For many years, Lighthouse Trails has written about the slide that Biola University in Southern California has taken into contemplative spirituality. Our first indication that the school was heading that way was in February of 2006 when we learned that Biola was actively participating in a publication called Conversations Journal, a magazine whose primary purpose … [Read more…]
See also Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of our 2017 Year in Review. The following is our 2017 coverage on Christian colleges and seminaries. For nearly 16 years, Lighthouse Trails has been tracking how contemplative spirituality and the emerging church (i.e., the “New” Spirituality) have been entering Christian schools. We estimate, based on … [Read more…]
On February 22nd, 2017, Biola University hosted a one-evening live recording of the renowned public radio podcast “ON BEING with Krista Tippett.” During the event, which was free to attend to all Biola students and others, Tippett interviewed artist Enrique Martinez Celaya. Biola, a Christian university, began wandering into the contemplative/emergent camp many years ago, … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: The following out-of-house news story reiterates what Lighthouse Trails has been trying to warn about. More and more public schools are implementing “mindfulness” meditation techniques into the lives of their students. Ray Yungen provides this explanation of what mindfulness is: In recent years, a type of meditation known as mindfulness has made a … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: Lighthouse Trails is a strong supporter of homeschooling. This letter to the editor is posted not to condemn homeschooling but rather to show that homeschooled children and their parents are at risk too of becoming victim to spiritual deception. If you are homeschooling children or if your grandchildren are being homeschooled, we hope … [Read more…]
To Lighthouse Trails: I just got the latest Biola Magazine in the mail today. Did you hear about Rick Warren and his wife being given honorary doctorates at the same time at Biola’s last graduation ceremony? I would love to hear your opinions and thoughts about that topic. Maybe you could post an article on … [Read more…]
On October 16th, Biola University will host its Torrey Conference 2013, and contemplative teacher Ruth Haley Barton will be a featured speaker at the event. This does not come as a great surprise to the editors at Lighthouse Trails because Biola has been going down the contemplative path for quite sometime. But because there are … [Read more…]
An Epidemic of Apostasy – How Christian Seminaries Must Incorporate “Spiritual Formation” to Become Accredited is our newest Lighthouse Trails Booklet. The booklet is 14 pages long and sells for $1.95 for single copies. Quantity discounts are as much as 50% off retail. Below is the content of the booklet. There is a also an … [Read more…]
That headline may seem a bit overboard or shocking at first glance, but this is what is happening in many of the Christian colleges, seminaries, and universities to kids who start off as Christian and four years later are proclaiming to be now atheist. At Letourneau University, this happened to the son of a family that Lighthouse … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: For several years, Lighthouse Trails has been warning that thanks to the emerging church and to the mega-leaders who have promoted it, the views on sexuality within the evangelical church would change. And it has, as you can see from this CNN article below. After you have read this article, please read some … [Read more…]
This list is taken from our Lectio Divina: What it is, What it is Not, and Should Christians Practice it? Print Booklet Tract. This list will be updated as needed. You can read that booklet by going here. On February 25th, 2013, Redeemed Presbyterian Church (Timothy Keller’s church) was added to the list. On February … [Read more…]
In a article titled “How Evangelicals Became Over-Committed to the Bible and What Can Be Done About It,” Biola University professor J.P. Moreland says that evangelical Christians are too committed to the Bible. He states: “In the actual practices of the Evangelical community in North America, there is an over-commitment to Scripture in a way that is false, … [Read more…]
Biblegateway, “an online searchable Bible in dozens of versions and languages” is one of the most popular websites on the Internet today, ranking in the top 1000 sites in the world. Over 48,000 websites link to or recommend Biblegateway. Needless to say, their reach is substantial. Thus, it is with dismay to report that on … [Read more…]
By Charlie Butts OneNewsNow Exodus International, a ministry formerly aimed at helping homosexual men and women leave the lifestyle through Christ, has changed directions, and one expert contends it has damaged the ministry. Americans for Truth About Homosexuality, based in Illinois, has posted a video of Exodus International leader Alan Chambers, himself a former homosexual, … [Read more…]
LTRP Note: Regarding the article below about Biola University, we find it little wonder that Biola University now has a homosexual student group that has formed on campus. Biola has been promoting contemplative spirituality for several years, and as we have often indicated, when people being embracing contemplative/emerging spirituality (as Biola has done), spiritual (and morality) … [Read more…]
Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun is a primer on contemplative mysticism, bursting with contemplative meditation instruction along with references and quotes by some of the movement’s most prolific mystics on the scene today. It’s a book one might expect to find on the shelves of a Catholic monastery, a New Age … [Read more…]
J. P. Moreland is Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Talbot (Biola) School of Theology and a faculty member at David Noebel’s Summit Ministries 1. He has written numerous books and has spoken at over 200 colleges. He has many academic credentials and honors such as: Outstanding Young Men of America, 1981 and Senior Class Professor … [Read more…]
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. I Timothy 4:1 Hipster Christianity, a book written by Brett McCracken, is being publicized by both secular and Christian media, such as the Wall Street Journal, the New Yorker, American Family News, and … [Read more…]
After posting an excerpt of the Lighthouse Trails novel Castles in the Sand last week, which we titled “An Afternoon with a Spiritual Formation Professor at a North American Bible School,” we received the following e-mail from a pastor. You give some good information in your letters that is useful. Why the garbage that no one … [Read more…]
1. An Epidemic of Apostasy – Christian Seminaries Must Incorporate “Spiritual Formation” to Become Accredited What do Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Biola Seminary, Fuller Theological Seminary, Dallas Theological Seminary, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Urshan Graduate School of Theology, Briercrest College and Seminary, Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, Multnomah Biblical Seminary, Trinity Evangelical … [Read more…]
Contemplative terms always seem to be changing. What is called one thing today may be exchanged for a new term tomorrow. One term being used a lot these days for “Spiritual Direction” is “Soul Care.” In Biola University’s Masters program, Spiritual Formation and Soul Care, the program “trains leaders in soul care to be spiritual mentors, directors … [Read more…]
Spiritual Formation: A movement that has provided a platform and a channel through which contemplative prayer is entering the church. Find spiritual formation being used, and in nearly every case, you will find contemplative spirituality and its “pioneers” such as Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, and Henri Nouwen. Spiritual Formation is based on “spiritual disciplines” that … [Read more…]
This week we received an e-mail from someone who asked us to check up on a workshop taking place at the Vineyard in Anaheim, California. Our reader shared her concern that this may be an emerging type workshop and that the church might be going in that direction. Our Response: “The Vineyard Movement Grabs Hold of Contemplative … [Read more…]
After sending out our newsletter this week, we received some responses and thought we would share three of them with our readers. We strive at Lighthouse Trails to present information in a biblical and trustworthy manner. While we receive many encouraging and grateful emails from around the world, we also hear from those who think we have … [Read more…]
Lee Strobel is one of the most well-read Christian authors today. He is also one of the conference speaking teachers for Veritas Evangelical Seminary (co-founder Norm Geisler ), which is located on the Calvary Chapel Bible College grounds in California. Strobel is also a strong supporter of his son’s (Kyle Strobel) very contemplative ministry called … [Read more…]
