by Robert C. Frank
Popular Christian writer Richard Rohr’s new book has the title, The Universal Christ and greatly expands our understanding of Christianity. Christian tradition, perhaps unintentionally, tends to focus Christianity at the foot of the cross. In his book, however, Rohr sees the presence of Christ everywhere and considers Christ to be part of God’s creation in which we are God’s assistants.
At one point, in theological language, he says,(1) “If we see the Eternal Christ Mystery as the symbolic Alpha Point for the beginning of what we call “time,” we can see that history and evolution indeed have an intelligence, a plan, and a trajectory from the very start. The Risen Christ, who appears in the middle of history, assures us that God is leading us somewhere good and positive, all crucifixions to the contrary. God has been leading us since the beginning of time, but now God includes us in the process of unfolding (Romans 8:28–30).”
While Rohr uses a different approach and different language, his writing provides support for the book Christ’s Team, which is also about the role of Jesus Christ in God’s creation. The Prologue to Christ’s Team includes the statement, “Christian tradition emphasizes the role of Jesus Christ as redeemer, but human history has verified that he also came to teach humans how to work together and care for each other. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, his followers have become a Team dedicated to carrying on creation, improving human life, and managing our planet.” The book emphasizes that as God’s assistants, we are aided by science in our effort.
1. Rohr, Richard. The Universal Christ (p. 95). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition, 2019
