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PREFACE: WHY “HIDDEN”? THE TITLE OF THIS BOOK is meant to be provocative. Is it true that the spiritual life of men is “hidden,” even secret? What evidence for this is there? If it’s true, why might this be? Also, what are the consequences of this, and is it possible for the spiritual life of men to become more open and accepted by individuals and society?
because we are waiting patiently for an opportune moment to speak up; or because we have retreated into a “quiet heart” — attempting, through solitude and meditation, to stop the busy chattering of our monkey minds.
“most young men in our culture have no spiritual heritage into which their elders are going to welcome them.”
For many men, work itself is often a pursuit of the spiritual, an expression of their spiritual life.
Male artists can be their own type of warriors, trusting the universe to provide economically and trusting the muses to feed them their art.
announcing his or her spirituality, which is giving life one’s all. Biophilia. Love of life. Lovers of life. Lovers. That is spirituality. And yet, so few men would ever call it that. Why have men, to greater and lesser degrees, “hidden” their spiritual lives?
making known what was hidden. It is time for men to grow up spiritually. As a species, we can no longer be stuck in our adolescence. We need to explore ancient wisdom and deep teachings about the spiritual life of men, about the Sacred Masculine, and how we touch it and how it touches us.
INTRODUCTION: IN SEARCH OF THE SACRED MASCULINE
Progeny were sure to follow. The return of the Sacred Masculine and the Divine Feminine? The return of the Sacred Marriage of the two? One can hope. It was, in the end, a very hopeful and amazing dream.
Research in neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and linguistics has found that metaphors are not just images that help to explain things, but rather they are “the way the human brain understands anything abstract.” Metaphors are a kind of sense like hearing or seeing, and their effect on us is such that “the expansiveness of our metaphors determines the expansiveness of our reality.” Cease thinking in metaphors and you cease growing.
AI Summary
The Hidden Spirituality of Men by Matthew Fox presents key insights from the contemplative tradition. The 10 passages above capture the essential teachings.
Core Themes:
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Key Passages: Highlights 1, 3, and 10 are particularly representative.
This entry was generated from Readwise highlights. Expand with additional context as appropriate.