Buddhism, mysticism, spirit guides; meditation, silence, contemplation; mind silencers, prayer walkers, faith builders; educational programs, Christian schools, Christian education; Christian churches, Bible institutes, religious colleges — do any of those not belong together?
Last month the Denver Post had this article: Buddhism strengthens ties to church. I’ll quote extensively from it below.
I want to know: Is this alarming to you if you’re a Christian? Should it be alarming to me since I’m a Christian?
What in the recent past seemed exotic and foreign is now almost routinely folded into “the fold.”
Buddhism is not only accepted as a mainstream American religion, it is a path increasingly trod by faithful Christians and Jews who infuse Eastern spiritual insights and practices such as meditation into their own religions.
[…]
“There is a definite trend and movement that will not be reversed,” said Ruben Habito, a laicized Jesuit priest, Zen master and professor of world religions at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. “We are in a new spiritual age, an inter-religious age.”
People are hungry for a deeper spiritual experience — meditation, mindfulness, personal transformation, deep insight, union with God or the universe.
[…]
Judaism, Catholicism and Islam have rich traditions in contemplative practices, yet these had all but disappeared from everyday congregational life.
For many Christians cut off from the past, or alienated from the faith of their upbringing, Buddhism has served as the bridge to ancient wisdom.
“The problem is the contemplative tradition in the Christian Church has had its ups and downs over the centuries,” said Father Thomas Keating, a Trappist monk and leader in the Centering Prayer movement, a modern revival of Christian contemplative practice.
“We sensed that the Eastern religions, with their highly developed spirituality, had something we didn’t have,” Keating said. “In the last generation, 10 to 20 years, some didn’t even think there was a Christian spirituality, just rules — do’s and don’ts and dogma they didn’t find spiritually nourishing. It’s important to recover the mystical aspects of the gospel.”
Christian contemplative practices were lost or weakened in the Protestant Reformation and later in the Great Awakening — religious revolutions in colonial America that advanced the themes of Protestantism.
[…]
Buddhist scholar Judith Simmer- Brown, a professor at Naropa, said Christian denominations are working hard to rediscover contemplative traditions as one way to combat people leaving their churches.
“They literally have rebuilt their Christian meditative forms,” Simmer- Brown said. “Some borrow heavily from Buddhism.”
[…]
The Buddha was non-dogmatic and non-authoritarian — a compassionate guide, not a god, Buddhist texts say. The Buddha was silent on the subjects of a supreme being and the immortality of the soul.
“Buddhism is more about spiritual practice than believing in certain doctrines,” Habito said.
I have another question for you: What Christian books and speakers do you think endorse or promote or practice the above?
Thanks for your help with this.
HT: The Berean Call
This is a real problem in Christendom, and we are thankful to see you addressing it, Mark.
The Emergent/Contemplative movement is literally filling the churches out there. In fact, it is in about every major denomination, and most non-denominational churches in Christendom. It’s taught in their “Bible” colleges and seminaries. It is promoted in their Sunday schools to their children; and practiced in their youth groups. Churches are making way for Contemplative Services where people zone out into mindlessness, chanting the name of Jesus!
It started with the Roman Catholic Church (with Thomas Merton, Brennan Manning and more) but didn’t stay there long. Now, the Assemblies of God, the Southern Baptist Convention, the Calvary Chapel (“Jesus people” of the 60’s and 70’s) churches, the Vineyard (“holy laughter”) churches, the United Methodists, United Church of Christ, Presbyterian USA, Episcopal USA, on and on goes the list of apostasy in Christendom.
Eastern Mennonite University (under direction of formerly conservative Myron Augsburger) has had a Labyrinth for Contemplative experience. The Mennonite Church USA and General Conference have accepted these practices and philosophies hook, line and sinker. So it’s already invaded the Mennonites that have gone awry.
It’s more subtle within more conservative Plain circles; but the lure is there, and being found in some other conservative, stalwart homes. Books like “Practicing the Presence of God” by Brother Lawrence (a monk of the Middle Ages who promoted these things), “The Chronicles of Narnia” and “Screwtape Letters” by C.S. Lewis (who took the name “Christian” but wrote the “Narnia” series long before he ever associated himself with apostate Anglicism) promote New Age mysticism. They do so completely that these books (esp. Narnia series) are sold in New Age and occult bookstores because they teach “the craft” (ie: witchcraft).
Other books which promote this evil influence include “The Little Flowers” (and other books) by St. Francis of Assisi, Kahil Gibran’s “The Prophet” (and other writings by him), the ancient “Desert Fathers” writings, books by mystic Quaker Richard Foster (like “Celebration of Discipline”) and yes, books by Rick Warren (his “breath prayers” and other at first subtle comments in his books like “Purpose Driven Life” etc. lead to recommendations of mystic books). Erwin McManus, Brian Maclaren, Rob Bell…these are a few of the dozens of modern popular writers promoting New Age mysticism in Christendom.
Books you wouldn’t expect to promote New Age mysticism — but do! — include mystic Quaker Hannah Whitehall Smith’s “Christian’s Secret to a Happy Life” and “The God of All Comfort”, and Hannah Hurnard’s “Hinds Feet on High Places” (this one is most subtle; her other books show more and more the deception). Guideposts magazine is full of New Age teaching (founder Norman Vincent Peale may have been a Reformed minister, but his teaching was more like Christian Science); as is anything by Robert Schuller.
This, believe it or not, is a very concise, brief list. But we pray that it helps to add discernment to the Church.
Sticking to the Bible, and those who believe it literally and work to live it out in their daily lives is the “safest” way to stay true to Jesus, and not venture into Satan’s kingdom.