An important element of Theology of Energy is based on the presupposition that "everything is energy". While this common sense of reality has been consciously or unconsciously ingrained in various Asian cultures, such an experience or theory of everything has been largely limited to the physical dimension in the West. Once we talk about "energy" beyond the material mindset (such as in the human or spiritual dimensions), many tend to label this act as odd or belonging to the New Age. What these brothers and sisters may not know is that, whether they like it or not, know it or not, an emerging metaphysical macroparadigm shift is taking place in the present pluralistic, postmodern and multicultural West, i.e., from being to energy (or energy-being). This is part of the inevitable expansion of collective consciousness in Western civilization as a result of its continuous progress over the last few centuries in science and religion, research and education, industry and commerce, etc., as well as in its vast immigration policy and cultural openness to the rest of the world. In a way, the history of the West can be viewed in three major periods, advancing or maturing in the energy-being-energy cycle:
(1) Pre-Socratic Period: In retrospect, various ancient Greek thinkers in fact understood everything as energy or some kinds of energy, such as water (Thales), air (Anaximenes), a single primal boundless substance called apeiron (Anaximander), fire (Heraclitus), earth (Empedocles), and atom (Leucippus and Democritus), etc.
(2) From Parmenides, Plato and Aristotle to largely the Present: Beginning from Parmenides, Plato and Aristotle's conception of being, in particular since the establishment of being by St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas and Duns Scotus, everything has been being. At the same time, it has also been eaten away for centuries by Ockham's nominalism, Kant's scientism and modern materialism, etc. The present metaphysical crisis consists substantially in the crisis of being. Countless materialistic individuals in the present scientific and nominalistic generation believe only in the real existence of natural beings. They want little or nothing to do with any scientifically unverifiable supernatural beings such as the Divine Trinitarian Being, the angelic beings and the diabolic beings even taught consistently by Christ Jesus and the Magisterium.
(3) Beginning from the Present Postmodern or Pluralistic Period: Influenced by high energy physics, depth psychology and multiculturalism, etc., the West today is going through perhaps one of the biggest paradigm shifts, i.e., from understanding everything as being to understanding everything as energy (or energy-being as being is deepened). Just as we find immeasurable energy in the breaking of an atom or particle, many begin to discover immense energy overwhelming within and radiating from every being, physical, human and spiritual.
Using the term "energy" is therefore not odd or heretical. It is how we use it that really matters. Indeed, many early Church Fathers used various terms of their time to speak relevantly to the people of their time, such as the words "being", "logos", "sacrament", "worship", "sacrifice" and "person". It is true that Theology of Energy and the New Age tend to share a few common terms, like "energy", "divine energy", "human energy", "spiritual energy", "paradigm shift", "permeation", and "radiation". However, while the New Age is using every chance to destroy Christianity, Theology of Energy is seeking every opportunity to reaffirm the teaching of the Magisterium. The bottom line in discernment should not be the mere appearance of energy and other postmodern terms, but whether our Christian faith is rightly expressed or soundly reaffirmed according to the traditional teaching of the Church.
Instantly, some would say that we may be at odds with the Christian reflection found in the most recent provisional paper issued by Pontifical Council for Culture and Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. Entitled Jesus Christ the Bearer of the Water of Life: A Christian reflection on the "New Age" (February 3, 2003), it seems to be quite negative or ignorant with regards the use of energy terms, spiritually speaking. Nonetheless, as Church history shows us, dialogues conducted by representatives of the Church with foreign cultures and religions have often been accompanied with some misunderstandings and misjudgements*. Fortunately, according to the various degrees of Notae Theologicae (degrees of truth to be accepted by Catholics), this Christian reflection has not reached the level of being an apostolic letter, an encyclical, an Ecumenical Council document, Catechism of the Catholic Church, or Code of Canon Law.
If we were indeed allowed to make a constructive comment, this reflection is missing something essentially important. It is largely accurate in spelling out the various errors of the New Age. However, as indicated in its contents and bibliography, this paper seems to have omitted the whole Eastern Orthodox tradition on God's Divine Energy and other spiritual energies. Did Vatican II (Orientalium Ecclesiarum, 1964) and Pope John Paul II (cf. Ut unum sint, 1995) not encourage us to start breathing with the two lungs of the Church, i.e., both the Eastern and Western Christian traditions? With all due respect then, just as the revision of Code of Canon Law in 1984 and that of Catechism of the Catholic Church in 1995, this paper needs to be slightly revised in light of the Eastern Orthodox tradition on spiritual energies.
All in all, when Theology of Energy talks about God's Divine Energy and other spiritual energies, it is connected with the sacred tradition of the Catholic Church in the first millennium when there was no official schism between East and West. What this theology attempts to do is to seek an integration of the two Catholic traditions on grace, i.e., of the first and second millennium, and present it to the people in the third millennium, using the language people today can effectively understand.
There are, therefore, many types of Theology of Energy. Ours is a Roman Catholic type, while others may belong to the New Age, other denominations, or various religions and cultures. As many are not ready for this type of Theology of Energy, we are then given much space and time aplenty to continue building its foundations. In fact, this is exactly what we need for the completion of what needs to be completed. In due time, however, when most people in the Church we love are finally ready, this Theology will be there, ready. Alleluia!
P.S. Our Theology of Energy is meant only to help enhance what the Church teaches. We have never intended to replace it. Here is an example of our expression when we mention Christ and Our Heavenly Mother as the Bearers of the Water of Life: "Participating abundantly in the salvific works of Jesus Christ the Bearer of the Water or Energy of Life, Our Heavenly Mother is also a Bearer of such Energy of Life. As Christ's Energy of Life does not cease radiating from His Real Presence in the Consecrated Host, such Divine Energy is also flowing through her to us. It was reported that when the Immaculate Conception appeared to St. Bernadette at Lourdes in 1858, immense Divine Light or Energy was radiating from her presence. Indeed, just as every prayerful moment or Holy Hour spent before the Radiant Eucharist is a priceless occasion of quenching our spiritual thirst with God's Energy of Life, every prayerful moment spent in the company of Our Heavenly Mother becomes a Second Serving from Heaven. It is particularly so when we pray the Holy Rosary slowly and sweetly, with all our heart."
Praise God!
Date: February 11, 2003
* There are many exceptions, of course. It is said that it usually takes 25 years for a person to live in a foreign culture to really understand that culture. (Date: March 22, 2003)
John Cheng
