Richard Rohr on the Path of Descent (Part 2)

About this sermon

This series of talks was delivered to a Presbyterian congregation in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in early March 2003. In these talks Fr. Richard Rohr differentiates the gospel call to descent from religion’s common preoccupation with ascent. What Fr. Richard calls "the language of descent" is the "theme of themes" of the Bible. Call it "powerlessness," "the bias from the bottom," "the way of the cross" or "vulnerability," human beings have to be taught how to win by losing. Life itself is a series of necessary losses. In session 2 of this series Fr. Richard Rohr takes a close look at the meta-narrative of descent in the gospel of Mark. He first points out two qualities that make Judaism unique among the world’s religions: firstly, through its prophets it has developed a capacity for self-critical thinking; secondly, “it creates, against all odds and all expectations, an empathy for the victim.” Both of these qualities are seen clearly in Jesus who, Fr. Richard notes, is not a moral teacher but “a proclaimer of a larger reality.” CENTER FOR ACTION AND CONTEMPLATION The Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) is an educational nonprofit introducing seekers to the contemplative Christian path of transformation. Founded by Richard Rohr in 1987, our programs and resources are designed to help deepen prayer practice and strengthen compassionate engagement in the world. https://cac.org Subscribe: https://bit.ly/3QypRgu Learn more about Who We Are: https://bit.ly/3D8TtdU Learn more about What We Do: https://bit.ly/3qrYFGc Learn more about Richard Rohr: https://bit.ly/3ozYdmP Learn more about Contemplation: https://bit.ly/3wNojGF