I really, really want Richard Rohr to be right in the end about much of his theology. I would prove suspicious of those who wouldn’t.

But I don’t know whether I can go there or not.

Richard Rohr is quite famous as a contemplative mystic. He has had much to do with the resurgence of the contemplative prayer movement and his affirmation of the Enneagram has meant much for its advancement.

In The Universal Christ: How a Forgotten Reality Can Change Everything We See, Hope For, and Believe, Rohr sets out his perspective on life and faith in terms of God as having revealed Himself in Christ.

At no point does Rohr explicitly contradict orthodox Trinitarianism, but he encourages envisioning a contrast between Jesus the person and Christ as the Reality of God manifest all around the universe.

In Christ God becomes part of the creation and endures it; in Christ God is risen from the dead, and the hope of life can endure.

Through this lens the author explores the story of Jesus and the work of God in His creation. It will seem very baffling and uncomfortable for those very much wedded to the text of the Scriptures in concrete, fixed ways. At the same time, it proves challenging to say the author has completely abandoned the witness of God in Christ.

He does advocate for a form of panentheism and very much has universalist sympathies; there are good reasons to be skeptical of these positions, but I’ve always been sympathetic to universalism. I’d like for it to be true. I would like to see ultimate redemption for everyone and all things in the end so that God can be “all in all.”

But what I might want, and what might make for a good theological story, is not necessarily exactly how things will work out, or truly well reflects what God has made known in Christ according to the witness of Scripture.

The author’s goal is for everyone to focus more on how they might experience something of God in Christ in the creation around them and in people made in His image. It’s a laudable goal. And the whole work is worth reading and considering even if you, like me, cannot “go there” in all or even many respects of what he has to say. His perspective is worth considering to broaden your horizons and imaginary about what God is accomplishing in Christ.

Curious and creative, with a lot of liberty to explore ideas and connect dots (even if not always clear how those dots are connected). Rohr provides a framework for holding the Christian story with a more universalized experience of broad spirituality. It's not for everyone, but I appreciate his writing and work.

Richard Rohr isn't one to bother with. This book certainly doesn't help matters. Discussions of universalism are well-past vogue at this point, and seem only to appear when folks get squeamish about what the Christian faith actually is.

Perhaps this is a instant pick-up for those who think a fidget-spinner is a good analogy for the Trinity, but for the rest of us...not so much.

As always, Richard Rohr continues to be insightful and is a true treasure and I look forward to any of his contemplative works.

This is one of my favorite books and I love recommending it to others! Rohr distill so much into this book and it is filled with soul-nourishing goodness.

There is so much in this book: a lot of really interesting ideas related to Christology. I don't think I completely agree with Rohr here, but I do find a lot of things helpful, and I will most likely re-read this one. The central question of the book is who is Christ, the LOGOS.

I read the first chapter about 10 times because it's dense and deep and he gives me a lot to think about. He presents a valuable perspective and different ways of looking at things but I have a lot of resistance in me to some of his ideas. I don't agree with the way he seems to want to make such a firm distinction between Jesus of Nazareth and "The Christ" Towards the beginning of the book he asks: “How is Christ’s function or role different from Jesus’s?” (11). Rohr's answer is that Jesus is limited, particular, and earthbound, while “the Christ” is unlimited, universal, and cosmic. Rohr writes: “Christ . . . was clearly not just Jesus of Nazareth, but something much more immense” (3).

Some of the questions Rohr asks at the beginning:
"What if Christ is a name for the transcendent within of every 'thing' in the universe?
"What if Christ is a name for the immense spaciousness of all true Love?
"What if Christ refers to an infinite horizon that pulls us from within and pulls us forward too?
"What if Christ is another name for everything – in its fullness?"

On the whole, I can recommend this book to people interested in theology and Christology but would want to also recommend they read N. T. Wright and some others as a comparison.

Richard Rohr never disappoints me. His spiritual views are so accessible and familiar - while at the same time, allowing me a new window into our relationship with divine and the divine within each of us. Excellent read.

Richard Rohr's writings have been a blessing to my soul in the last few years. Reading Rohr helps me imagine a more beautiful, bigger and more loving God than I had ever thought possible. In this book Rohr focuses on Jesus Christ. But slow down if you think "Christ" is merely Jesus' last name. Rohr emphasizes that Jesus is the name of the Jew from Nazareth while "Christ" points to the divinity within.

It is easy to see how Rohr's writing is a bit controversial. Some might even call it heretical. I may have used that term 10 years ago. Even today, I wonder if Rohr has not too sharply divided the human Jesus from the divine Christ, as if there are two separate persons and Jesus was possessed or something. Is this sort of Gnostic, the idea that some being came upon the human Jesus? Rohr would argue that what he says lines up with ancient orthodoxy of Athanasius, Augustine and the Eastern Fathers. I for one, as uncomfortable as I am with the way he speaks of "Jesus" and "Christ" also know that the term "heretic" is thrown around too quickly nowadays. The most charitable reading of Rohr is that in Jesus Christ we see humanity and divinity united. Thus, as divinity filled Jesus, so divinity fills all of creation. The Incarnation demonstrates that God has gone into the darkest places (on Holy Saturday, in Jesus, God descended into hell!). Through Jesus heaven comes to earth and now we can see divinity (or, Christ) everywhere.

The thing is, Rohr is not writing theology. He's not interested in answering our theological questions. He's much more concerned with spiritual practice and experience. His goal seems to be to take an Orthodox (Eastern Orthodox, more specifically) understanding of Incarnation and apply it to our daily life. I suspect some of his critics who see heresy may want to spend some time reading the Eastern fathers, or even a theologian like David Bentley Hart. I now I prefer Hart simply because he ends up in a similar place as Rohr but gets there with a much deeper argument.

Rohr at times seems a bit sloppy, even cutting corners. At times he mentions things like, "science is supporting" some finding that connects to the spiritual ideas he is presenting. He may be correct, but it'd be nice to have a footnote or reference. Science can be brought forth to support any crackpot idea (see the anti-vaccination movement which led to a measles outbreak). So Rohr should do better than just mentioning science's support and give us a reference. In the same way, Rohr may not be writing as a Biblical theologian, but he should spend more time noting what "Christ" meant in Scripture. Both NT Wright and Scot McKnight (The King Jesus Gospel) have written books showing that Christ is not Jesus' last name (as Rohr is attempting to do) but their argument focuses on what Christ actually meant. As historians and Bible scholars, they tackle it from a historical perspective: Christ = King = Messiah = Anointed One. Rohr goes for the more spiritual sound Christ = Cosmic Divinity = Universal Deity.

There's nothing necessarily wrong with Rohr's approach. There was a time in my life I would have hated it, thinking the only valid writing was the sort of Wright/McKnight do. But at some point, we need to bring such historical ideas into present reality. McKnight/Wright appeal to my head, and while they do inspire me, they do not leave me with the inspiration Rohr does. Rohr makes me want to go out and be a better human. Rohr leaves me with a picture of God I want to share with people who are hurt. Another way to put it is that Wright/McKnight leave me with a historical argument to debate with people over, Rohr leaves me with a loving God to share with people.

Much of what I have said so far sounds negative. That is because I am conscious of how Rohr can be seen as heretical by some. I mean, by the end of the book he is essentially comparing Christ with Buddha and sounding like being a Christian is little different then being a Buddhist (he is more nuanced than that, by the way). I suspect that lots of my friends would be very suspicious of Rohr in all of this. Yet...I really love this book.

Maybe I just want to say, this book is not for everybody. The me of 10 years ago would have hated it. The me of today does not blindly love all of it, but I appreciate it. I still think there are better, more solid ways, to get to where Rohr ends up. But overall, if you want your heart moved with a picture of who God is in Jesus Christ, check this book out.

Let me put it most bluntly. If you are a traditional evangelical, really into apologetics and defending your faith, and mostly enjoy thinking through theology, then you will probably not like this book. But if you are someone who is still rooted in the orthodox tradition of God as Trinity and you like thinking through theology but also praying it, sitting in silence, meditating and desire to see beauty as much as truth, then this one is for you.

*I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for purposes of review

This book is not meant for casual reading. It’s challenging. Richard Rohr sums up a lifetime of thought in this book on not just who Jesus is, but on who Christ is. He draws on a wealth of information from history, scripture, and experience to help us understand that the Incarnation is more than we realize.

Rohr's words, while deep and intelligent, invite us into a simple (not easy) strategy of loving all in the universe as part of Christ. He says, "Humans were fashioned to love people more than principles, and Jesus fully exemplified this pattern. But many seem to prefer loving principles—as if you really can do such a thing."

Because Christ is not Jesus's last name, Rohr helps the reader understand what Christ's function is. Christ can hold everything together.

"The full Christian leap of faith is trusting that Jesus together with Christ gave us one human but fully accurate window into the Eternal Now that we call God."

If you want your faith to be expanded, dive into this book. But read slowly so the words can sink in, and so they can change you if needed.

"Your worldview is not what you look at. It is what you look out from or look through."

"I do not know who first said it, but I know I fully agree with this idea: Your religion is not the church you belong to, but the cosmos you live inside of."

My thanks to Net Galley for the review copy of this book.

This is already everyone's favorite religion book of the year, right?? I read this while I was (and am) listening to the podcast. There is food here for everyone.

The book begins with some great questions:

“What if Christ is a name for the transcendent within of every “thing” in the universe?”

“What if Christ is a name for the immense spaciousness of all true Love?”

“What if Christ refers to an infinite horizon that pulls us from within and pulls us forward too?”

“What if Christ is another name for everything—in its fullness?”

Let me share 5 key points that jumped out at me.

Christ

“Is Christ simply Jesus’s last name? Or is it a revealing title that deserves our full attention? How is Christ’s function or role different from Jesus’s?”

“But in this book, I want to suggest that the first incarnation was the moment described in Genesis 1, when God joined in unity with the physical universe and became the light inside of everything.”

“Long before Jesus’s personal incarnation, Christ was deeply embedded in all things—as all things!”

“But instead of saying that God came into the world through Jesus, maybe it would be better to say that Jesus came out of an already Christ-soaked world.”

We often start with the human incarnation of God: Jesus. We need to actually go back much further then that. As Rohr mentions the first incarnation happened some 13.7 billion years ago “when God joined in unity with the physical universe and became the light inside of everything”. Jesus came out of this all ready Christ soaked world. Jesus is actually the second incarnation Rohr tells us. We definitely need to shift our perspective on who this God is!

Incarnation

“God seems to have chosen to manifest the invisible in what we call the “visible,” so that all things visible are the revelation of God’s endlessly diffusive spiritual energy. Once a person recognizes that, it is hard to ever be lonely in this world again.”

“What I am calling in this book an incarnational worldview is the profound recognition of the presence of the divine in literally “every thing” and “every one.””

“Most Catholics and Protestants still think of the incarnation as a one-time and one-person event having to do only with the person of Jesus of Nazareth, instead of a cosmic event that has soaked all of history in the Divine Presence from the very beginning.”

All things visible are the revelation of God’s spiritual energy. That changes everything. We are called to be stewards of all creation! We do not get to pick and choose what we will honor and take care of and throw out what we consider scraps and not important. We must love each other and all of creation, even if we do not feel like it.

In Christ

“When your isolated “I” turns into a connected “we,” you have moved from Jesus to Christ.”

“All of us, without exception, are living inside of a cosmic identity, already in place, that is driving and guiding us forward. We are all en Cristo, willingly or unwillingly, happily or unhappily, consciously or unconsciously.”

“At this point, at least in the United States, it appears that our cultural meaning has pretty much shrunk down to this: It is all about winning.”

We are all in Christ. We are all connected. What I do impacts others and what others do impacts me. It is not about me winning. It is about how we can all work together and move forward together. We all need each other.

Implanted Spirit

“All people must learn to draw from their own Implanted Spirit, which is the only thing that will help them in the long run anyway.”

“But think about it: If the incarnation is true, then of course God speaks to you through your own thoughts!”

“I would even say that anything said with too much bravado, overassurance, or with any need to control or impress another, is never the voice of God within you.”

“If any thought feels too harsh, shaming, or diminishing of yourself or others, it is not likely the voice of God.”

I connect to my implanted spirit via my centering prayer practice. God speaks to me through my thoughts. I believe God prays in me during my centering prayer sit. God’s prayers become my thoughts and drive my daily actions or non actions. Sometimes no actions are the best action.

I agree with Rohr in that anything said with too much bravado, overassurance, or with any need to control or impress another, is never the voice of God within me. I also believe that if any thought feels too harsh, shaming, or diminishing of myself or others, it is not likely the voice of God.

I will add my barometer. I will move forward if I am excited about it and it will not harm me or others. (Fear of movement out of my comfort zone is never a reason to not move forward.)

Healing

“Once a person recognizes that Jesus’s mission (obvious in all four Gospels) was to heal people, not punish them, the dominant theories of retributive justice begin to lose their appeal and their authority.”

Jesus did not come down to help us go up. Jesus came down to heal us and make us whole. (I say down to exaggerate the point.) If we let him, Jesus can heal us. I mean a deeper healing, one that makes us feel whole and loved by the great Creator of the universe.

This healing will produce an inner calmness despite an outer chaos. This healing will produce inner confidence despite the outer confusion. This healing will produce an excitement and joy for life.

I read Rohr’s book twice. I am sure I will come back to read again with a highlighter in hand! I encourage you to read this wonderful book.

A fascinating discussion. This is dense reading - not something to dig into while doing other things or to only half-focus on. Lots of thought-provoking ideas about the nuanced difference between Jesus and Christ. While I didn't get on board with all of the ideas here, there were nuggets that I enjoyed and will spend time thinking about and digging into Scripture about.

Richard Rohr’s “The Universal Christ,” is an adventure into a Christo-centric wonderland. After reading his profound and provocative book my heart is enlarged, my spirit is invigorated, and my faith has grown exponentially. Thank you so much for this spiritual gem!

I started this book with high hopes. The title was very engaging. The introduction was wonderful. The first chapter concerned me. The second chapter was heretical in my opinion. Fr. Rohr has excellent theological training. I was shocked. Christ is the tile of Jesus as the promised Messiah not a loosely understood concept.

No one but the only son of the Father is the incarnation of God. Seeing the mark of the Creator in all people and creation is beautiful. Saying all people are an incarnation of God is completely contradictory to Scripture.

I cannot recommend this book at all.