Oneing: Evidence

Established in 2013, ONEING is the biannual journal of the Center for Action and Contemplation. Renowned for its diverse and deep exploration of mysticism and culture, ONEING is grounded in Richard Rohr’s teachings and wisdom lineage. Each issue features a themed collection of thoughtfully curated essays and critical perspectives from spiritual teachers, activists, modern mystics, and prophets of all religions. 

At the end of Portrait of a Radical: The Jesus Movement, Fr. Richard Rohr says, “faith is rare . . . [which is] why Jesus himself said, ‘. . . when [he] returns, will he find any faith on the earth?’ (Lk 18:8).” Fr. Richard concludes, “I think Jesus really had doubts.”

And why wouldn’t Jesus have doubts? “Since the Enlightenment we have become more and more situated in a world of our own making, with cyberspace being the emblematic example of the moment. . . . The demand is put on faith to be effective, experiential, and relevant,” writes Mark Muldoon in “The Perils of Spiritual Faith, Doubt, and Evidence.” Much of the world is consumed with and distracted by a desire for increasing validation through technology and social media, rather than trust in what “St. Bonaventure, Teilhard de Chardin, many poets, and everyday mystics found . . . in the natural world, in elements, seasons, animals, and all living things,” as Fr. Richard writes in his introduction to this edition of Oneing.

“This is why an evidential worldview has become crucial,” emphasizes Michael Dowd in his article on evidential mysticism. “We now know that evolutionary and ecological processes are at the root of life and human culture. To disregard, to dishonor, these processes through our own determined ignorance and cultural/religious self-focus is an evil that will bring untold suffering to countless generations, of our own kind and of all our relations. We must denounce such a legacy. Ours is thus a call to action—a call to sacred activism.” 

The contributors to this superb edition of Oneing give abundant evidence of Presence within and around everything that exists. “The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. It’s our handle on what we can’t see” (Heb 11:1). I believe these authors give us an opportunity to re-energize our faith through the evidence of “13.8 billion years of divine creativity,” as Michael Dowd says so beautifully. With evidence like this, there is a good possibility that when Jesus returns, his doubts might well prove unsubstantiated.

This issue features contributions from Richard Rohr, Michael Dowd, Mark S. Muldoon, James Finley, Cynthia Bourgeault, Susan J. Barnes, Craig M. Nelson, Kathleen Dowling Singh, Robert Sardello, and William Wordsworth.

Vol. 2, No. 1, Spring 2014

Print Edition. Also available as a digital download.