
E. Ethlebert Miller in “Black and Universal”



Bruno Beltrão/Grupo de Rua de Niteroi



Share Your Reflection



I definitely think it is harder to stay open to change if your tradition has been ignored, misunderstood, or devalued. Those forces strengthen a tradition and make its members wary of intruders or thieves. And that push back from inside the tradition, to fortify its boundaries, is very important- traditions that have long been overlooked deserve to be known and experienced in their purity and fullness. Also, it's worth noting that within every tradition be it religious, cultural or artistic, there exists a spectrum of fundamentalists and those who are more open minded and see the tradition in its context, as part of the whole. I think there comes a time when a tradition must eventually loosen its boundaries and become permeable to other traditions if it is to survive, however. With all the exposure and multiculturalism happening now, fundamentalist type traditions will have to fight harder to survive... it's best when the tradition becomes more open and flexible. The Catholic Church has known a few followers who are open to Zen Buddhism for example (John O'Donohue, Thomas Merton) and I think this helps the tradition and reminds us of the integrity at its core...