In Falling Upward, Richard Rohr seeks to help readers understand the tasks of the two halves of life and to show them that those who have gone ''down'' are the only ones who understand ''up.'' Those who have somehow fallen, and fallen well, are the only ones who can grow spiritually and not misuse ''up''. More than anything else, he describes what ''up'' (in the second half of life) will look like and could look like. Rohr was born in Kansas in 1943. He received his Master of Theology degree in 1970 from the University of Dayton. [4] He entered the Franciscans in 1961 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1970. Rohr founded the New Jerusalem Community [5] in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1971 [6] and the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1986, [7] [8] where he serves as founding director and academic dean of the Living School for Action and Contemplation. [9] [10] The curriculum of Rohr's school is founded on seven themes developed by Rohr and explored in his book Yes, And.... [11] Core faculty members include James Finley, Brian McLaren, Barbara Holmes and Cynthia Bourgeault. RR: Do it right. Then we remain inside of the quid pro quo universe, which is the one we prefer. Where two plus two equals four. Hungry, and You Fed Me: Homilies and Reflections for Cycle C, Jim Knipper, ed. (Clear Faith Publishing, 2012)

Falling Upward: A Companion Journal: A Spirituality for the

BB: So, I want to start with, I’ve grabbed four or five quotes. The first one is several sentences long, so I thought we’d break it up and the first thing I want to talk about is this quote. “When religion does not move people to the mystical or the non-dual level of consciousness, it is more a part of the problem than the solution whatsoever. It solidifies angers, creates enemies, and is almost always exclusionary of the most recent definition of sinner. At this level, it is largely incapable of its supreme task of healing, reconciling, forgiving, and peacemaking.” Whoa. RR: And the Franciscan church is on the corner, and my little hermitage is behind that, so everything’s in this one mile long road. Isn’t that interesting? The Naked Now: Learning to See as the Mystics See (The Crossroad Publishing Company, 2009) ISBN 978-0-8245-2543-9 [39] RR: We’re missing something major. That’s so true, Brené. When I was helping Francis MacNutt, he was a Dominican priest who restarted the healing ministry in the Catholic Church in the 1970s, and I served on his team several times. And he used to say often in an opening talk, “Most Catholics don’t even know the word healing applies to the gospel. The gospel is much more about, ‘Forgive me.’” I can get away with saying it because I’m a priest. I guess I can. It’s about punishing, not healing. And everything according to the depth of the sin deserves a greater and greater punishment. Now, when you’re concentrating on reward, punishment, you never get to healing.

Rohr's audience extends beyond Christian boundaries and includes many people who follow other faiths or identify as spiritual but not religious. One of his publishers has described his largest demographic as Millennial Christians, "not Catholics but post-evangelicals." [34] He has been interviewed twice by Oprah Winfrey for her Super Soul Sunday program and author Brené Brown on her podcast. [35] Bono of U2 is also a fan of his work. [18] A bit about me: I have been married to Monica for over thirty years now and we have served in various pastoral, teaching, missions and leadership roles for the whole of our lives together. We have three incredible adult children who with their partners, are the delight of our lives. BB: Yeah, like God saying, you’re going to get my grace whether you like it or not. This is my prayer. I’m trapped in certain grace and enclosed in the need for constant mercy. This does not make me happy. This is both a transcendent God and also my deepest me at the same time. To discover one is to discover the other. This is why good theology and good psychology work together so well. You have touched upon the soul, the unshakable reality of my True Self, where “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). The second half of life is about learning to recognize, honor, and love this voice and this indwelling Presence, which feels like your own voice too. All love is now one. [5]

Richard Rohr’s Falling Upward | Theology and Church Richard Rohr’s Falling Upward | Theology and Church

From Wild Man to Wise Man: Reflections on Male Spirituality (with Joseph Martos) (St. Anthony Messenger Press, 2005) ISBN 978-0-86716-740-5 A couple of months ago a student gave me a cap embroidered with the words "Theology Matters." And so it does. I fervently believe that theology must not be an arcane academic pursuit reserved only for a few super-nerdy types. Rather, theology exists for the sake of the church and its mission. It exists to assist ordinary believers read and enact Scripture in authentic ways, together, and in their own locale, as a local body of faithful disciples of Jesus Christ.To live on the edge of the inside is different than being an insider, a "company man" or a dues paying member. Yes, you have learned the rules and you understand and honor the system as far as it goes, but you do not need to protect it, defend it or promote it. It has served its initial and helpful function. You have learned the rules well enough to know how to "break the rules" without really breaking them at all. "Not to abolish the law but to complete it" as Jesus rightly puts it (Matthew 5:17). A doorkeeper must love both the inside and the outside of his or her group, and know how to move between these two loves. [27] Nature of God [ edit ] BB: From a sentence in Breathing Under Water. I made up a prayer from one of your sentences, and I say it to myself all the time.

Falling Upward Quotes by Richard Rohr - Goodreads Falling Upward Quotes by Richard Rohr - Goodreads

Rohr emphasizes "alternative orthodoxy", a term the Franciscan tradition has applied to itself, referring to a focus on " orthopraxy"—a belief that lifestyle and practice are much more important than mere verbal orthodoxy, [15] which he feels is much overlooked in Catholic preaching today. [16] [17] Rohr, Richard (2019-03-05). The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope For, and Believe. Crown Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-5247-6210-0. In the second half of life we discover that it is no longer sufficient to find meaning in being successful or healthy. We need a deeper source of purpose. According to Jung, “Meaning makes a great many things endurable—perhaps everything. No science will ever replace myth [the communicator of meaning], and a myth cannot be made out of any science. . . . [Myth] is the revelation of a divine life in man. It is not we who invent myth, rather it speaks to us as a Word of God.” [4] Science gives us explanations, and that is a good start, but myth and religion give us meaning which alone satisfies the soul. RR: That’s why, I know you’ve read Falling Upward, yeah. It’s the second half of life religion which is used almost entirely in Western cultures as a first half of life religion to create a container for me to live my life inside of and feel safe and superior.BB: Well, we’re going to do a two-parter that you’ve generously agreed to do, and the first part is the two books, I think all of your books, have had messages for me that… I told you this before we started, changed me and really made me angry. And then they made me angry, then they changed me. Is that how it works sometimes? Naked, and You Clothed Me: Homilies and Reflections for Cycle A, Jim Knipper, ed. (Clear Faith Publishing, 2013) Richard Rohr | Teachers | Spirituality & Practice". www.spiritualityandpractice.com . Retrieved 2018-08-06. Falsani, Cathleen (April 16, 2019). "For millennials, mysticism shows a path to their home faiths". Religion New Service . Retrieved 17 August 2023.

Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life

In his 2019 book The Universal Christ, Rohr says he is a panentheist. He goes on to state that panentheism is the true position of Jesus and Paul: RR: I know. That I think a lot of people become Christian or remain Christian to prove that they’re right, to prove that they’re innocent, they’re good, they’re holy. It doesn’t create a flexible personality that is ready to change, which is the first words Jesus used. It’s translated, “Repent,” which of itself is a terrible translation, because the word repent connotes nothing like the word change. One cannot live the afternoon of life according to the program of life’s morning; for what was great in the morning will be of little importance in the evening, and what in the morning was true will at evening become a lie. —C. G. Jung [1] According to Rohr's teachings, following Jesus is the "best shortcut" to salvation, but one does not necessarily have to practice formal Christianity. The key is to "fall in love with the divine presence, under whatever name." Rohr says people are disillusioned with conservative churches that teach that nonbelievers and followers of non-Christian religions go to Hell. [18] Rohr additionally states: "I'm not trying to be some New Age liberal who flattens the universe out. Quite the contrary. I'm trying to invite people into the depth of things. . .and that's why I still encourage people to be loyal to their primary tradition; to go deep in one place, as I've often put it." [19]Foreword" in Meal Stories: The Gospel of Our Lives by Kathleen Casey (Thomas More Association, 2000) ISBN 978-0-88347-495-2 Fr. Richard Rohr to speak at pro-life pilgrimage". March 14, 1982. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013 . Retrieved August 7, 2009. BB: And the fragility of that ego and the self-protection around it, can lead to really dangerous things. RR: You’re like me. We’re both one. He is too. [Referring to another person in the recording room.] Yeah, yes. Oh, this is a good energy in this room. RR: Now there you go. Let’s say that we’re very good astute observers. Well, we do see it in ourself.