To Lighthouse Trails Editors:
Are you able to tell me the evidence that you gained by putting Grace College and Theological Seminary on your page of colleges you warn about? Our son is considering this college, and this was disappointing to see.
C.
Dear C.,
The school is on our list because they have incorporated Spiritual Formation into their school and the lives of their students. From 20 years of research, we have learned that if a school has a Spiritual Formation program (or Spiritual Formation courses), it always comes along with a spirituality that is unbiblical and rooted in the mystics. We will give you a few links to Grace where you can see some of this:
In Grace’s Biblical Studies course BBL3090 – Spiritual Formation (an undergraduate class), they are using books by three contemplative authors as textbooks: Larry Crabb, Dallas Willard, Pete Scazzero (all three of these can be found on our research site with documentation). This alone shows what the school’s definition of Spiritual Formation is. Willard and Scazzero are heavy hitters in the contemplative prayer movement.
In the Bible course 3220 – Principles and Practice of Prayer at Grace, emergent author Ann Voskamp’s book is being used (see our article https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=6604). This course is also using a book by C.J. Mahaney, a Calvinist/Reformed author and pastor. It’s very common to find both Calvinism and Contemplative at the same school. The same course is also using a textbook by Nancy DeMoss. You can read our article here https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=11137 showing our concerns.) The course also has as a textbook a book called Prayer by Hallesby with a foreword by contemplative pioneer Richard Foster.
If we look at just these two courses at Grace, it is plain to see that the school is incorporating into their students’ “education” contemplative spirituality, and remember, the fruit of contemplative is miles away from biblical Christianity (as we have documented extensively).
To give other examples: In the undergraduate course PHI3000 C, one of the textbooks is written by Peter Kreeft. Kreeft is a strong promoter of the Catholic Church (https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=1604). As we show in other articles, Kreeft is also an advocate for contemplative prayer. His teachings don’t belong in any evangelical Christian college.
In Grace’s BIB2140, textbooks are by emergent/ Catholic-leaning Francis Chan and emergent Calvinist J.D. Greear. (In one LT article/booklet, we refer to Greear because of his advocacy for Critical Race Theory.)
Clearly, this school doesn’t have discernment and are throwing a hodge-podge of false teachings at their students. A parent will be lucky if he or she recognizes his or her child’s faith in one or two semesters. We can guarantee that if a brief perusal through the school’s classes shows this much, it’s integrated throughout the school (e.g., chapel, church, missions, etc.).
We are sorry we are the bearers of bad news.
The Editors at Lighthouse Trails
Related Articles:
SPECIAL REPORT: “Epidemic of Apostasy – How Christian Colleges Must Incorporate “Spiritual Formation” to Become Accredited 2022 2nd Edition“
“Is Your Church Doing “Spiritual Formation”? (Important Reasons Why They Shouldn’t)“
(photo from bigstockphoto.com; used with permission; design by LT)
I attended Grace Seminary from 1984-1987 and enjoyed solid, biblical training that prepared me for a calling to both pastoral ministry and the opportunity to serve as a biblical counselor for the past 35 years. When I took my youngest daughter for a tour and interview there in 2012 I was shocked at how much the school had changed, both in focus and curriculum. The seminary enrollment had decreased considerably and the term spiritual formation was used both by staff and in the promotional materials. We made the decision for my daughter to not attend Grace even though her grandmother lived nearby and would have helped her with room and board. I am particularly sad that my alma mater I had fallen into the contemplative/emergent trap and have departed from their fundamental/ conservative roots.
Reply LT
Yes, I have not read “Prayer”, and I can not say anything in particular to it´s defence. And I don´t know the connection to Foster. In any case it is unfortunate.
Here in Norway the contemplative and ecumenical movement has made it´s way into most denominations and seminars. This summer the largest Lutheran organization joined in on “The Send” Oslo. I asked its leaders how they could cooperate with false teachers. They replied that there were good reasons not to participate, but that evangelizing the lost was too important to withdraw from the event, even if this meant sharing the stage with a professing catholic.
It is very strange. Been going on for the last decades, and really amping up now the last 15-20years.
Thank you for your comments Erlend. O. Hallesby wrote the original edition of that book before Richard Foster was even born. Sad thing here on two counts: one that Foster’s writing the foreword for this 1994 edition (30+ years after Hallesby died) ruins this edition and points people to the main contemplative pioneer today; and two that the school chose to use a book which Foster had a part in. There seems little doubt that they chose it because it did have Foster’s name on it. The publisher for this edition is Augsburg Fortress Press (now called 1517 Media), which parent company is the very emergent/progressive ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Free Church).
On Hallesby, he is a Lutheran. In 1953 he preached on official Norwegian national broadcast. He preached about hell, and warned the listener not to put off coming to Jesus. No mentioning of works, and no words about baptism. He basically said there is nothing left to do other than trust in Christ. He went out of his way to explain the listeners how we are incapable of saving ourselves, and stressed the importance of trusting in Christ.
He was labeled a fool and a bigot for it, for the rest of his life. Even by some inside the church.
Also regarding Greear:
https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=30146
“Dr. Greear supports the idea that some sin in the Bible should be shouted about and others whispered about. His message was the sin of homosexuality should be whispered about. Dr. Greear is silent on the sexual perversion of the Amorites, Leviticus 18, and Sodom, Genesis 19 and God’s total destruction of these cultures because of sexual perversion.“
“Dr. Greear states homosexuals say they were born that way, and he says “I don’t dispute that.””
The transcript link at the Lighthouse page there’s no longer found, so here’s the web archive:
https://web.archive.org/web/20190520114834/https://summitchurch.com/GetFile.ashx?Guid=aa4be5dd-4072-4765-950e-ab1457c87371