Jesus Christ, then take my hand.” I am certain that Fr. Rohr believes in and loves Jesus, and believes he rose from the dead. Therefore, Fr. Richard is welcome in my tent, or in this case, on my podcast.
If I thought that any of my guests would say something that would harm the faith of any of my listeners, I would not have them on the show, or we would simply not air it. I think Fr. Rohr has a great deal of good to say, and that the good far outweighs the things I might disagree with. I have been personally blessed by his work, while at the same time, now and then, reading something in which I say, “That is not my own interpretation.”
The cross of Jesus has a vertical center pole, and it points to God. It also has a horizontal cross bar that reaches far and wide. I believe the tent reaches far and wide, but that it must have Jesus at its center.
I believe Fr. Rohr points to Jesus in all of his work, and that is why I chose to have him as my guest. His latest book, which is perhaps his last, is called The Universal Christ, and it is all about Jesus.
Thanks for raising the concern. I hope this statement is helpful to you and those who raised it.
Blessings,
James Bryan Smith
I am hoping that you can unpack the context and/or original language perhaps to Matthew 5:48 “therefore, you are to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” In light of Richard Rohrs comment that Jesus never asks us to be perfect. I feel so much hope in “not needing to be perfect” and need to wrestle with this perhaps with some help of where to look in scripture.
Your podcasts do set my mind on “Things Above” and I thank you!
Wow! You finally got him! Jim you did a wonderful job with your comments and questions. I agree with Richard, you gave him the type of compliment at the end that validates his mission and that’s why it was “one of the best he’s received”. As many who study Richard, as the first two comments above suggest, his new way of thinking is not easy to accept at first. The drive to search for “more” in Richard’s teachings ultimately promise to lead you to compassion, forgiveness, acceptance for “what is”, connectedness to the “other”, and ultimately LOVE. Thank you for this Jim