Everything is Sacred: 40 Reflections on the Universal Christ (Convergent Books,
2021, hardback edition), is based on Richard Rohr's Universal Christ book, and
written in the voice of Richard Rohr's co-author Patrick Boland, a devout
follower of Richard Rohr. The book is divided into 40 reflections designed for
the reader to think about Rohr's ideas in The Universal Christ, including
practical exercises the reader is encouraged to use to incorporate these views
into his/her life.
Below are highlights that reveal significant departures of this book's beliefs
from historic Christianity. There is too much content to address, so only
selected points are given.
The True Self, according to this book, is in God and God is in you -- this is
true of everyone, including atheists, Hindus, Buddhists, New Agers, witches,
Taoists, etc. (Reflection 8). There is no exception because Rohr and Boland
believe that the first incarnation of Christ was creation and all are in
creation; therefore, all are in Christ.
The False Self is an "illusion" constructed from fears and conditioning,
thinking one is separate from God when actually nobody is. In fact, Boland
asserts (echoing Rohr) that Paul wrote that no one has ever been separated from
God because he used the phrase "in Christ" so many times (Reflection 10). This
claim neglects the context and clear meaning of the phrase and takes it
literally, which would be comical if it were not harped on so seriously by Rohr
and Boland.
The True Self of this book is not the new self or new creation in Christ (John
3;3; 2 Corinthians 2:17; Galatians 6:16) because Boland and Rohr do not believe
in the necessity of a regenerated self through faith in Christ. One need only
awaken to the original True Self that has always been there.
[Note: By the way, it should be pointed out that Rohr makes a distinction
between Jesus and the Universal Christ. They are not one and the same in Rohr's
teachings; see CANA article on Rohr's book, The Universal Christ.]
Too many Christians, according to the book, have wrongly focused on Genesis 3
instead of Genesis 1, when everything was made "good." Although Genesis 3 comes
after Genesis 1 and reports that sin corrupted creation, Boland and Rohr want
the reader to go back to Genesis 1 (Reflection 13). Why? Because Rohr does not
think individual sin is an issue; corporate sin is the issue and is what Paul
was writing about. (Sin for Paul was "a combination of group blindness or
corporate illusion" -- Reflection 36).
The book wrongly downgrades or even dismisses accountability for personal sin.
Instead, emphasis is placed on one's supposed natural self in Christ and
supposed natural or "primal" goodness. This deceives readers into believing they
do not need forgiveness for salvation. This false security may mislead many into
rejection of Jesus Christ as the one who died to pay the penalty for sins on the
cross (as taught in passages such as Isaiah 53:5; Romans 5:8, 6:23; 1
Corinthians 6:20; Ephesians 1:17; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:2; and many others).
Boland and Rohr reject the teaching of Christ's personal substitutionary
atonement on the cross because they believe this is a mere "transactional" deed
(Reflection 26). To view the cross this way, as taught by Rohr, is dualistic and
may lead to answers but also to "less love."
Rohr and Boland want everyone to be nondual; that is, to see that everyone is
"in" and no one is "out," because the Universal Christ is inclusive of all.
Jesus died as a victim of the Roman Empire and because reality has a "cruciform
pattern," according to Rohr's teachings. It is through suffering and love that
one grows and that is all that is needed, suffering and love. Jesus was merely
an example of this.
The book's teachings on this topic are in stark contrast to the teaching of
God's word that Christ died to pay the penalty for sins, and only through faith
in Christ is one given eternal life (Acts 4:12; John 1:29, 3:16, 11:25-26 14:6;
Romans 6:23; Ephesians 1:7; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:2).
The resurrection of Jesus reflects the fact that resurrection is a "cosmic
pattern" (Reflection 32). Denying this pattern and the abundance of God,
according to Boland, is a state of negativity called "sin" or "hell." One is to
embrace uncertainty as the path to a more clear understanding of what
resurrection really means.
Although Boland does not deny Christ's resurrection, its centrality in historic
Christianity is downgraded to a symbolic general meaning based on Rohr's
outlook.
This resurrection view from Rohr and Boland is in contrast to the teaching of
God's word that the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ is part of the gospel (1
Corinthians 15:3-5) and stands as the hope for a bodily resurrection into glory
for all who believe in Christ (Romans 6:5, 8:11; 1 Corinthians 6:14, 15:23, 52:
1 Thessalonians 4:14).
All need new "software" instilled and can get this via Contemplation. Rohr and
Boland's definition of contemplation is comprised of mystical practices, such as
repeating "sacred" words or following the breath. These techniques take one
inward because this is where the Christ-self is, that is the True Self which has
always been in Christ (this Perennial understanding is also taught by Rohr
follower David G. Benner, author of many "Christian" books).
Contemplation is about "unlearning" since Christians have been taught wrongly
and conditioned to believe in a distorted Christianity. This is based on Rohr's
and Boland's Perennial beliefs that all religions share the same core divine
reality (God, who is part of this reality) and are equal paths to this truth.
Boland, a psychotherapist, mixes in many of his psychological theories with his
Rohr-ish theology.
The above is just a sampling to give evidence to the book's beliefs that
conflict with the historic faith of Christianity confessed for 2,000 years. To
address all the major points contrary to the Christian faith would take several
pages. Please see the CANA article on Rohr's book The Universal Christ.
This book needs to be held in the light of God's word so that its ideas are
tested and seen for what they are according to what God has revealed.