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The Hidden Spirituality of Men: Ten Metaphors to Awaken the Sacred Masculine

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It's hard to know where to start with Matthew Fox's prolific body of work, now logging in at more than two dozen books and continuing to stack up. There's no question that his pivotal book remains "Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality Presented in Four Paths, Twenty-Six Themes, and Two Questions," a 1983 landmark so important that a circle of Fox's friends and supporters gathered in the summer of 2008 to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Then, I still recall the debut of "The Coming of the Cosmic Christ" five years after "Blessing." I also like, "Creativity," written just a few years ago.

The result of such an outpouring of prose is that, in recent years, Fox has been able to zero into specific subjects based on his remarkable journeys through this age of turbulent spiritual reformation. Standing at one of the centers of change himself, he's accumulated a wealth of connections with religious traditions and fresh ideas for weaving those threads together. His work now is converging with other global centers of change, like the neo-Celtic movement. Read Philip Newell's "Christ of the Celts: The Healing of Creation" along with a Fox book and you'll see these streams coming together.

That's important background in deciding whether to buy this new book on what appears to be a very specific theme.

Think of this as a sort of spiritual workbook for men. No, there's no fill-in-the-blanks section here. It's not a journal. But Fox has divided the first part of his book into 10 spiritual archetypes that men can explore in trying to make sense of their own inner journeys. As I began reading the book, I started shaking my head at the limitations of this archetype or that one. Then, I began to see that Fox is taking us on a tour of these various archetypes, so that he can urge readers to sit down and begin weaving their own tapestries out of these powerful metaphors. He's interested not in specific archetypes, but in the convergence of all of them.

If you want a book, let's say, on the complex expressions of "the green man," which is the vivid cover image of Fox's book, then this book alone isn't the answer. Fox gives us a great overview of the archetype, but he's quickly moving on to sketch another, then another. There's "the blue man" here, too, and there's the "warrior," but a warrior image explained in cross-cultural terms so that we can see that this really is the archetype of spiritual struggle that Muslims call the interior jihad.

Toward the end, Fox writes, "the 10 archetypes in this book are metaphors. They are useful ways to embody and conceptualize ideas or ways of being. And they are meant to be playful." To help readers start this work of weaving, then, a lengthy appendix to the book lists scores of questions to go step by step, exploring the strength of each image.

In fact, turning back to the cover, you'll notice that his green man isn't entirely green. There are blue ridges emerging across this figure's brow. Sound intriguing? I think it is. And, if you haven't thought of this already, this would be a great book to explore with a men's discussion group - and perhaps even more fun to explore with a mixed gender group of singles and couples.

It's a bountiful universe in here. I'd been thinking about traditional Jungian archetypes and how - and if - they fit in with the concept of the New Masculine, and suddenly, Matthew Fox's book, "The Hidden Spirituality of Men," shows up.

In it, Fox explores ten archetypes, or metaphors, that he believes speak to a revival of the healthy masculine, "indeed, the Sacred Masculine."

"The authors of the classic work Green man point out that for Jung, 'an archetype will appear in new form to redress imbalances in society at a particular time when it is needed. According to this theory, therefore, the Green Man is rising up into our present awareness in order to counterbalance a lack in our attitude to Nature.'"

Each of the ten archetypes in Fox's book is arising for the same reasons - to redress imbalances in our culture and in our very souls. For the latter flows from the former.

It's not that the former archetypes - especially the King and the Warrior - are no longer applicable, but that they, too, are evolving as we evolve.

In my workshop, The integral Warrior: Embodying the New Masculine, we're going to be "killing off" the patriarchal properties of these former archetypes so the new archetypes can arise and take their place in a more evolved consciousness. For instance, the Green Man has a fierceness and a determination that parallels the Warrior, and suddenly the Warrior becomes the Spiritual Warrior that stands alongside the Green Man. Without saying so, it appears to me that the King archetype, a model of patriarchy, however soft and benevolent, is replaced by the Blue Man, or Father Sky, who models compassion and creativity, "cunning as snakes and wise as doves."

"The green man demands that men stand up. That men become men. Men have been stuck in a daze brought on by modern philosophy, consumerism, and a pseudo-masculine media-promoted identity. The green man calls us to stand for the love of the Earth and the health of future generations. Stand for the trees and the animals that are being destroyed and with them the sustainability of our own species. Stand for community and compassion rather than individual power and domination. Stand for the children and generations to come."

Joseph Gelfer, in his book "Numen, Oldmen: Contemporary Masculine Spiritualities and the Problem of Patriarchy," is absolutely correct in his assessment of patriarchal stances in the evangelical, mythopoetical, and even the Integral approach to men's spirituality.

Fox's book helps the neo-men's movement (my term) take a fresh look at archetypes without the hard and soft patriarchies of the earlier movement.

For me, this is a major component of the New Masculine. This is where I want to go, and I'm going to take as many men with me as I can! [...]

As an ordained minister (UCC)who has been immersed in the struggle to affirm inclusive language and feminine spirituality throughout my career, I am thrilled that Matthew Fox has undertaken the challenge to help men reclaim their spirituality. Masculine spirituality and feminine spirituality are in no way competitive or domineering (contrary to the great western rift) but are totally complimentary. I believe that is has been necessary for feminine spirituality to re-emerge first, so that men could be liberated to explore and reclaim their own spirituality, acknowledging that feminine and masculine spirituality work together to give birth to each other in one truly human spirituality. Finally...this journey has begun.
Not necessarily an easy read, I sipped it, took little bites, digested them and went to the next chapter. It is a book that will be re-read many times.

A well-written, important book from a heavily Christian orientation, i.e., Western. As a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism, I would love to have read more integration of these much-needed ideas from an Eastern perspective.

Steven B. Herrmann, PhD, MFT
Author of "William Everson: The Shaman's Call"

In "The Hidden Spirituality of Men" Matthew Fox presents a very interesting discussion on Sacred Marriages. I like what he is doing very much. In his book he takes an extroverted focus that is liberating and for this I am grateful. He refers "not to one sacred marriage but to multiple sacred marriages" and adds: "Archetypes, like stories, make demands on us" (2008, xxi, xxiv). Then he says, "A rebirth of culture and self comes from one's soul and not from institutions" (xxiv). Thus, in exploring "ancient and new masculine images that allow men breathing room to be our best and deeper selves: our wild and fierce selves, our gentle and loving selves, our soaring and mystical selves ... Our heterosexual, bisexual, and homosexual selves" (xxvi) he is getting at the heart of the current debate in our world regarding marriage. Myths are where changes in our soul-concept can be seen in its budding forms. Myths awaken us. Fox asks: "What can homosexual men and heterosexual men working together give birth to?" (124) As a result of instructional teachings by gay and heterosexual men in our culture, who are helping us dissolve the walls of homophobia, we are being liberated in our ideas about the soul, and our hidden spirituality of the Sacred Masculine is being Awakened. In "Other Sacred Unions," he has a marvelous section "A Gay and Straight Wedding," where he speaks of the marriage between heterosexuals and homosexuals in an outer way: healing homophobia in our social relations will bring about a Sacred Marriage of Masculine and Feminine in our world. He states it this way: "The `marriage' [the Sacred Marriage of Gay and Straight] of which I speak is simply that of the sexual majority (heterosexuals) accepting and befriending the sexual minority (homosexuals)" (270). Heterosexual men who are beginning to embrace and awaken their "hidden" homosexual and bisexual selves are embracing gay and bisexual friends and moving beyond the homophobia that divides us. What we are seeing surrounding the fiery debates concerning same-sex marriage is a paradigm shift so fundamental that it may rock the cradle of the world's civilizations and turn our conceptions of the soul, self, and marriage upside down. For while we have seen the archetype of same-sex marriage emerge in nations of the world in isolated ways before, we have never see such grand changes taking place in the soul-concept, with such wide sweeping potential for impacting our world religions, world politics, and world's social and legal institutions. The changes in our soul-concept have the potential to inaugurate a paradigm shift that may reverse the axis of the world, hopefully turning the institution of marriage upside down. Matthew Fox brings these changes out into the open by looking at the marriage possibilities in the ten archetypes of the sacred masculine that he uncovers for us. I highly recommend Matthew's book!

I have purchased this book for my grown sons, my male friends and nephews with a special emphasis on how they deal with their sons' growth and development. I believe it is an important resource for men who wish to reflect on male spiritual growth and the understanding of masculine interior life--whether explicitly religious or not--and to have images and information available for when sons come into the picture. We have gone too long with silent fathers, even when they are not absent, because our women have "done" spiritual life before us. When I presented the book I also gave pictures of the various archetypes (from internet searches) which I think enhance the material for those of us who are more visual than intellectual. Matthew Fox is number one in the male spirituality genre. Thanks.

It used to be, when I felt like crying, I'd get angry instead. During the discussion of the aftermath of the devastation I had created by my anger, I would learn that I had actually been sad, lonely, or hurt, and wished I had realized that earlier. It took me many years to recognize the anger signal, to look within, and to discover my tears.
Times have changed, and the image and expectation of "manhood" has evolved. Thanks to the poet Robert Bly, and his book Iron John: A Book About Men (Da Capo Press), we've drummed our way past the "soft male" stage of transition. We are now cultivating the balanced male, who can integrate both hard and soft. What a journey!
The art of balancing the soft and hard dimensions of maleness requires an understanding of spirituality and how it manifests in the Yangness of creation. Robert Moore and David Gillette, in their book King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine (HarperOne) made some progress with that question, bringing to our attention important mythologies regarding men and their archetypal roles in life. As important as those myths have been to men, to have only four to choose from may seem a bit limiting. Today, Matthew Fox, the ex-Catholic priest who developed "Creation Spirituality," has added to our understanding with an expanded inventory of natural male archetypes. His new book, The Hidden Spirituality of Men: Ten Metaphors to Awaken the Sacred Masculine (New World Library), offers us a little deeper look into nature itself to find the spirit of the male.
Fox defines spirituality as "giving life one's all." He sees that many men are actively engaged spiritually, whether they realize it or not, yet the spiritual dimension remains hidden. He lists numerous reasons for this predicament, and points to several repercussions, such as the higher rate of adolescent suicides among boys and their much lower rate of graduating from high school. By pointing to several archetypes of male spirituality, he hopes to bring this essential reality out into the open in a way that might enable and inspire men to claim their birthright. He believes we need that connection in order to confront the many challenges that face the planet today.
To give you some idea of his approach, I'll list the ten metaphors that he discusses: 1) "Father Sky: The Cosmos Lives!" 2) The Green Man 3) Icarus and Daedalus 4) Hunter-Gatherers 5) Spiritual Warriors 6) Masculine Sexuality, Numinous Sexuality 7) Our Cosmic and Animal Bodies 8) The Blue Man 9) Earth Fathers: The Fatherly Heart 10) Grandfather Sky: The Grandfatherly Heart. Fox points out that these gender metaphors from nature apply not just to men, but to humans, male and female. He sees these as ways humans can connect to the Yang energy within themselves. He believes we all, male and female alike, need to relate to both the gods and goddesses within to achieve the integration and balance required to move into a healthy future.
What I find interesting is that Fox derives his metaphors largely from nature itself and our relationship to that reality. To take the most obvious example, the Green Man is the symbol of our oneness with nature. To find the Green Man within us is to discover the unity between our own nature and the greenery around us. For myself, to use an example, I've discovered that I can "connect" with a plant and find in my own spontaneous imagery information that is congruent with the actualities of the plant. This discovery tells me that somehow my imagination--such an intimate part of me--is actually an aspect of nature itself. The Green Man is about wisdom, rather than knowledge. Fox points out the evident wisdom of plant life, for they developed photosynthesis and learned "how to eat the sun!"
Plant life is the result of the marriage of Father Sky and Mother Earth, Fox reminds us. He uses that fact to show how the true male archetypes contain both yin and yang qualities. His interest is in developing the spiritual male qualities in us so that we can marry them to the spiritual female qualities. He believes that the spiritual feminine has gained a greater foothold in our consciousness, and awaits a worthy consciousness of male spirituality so that the sacred marriage can take place. Thus his book is not just for men, but it is men who carry the greater responsibility to take the time and have the courage to make manifest this needed "other half" of the spirituality that is growing within us today.
henryreed.com

Matthew Fox is a man who will not mince his words nor hide his thoughts. In today's world of increasing conformity to generally accepted norms, such a voice is worth an empire. Especially if that voice speaks words of inspiration, in a truly challenging way.

Lots has been written since the 1970s and 1980s about men, masculinity, an alleged 'crisis in masculinity', and 'journeys into masculinity' or 'explorations of manhood'. The big push came with the by now famous book 'Iron John', by poet Robert Bly, followed quickly by Sam Keen's work "Fire in the belly" and others. Founding father James Hillman of what's now known as 'archetypal psychology' also added his voice, as did the West African shaman Malidoma Somé (residing in Florida these days) and Micheal Meade.
From all those books and the audiences they have gathered, it is clear that a great number of modern-day men aren't too pleased with what nowadays constitute 'being a man', and are therefore looking for new definitions, new roles, new content.

It is one of the major positive outcomes of the waves of feminism of the last century that men too have found ways of liberating themselves from the yoke of patriarchy. Increasing numbers of men are whole-heartedly embracing new privileges, best of all the one that allows for a true and authentic relationship to Self and those near and dear.

Any quest into new ways of identifying oneself as a human being will - sooner or later - end up as an exploration of spirituality, and its three core questions: Where do I come from? Who am I? Where am I going?

And it is here where the overlapping domains of spirituality and masculinity become risky terrain. Numerous religious organisations worldwide stake their claim to knowing how to be a man. Most of those resort to old-fashioned ideas, and campaign vehemently for a restoration of the old, familiar order.

Matthew Fox, however, manages to walk this land with grace and wisdom. Without ever laying down 'the new rules' he writes about old stories, myths and archetypes as useful sources of inspiration for a truly modern sense of being human first and foremost, and male second. His extensive knowledge of these sources combined with his sharply attuned antennae to contemporary issues of the soul makes this book a fantastic source of encouragement to continue the path of self discovery. A path that, of course, is endless in and by itself.

I would LIKE to speak more highly of this work. I think the treatment of the sacred masculine is a highly under-approached subject; but this book, while a good starting point, isn't totally living up to my expectations.

To begin with, the writing style is at times very nonlinear. The author tends to make statements that sound quite inspiring, but aren't supported by the text and aren't followed up on. This isn't universal through the book, but frequent enough to cause me irritation.

Secondly, I have caught a number of statements that are just not wholly accurate, or are lacking in depth; and these point to a level of credulity that I'm not happy with. For example, from page xxvi of the introduction:

"The history of the distorted masculine goes back thousands of years to around 4500 B.C. with the overthrow of matriarchy and the triumph of patriarchy." You won't find supporting documentation for this statement, because it's based on the wistful mythology of feminist historians long ago debunked. The myth persists in popular literature because we LIKE it, but it's wrong and has no place in a serious book.

Later, on page 299 in the suggestions for connecting with the Green Man archetype, he advocates eating less meat because "cow farting produces methane". While this isn't incorrect, it's very nearly a silly platitude considering all the OTHER reasons he doesn't mention, that an omnivorous diet can contribute to environmental damage. He's just landed on the one people remember from news stories. That bothers me for its lack of depth.

These are just a couple of examples that stuck out at me and rankled.

Don't get me wrong, though, there's plenty to love here. I bought the book because as a Solitary Eclectic Wiccan, I find images of the sacred masculine unpleasantly shallow in many books written specifically for my religion. I've gotten great ideas from this book, and definitely feel better connected to the God from having absorbed it; so in spite of the questionable level of depth to be found here, I think I'd continue to recommend the book to others. I wouldn't consider it the one and only resource on masculine archetypes, but it's a good one to read nonetheless.

Matthew Fox goes to the heart of archetypes in this book and reveals that not all men are alike, yet all men have commonalities. Not an easy read, but one worth the effort.