The following comment was made by one of Rick Warren’s apologists:
[Rick] Warren has reservations about various aspects of the Emerging Church. This is why he has never fully endorsed everything found within it.
If Rick Warren has reservations about some things in the emerging church, those reservations are not about the mystical components of this movement. Case in point: He has had an ongoing working relationship with mysticism advocate Leonard Sweet for many years, and in fact, invited Sweet to teach at the recent Small Groups Conference at Saddleback. Sweet represents the exact same spirituality as Brian McLaren, Rob Bell, and Doug Pagitt. Sweet represents the epitome of emerging spirituality: mysticism, panentheism, interspirituality, etc.
In a Christianity Today article on the emerging church, Richard Foster was portrayed as the source of many of the practices in emerging spirituality (i.e., mystical practices). In Warren’s book, the Purpose Driven Church, he makes it clear that he draws on this same well that God has raised up Richard Foster to bring the church to full maturity. (p. 126). Therefore, Lighthouse Trails is very comfortable with proclaiming the fact that the emerging church movement and the Purpose Driven movement have links to the same authors and embrace the same methods. This is why Warren resonates with Gary Thomas who tells his followers to repeat a word in mantra-like style (i.e., centering prayer) for 20 minutes to enter the silence (Sacred Pathways, p. 185). Of Thomas’ book, Warren says: “Gary has spoken at Saddleback, and I think highly of his work … he tells [readers] how they can make the most of their spiritual journeys. He places an emphasis on practical spiritual exercises” (Warren’s Toolbox, Issue 40).
For those who may not realize the significance of Warren’s close ties with Leonard Sweet, taking a look at Sweet’s two books Quantum Spirituality and Soul Tsunami will be most revealing. In Soul Tsunami (endorsed by Warren), Sweet tells readers to visit meditation rooms and labyrinths, and in Quantum Spirituality he talks about the christ consciousness and thanks New Agers like Matthew Fox and Ken Wilber for helping him to find the “New Light” (i.e., the new spirituality).
In 1995, Rick Warren and Leonard Sweet partnered together on an audio series called The Tides of Change. In it, they talk about “a new spirituality.” If Warren had any reservations about Sweet’s “new spirituality,” he wouldn’t be inviting Sweet to help lead small groups.
To sum this up, major emerging leader Rob Bell tells his readers (in Velvet Elvis) to take several months to read Ken Wilber. In essence, Sweet and Bell pay homage to the same spiritual mentor. And yet if one goes to Ken Wilber’s website, he will see that Wilber promotes hard-core mysticism: yoga, Zen, centering prayer, kabbalah (Jewish mysticism), TM, tantra (Hindu-based sexuality), and kundalini yoga.
