The Search for Wisdom 7
- Fr. Tim Boyle
- Apr 28, 2025
- 3 min read
The re-emergence of wisdom... meet our Benedictine guides Bruno Barnhart and Bede Griffiths
Fr Tim provides a reflective narrative on a year-long spiritual journey focused on exploring the complexities of the human relationship with the divine, individual consciousness, and interconnectedness across different belief systems and traditions. The journey begins with pondering the meaning of faith in God, particularly through initial encounters that precede expressions of belief. This foundational topic segued into discussions about moving from collective to individual consciousness, and later a deep dive into interpretations of the crucifixion, as a demonstration that God is inherently supportive of humanity.
Fr Tim moves to January, featuring influential thoughts from Teilhard de Chardin and Bernice Bruteau on the concept of Sophia - a divine wisdom manifesting in evolution as an increasing awareness of consciousness. Highlighting humans as the consciousness of the cosmos illustrates a close tie with nature and a second axial shift towards global awareness and environmental reconnection is observed.
Subsequent exploration in March involves the works of Father Panikkar and his interpretation of the Trinity that spans across traditions, including Buddhism's silence and the word in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The narrative suggests a connection with the Hindu tradition of non-duality and criticizes the Western propensity to categorize contrasts, illustrating a broad harmonization attempt.
There also emerges a discussion about mysticism, focusing on the "mystic heart" shaped by wisdom and consciousness. This section challenges traditional Western views of personhood framed by personality and possession, advocating for a deeper, interconnected understanding of self, distinct from material and superficial identifiers. It introduces the notion that personhood transcends physical identity and is a fundamental center of being, engaging in a transformative journey akin to the mystical insights of Bede Griffiths and Bruno Barnhart, who found Eastern philosophies offered valuable complementarities.
In line with indigenous understandings and mystic teachings, there's an emphasis on self-awareness as a deep, constant consciousness rooted in connection to ancestral and universal consciousness. This spirituality is not owned, but shared—proclaiming our interconnectedness as essential and inviolable.
Fr Tim critiques Western notions of self-ownership, competition, and separateness, calling for a shift toward unity and shared consciousness, akin to the holistic, intuitive understanding fostered in Eastern traditions. This metaphysical journey broadly envisions a reality where divisions dissolve, identities merge, and higher consciousness is realized beyond rationality, in a state of repose—a concept echoing divine rest and unity.
The exploration of mysticism propels the reader towards contemplation of God's pervasive presence within, encouraging silence as a medium of contact with divinity. Art and poetry emerge as vehicles for expressing divine encounters, and creative freedom, fostering responsibility, arises from understanding one's deep interconnectedness with others. This echoes early Christian and other mystic traditions worldwide, recognizing unity as foundational, dissolving barriers of self and other, echoing contemplative insights and practices.
Throughout Fr Tim's talk, the theme of mutual interconnectedness recurs, depicted visually through metaphor—such as viewing a photograph through dim glass, reflecting inner longing for profound knowledge—as well as intellectually, with theological insights into the essence of personhood residing not in individuality but in relational existence with the divine and all creation.
Fr Tim ultimately champions a transformative understanding of personhood and divinity, underpinned by a mystic consciousness offering profound hope as it envisions all of creation being drawn into unity by divine wisdom, with Sophia ever-working to fulfill this sacred mission.
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