Evolution and The Fall

Yesterday this weblog offered reflections about “***a new quality of feeling*** born into the world with Christ”.

I want to continue elaborating this in contrast with a certain nonchalant attitude that is found in much, if not all, New Age spirituality. At least, I certainly experienced such an attitude in so many holistic venues, over so many years.

But rather than continue from my original ‘script’ now, I want to pause to offer some relevant thoughts from Anonymous d’Outre Tombe over these next two days.

Here the author will be speaking of the Judaeo-Christian idea of the Fall, an idea which - like that of evil - is sometimes dismissed from New Age thought, as being nothing but uncreative and morbid.

But the Unknown Author reveals here not only why this idea need not be morbid at all, not only the importance of considering the tragedy of the Fall - but he also demonstrates the blazing quality of feeling that was, it seems to me, born far more deeply into the world with the coming of Christ – and his Church.

Here then an Unknown Genius of the most profound thought – and heart:

“The doctrine of the circle of involution and evolution is generally a platitude in occult literature, but it is not so when it is a matter of involution understood as the **Fall** and evolution understood as salvation.

There is a world of difference between the orientalistic doctrine concerning the semi-automatic ‘process’ of involution and evolution, and the Hermetic, Biblical and Christian doctrine concerning the Fall and Salvation.

The former sees in the circle of involution-evolution only a purely natural process, similar to the process of respiration in a living organism –animal or human. The Hermetic, Biblical and Christian tradition in contrast sees here a cosmic tragedy …”

A cosmic tragedy which, when a person really begins to FEEL it, I wish to add, can only lead to the joy, the wonder, the infinite gratitude that is owed to the cosmic work of SALVATION …

Thus I do not believe there is anything at all necessarily morose with a true appreciation of tragedy, the Fall and Evil. And I am deeply concerned by the DISMISSAL of these ideas within the so-called Holistic perspective. So-called I say, because so very much it seems to me, is actually dismissed.

And this is why tomorrow I will add some further words from this Unknown Genius of the Heart, which can also help us come to the very core of Christian Spirituality ...