Rohr's Alternative Worldviews - Interpreting your Worldview
- John Scoble
- Aug 12, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Sep 12
In our August 2024 Butterfly Series meeting, we addressed the importance of consciousness in Spirituality. We examined the awareness encouraged by many spiritual luminaries throughout the ages and discussed ways in which we might cultivate an awareness of higher states of consciousness.
In this episode, with the help of Franciscan priest Richard Rohr, we want to build on that foundation by examining four different worldviews.
Rohr's Alternative Worldviews:
A material worldview
A spiritual worldview
A priestly worldview
An incarnational worldview
As you read Richard’s reflection, think about your own worldview and how this may have changed in your life, and when and where. Richard writes [1]:
“I have concluded that there are four basic worldviews, though they might be expressed in many ways and are not necessarily separate.
Those who hold a material worldview believe that the outer, visible universe is the ultimate and “real” world. People of this worldview have given us science, engineering, medicine, and much of what we now call “civilization.” A material worldview tends to create highly consumer-oriented and competitive cultures, which are often preoccupied with scarcity, since material goods are always limited.
A spiritual worldview characterizes many forms of religion and some idealistic philosophies that recognize the primacy and finality of spirit, consciousness, the invisible world behind all manifestations. This worldview is partially good too, because it maintains the reality of the spiritual world, which many materialists deny. But the spiritual worldview, taken to extremes, has little concern for the earth, the neighbor, or justice, because it considers this world largely as an illusion.
Those holding what I call a priestly worldview are generally sophisticated, trained, and experienced people that feel their job is to help us put matter and Spirit together. The downside is that this view assumes that the two worlds are actually separate and need someone to bind them together again.
In contrast to these three is an incarnational worldview, in which matter and Spirit are understood to have never been separate. Matter and Spirit reveal and manifest each other. This view relies more on awakening than joining, more on seeing than obeying, more on growth in consciousness and love than on clergy, experts, morality, scriptures, or prescribed rituals.
In Christian history, we see an incarnational worldview most strongly in the early Eastern Fathers, Celtic spirituality, many mystics who combined prayer with intense social involvement, Franciscanism in general, many nature mystics, and contemporary eco-spirituality. Overall, a materialistic worldview is held in the technocratic world and areas its adherents colonize; a spiritual worldview is held by the whole spectrum of heady and esoteric people; and a priestly worldview is found in almost all of organized religion.
An incarnational worldview grounds Christian holiness in objective and ontological reality instead of just moral behaviour. This is its big benefit. Yet, this is the important leap that so many people have not yet made. Those who have can feel as holy in a hospital bed or a tavern as in a chapel. They can see Christ in the disfigured and broken as much as in the so-called perfect or attractive. They can love and forgive themselves and all imperfect things, because all carry the Imago Dei equally, even if not perfectly. Incarnational Christ Consciousness will normally move toward direct social, practical, and immediate implications. It is never an abstraction or a theory. It is not a mere pleasing ideology. If it is truly incarnational Christianity, then it is always “hands-on” religion and not solely esotericism, belief systems, or priestly mediation.”
Questions for reflection
Do any of these worldviews describe your own current worldview?
How has your worldview changed during your life? If a change has occurred, can you identify a catalyst or incident that shifted your worldview?
What are the implications of Rohr’s preferred incarnational worldview for human behaviour?
FAQs Rohr's Alternative Worldviews - Interpreting your Worldview
What are the four worldviews described by Richard Rohr, and how do they differ?
St Lucia Spirituality explains the material worldview sees only the physical as real - science, technology, scarcity, and visible outcomes dominate.
The spiritual worldview values what is unseen - consciousness, spirit - but can neglect earth, neighbour, or justice.
The priestly worldview tries to bridge material and spiritual, assuming they are separate and needing mediation.
Finally, the incarnational worldview realises they were never separate - Spirit manifests through matter, and holiness is found in all places, not just sacred spaces.
Why does Rohr favour the incarnational worldview for modern spirituality?
According to St Lucia Spirituality, Rohr holds that the incarnational worldview offers a more grounded, compassionate, and holistic spiritual path. It moves beyond rigid doctrines or priestly mediation toward seeing holiness in everyday life - hospital beds, taverns, broken people, imperfect selves. This view is not just belief - it demands action, love, forgiveness, and recognition that every being bears the image of the Divine.
How can knowing your own worldview help you grow spiritually and make better moral choices?
St Lucia Spirituality suggests that knowing whether you tend toward material, spiritual, priestly, or incarnational seeing influences how you interpret life. If you lean heavily toward materialism, you might miss spiritual meaning. If you lean spiritual only, you may overlook neighbour or earth. Recognising your dominant worldview opens routes for growth - so you can balance seeing, engage compassionately, avoid binary traps, and allow your ethics to flow from awareness rather than fear or doctrine.
What are practical steps to shift toward an incarnational worldview?
Per St Lucia Spirituality, shifting seeing takes small and consistent choices. Engage in practices like:
noticing and questioning your assumptions when you judge or dismiss others
being present in nature and seeing beauty in brokenness
loving imperfect people and forgiving yourself
choosing compassion and justice over neat answersThese habits help shape incarnational consciousness. Rohr’s view is that faith maturity shows up in loving the world, not escaping from it.
How do organized religion, spiritual philosophy, and modern culture map onto these worldviews?
St Lucia Spirituality points out that many institutions lean toward the priestly worldview - emphasising leadership, rites, theology, and separation. Spiritual philosophy often leans toward the spiritual worldview - esoteric, idealistic but sometimes detached from earth or neighbour. Material worldview dominates in technocratic culture and consumerism. Incarnational worldview cuts across all - offering a way to integrate spirit, earth, ethics, and community. Recognising these patterns helps us see where culture shapes belief, often unconsciously, and invites us to choose a more awake, more whole path.
At St Lucia Spirituality we believe the journey is richer when it’s shared. If you’re seeking a place to explore questions, practice mindfulness, or simply belong to an inclusive spiritual community, we invite you to join us. From online discussion groups and meditation gatherings to our growing library of resources, there’s space here for every seeker. Step into the conversation, connect with others, and discover how community can nurture your spiritual growth.
About the Author - John Scoble
John's journey began in the heart of a traditional Roman Catholic family in Sydney, where he was raised with steadfast faith and reverence. Now residing in the serene surroundings of St Lucia, Brisbane, alongside his beloved wife, John finds solace and inspiration in the tranquil rhythms of life. With four adult children and a cherished grandchild also calling Brisbane home, John's family is his anchor, providing love, support, and a sense of belonging.
While spirituality has always been a cornerstone of his life, it was three transformative events in 2012, including a sacred pilgrimage to the Holy Lands, that ignited a profound shift in John's spiritual trajectory. Embracing retirement as an opportunity for deeper exploration, John immersed himself in extensive reading and soulful reflection.
Over the course of a decade, this journey of self-discovery has led John to reevaluate and transcend many of his traditional beliefs, embracing instead the timeless wisdom and cosmic perspective inherent in Christianity. Influenced by luminaries such as St. Francis of Assisi, St. Teresa of Avila, and Richard Rohr, John's spiritual evolution has been marked by a deepening resonance with the essential truths of his faith and a profound connection to the divine unfolding within and around him.
[1] Richard Rohr, Center for Action and Contemplation, Daily Meditations, 20 December 2023
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