This week, the Awaken 2008 with Erwin McManus is taking place at William Carey University in Pasadena, California. Many of the event speakers (called “Thought Leaders”) promote contemplative mysticism, but one in particular, Mark Batterson, points readers on his website to Eckhart Tolle, a New Age guru who is currently being heralded by Oprah Winfrey. Batterson says that Tolle’s book, Practicing the Power of Now, is “instrumental in the way I think about life.” His public reading list also includes several other New Agers and mystics: Jack Canfield, Daniel Goleman (The Meditative Mind), Gary Thomas (Sacred Marriage, Sacred Pathways), Leonard Sweet, Tony Jones, Brian McLaren, and several others.
Other “Thought Leaders” at the Awaken 2008 who are contemplative proponents are Willow Creek’s Nancy Beach, Bill Hybels, Dan Kimball, Erwin McManus, and Rick McKinley.
For those who do not understand the spirituality behind Eckhart Tolle, please read Warren Smith’s four part series and Ray Yungen’s book, For Many Shall Come in My Name
