The Continuing Reformation: Spirituality for Leaders
with Matthew Fox and Tom Witt & Mary Preus

September 26-28, 2005

Sinsinawa Mound Center - Sinsinawa, Wisconsin

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Presenters
Matthew Fox is author of 26 books including “Original Blessing,” “The Reinvention of Work,” “Creativity: Where the Divine and the Human Meet,” “One River, Many Wells: Wisdom Springing from Global Faiths,” “A Spirituality Named Compassion,” and his most recent “A New Reformation!” He was a member of the Dominican Order for 34 years. He holds a doctorate (received summa cum laude) in the History and Theology of Spirituality from the Institut Catholique de Paris.

Seeking to establish a pedagogy that was friendly to learning spirituality, he established an Institute in Culture and Creation Spirituality that operated for seven years at Mundelein College in Chicago and twelve years at Holy Names College in Oakland,
CA. For ten of those years at Holy Names College Cardinal Ratzinger, as chief Inquisitor and head of the Congregation of Doctrine and Faith (called the Office of the Holy Inquisition until 1965), tried to shut the program down. Ratzinger silenced Fox for one year in 1988 and forced him to step down as director.

Three years later he expelled Fox from the Order and then had the program terminated at Holy Names College. Rather than disband his amazing and ecumenical faculty, Fox started his own University called University of Creation Spirituality nine years ago in Oakland, CA. Its name has now changed to Wisdom University and Fox is president emeritus and a teaching professor there.

Matthew Fox has been renewing the ancient tradition of Creation Spirituality that was named for him by his mentor, the late Father Marie Dominic Chenu, o.p., in his studies in Paris. This tradition is feminist, welcoming of the arts and artists, wisdom centered, prophetic and caring about eco-justice and social justice and gender justice issues. Fox’s effort to reawaken the West to its own mystical tradition has included revivifying awareness of Hildegard of Bingen, Meister Eckhart, and the mysticism of Thomas Aquinas as well as interacting with contemporary scientists who are also mystics. Read more about Matthew Fox at www.matthewfox.org .

Mary Preus is a singer, song leader, and choir director. Her experience ranges from church choirs (directing and singing) to jazz ensembles. She focuses her current music research on diverse singing styles and on the worship and singing life of justice-centered communities of faith around the world. Mary is music director at Our Savior’s Lutheran in Minneapolis, MN and can sometimes be found hosting lunch at St. Martin’s Table bookstore and restaurant. Besides Bread for the Journey’s recordings, Mary’s voice can be heard on recordings by liturgical composers Ray Makeever and Marty Haugen. In 1995 she released her own compact disc, Yonder Come Day. Mary is a member of the ecumenical Community of St. Martin in Minneapolis, MN.

Tom Witt has been keyboardist, worship leader, and songleader for a wide variety of Lutheran church events. He has a depth of resources in worship planning and leads workshops on music, liturgy, and contemporary society.  During 1998-99, Tom served as musician-in-residence at the Lutheran retreat center Holden Village, in Washington state. In addition to his current work with Bread for the Journey, Tom serves as worship coordinator for the ecumenical Community of St. Martin in Minneapolis, MN. He has released a CD recording of his own instrumental improvisations on hymns in the Lutheran Book of Worship, entitled Dusting Off the Green Book.