About this episode
The Rev. Matthew Wright is an Episcopal priest, writer, and retreat leader working to renew the Christian Wisdom tradition within a wider interspiritual framework. He writes a monthly column, Belonging, for Contemplative Journal and serves as priest-in-charge at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Woodstock, NY. Matthew lives with his wife, Yanick, alongside the brothers of Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, NY. You can learn more about his work through the Center for Spiritual Resources. Transcript of this interview. Interview conducted 3/12/2016 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction of Matthew Wright 00:03:06 - The Second Axial Age 00:07:03 - Questioning Fundamentalist Worldview 00:10:48 - The Components of Traditional Spiritual Systems 00:14:53 - The Living Presence of Jesus and Buddha 00:19:14 - The Presence of Departed Loved Ones 00:23:01 - Spiritual Journey to India 00:27:07 - The Encounter with Pierre Teilhard de Chardin 00:30:41 - Unfolding, Awakening Body: The Body of Christ 00:34:44 - The Importance of Periods of Withdrawal 00:38:49 - Establishing Centers of Coherence 00:42:19 - The Palpable Atmosphere of Worship Centers 00:46:08 - Cultivating the Heart and Awakening 00:50:32 - Ego and Enlightenment 00:54:43 - The Power of Devotion 00:58:31 - Cultivating Qualities in Devotion 01:02:15 - Teilhard de Chardin and Second Axial Age 01:05:50 - The Bodhisattva Vow and the Emergence of Second Axial Consciousness 01:09:52 - Convergence and Creative Unions in Evolution 01:14:11 - Evolving Consciousness through Contemplative Practice 01:18:10 - The Importance of Keeping the Experiment Going 01:21:38 - The Universal Voice of Jesus in the Gospel of John 01:25:25 - Fear and belief in spiritual teachings 01:28:30 - The Shaky Ground of Belief 01:32:15 - The Call to Step into the Consciousness of Jesus's Lived Experience 01:35:45 - Moving Beyond the Masculine-Feminine Binary 01:40:13 - The Role of Nurturance and Femininity in Addressing Environmental Issues 01:44:31 - The Enlivenment of Consciousness and the Diversity of Being 01:48:25 - Diving Deep or Surface Skimming 01:52:17 - Cynthia Bourgeault and Richard Rohr at SAND Conference 01:54:54 - Farewell and Thanks