LTRP Note: The following letter to the editor is an important compilation of research by one of our readers, who clearly understands the dynamics behind Contemplative Prayer and Spiritual Formation. Those who think these are just benign terms and have no idea what they really entail may not grasp the significance of the research below. For anyone reading this who would like to better understand contemplative spirituality, we will gladly send you a free copy of A Time of Departing by Ray Yungen. Please e-mail us at editors@lighthousetrails.com with your name and mailing address. Also check out the two definitions at the bottom of this post.
Dear Lighthouse Trails:
I believe that “neurotheology” is being promoted by contemplatives as a way to introduce “spiritual disciplines” under the guise of “science.”
Here is a paper by “DeeperWalk” that defends their beliefs:
https://deeperwalk.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/White-Paper-on-Neurotheology-Marcus-Warner.pdf
A quote from above: ” Spirit. We are born of the Spirit to walk in the Spirit, which requires both Scriptural understanding and Spiritual disciplines.”
Here is a short definition of neurotheology: https://deeperwalk.com/neurotheology/
One of the main influencers in the “neurotheology” field: https://deeperwalk.com/speakers/dr-jim-wilder/
Here’s a course that goes with Jim WIlder’s book, Renovated: God, Dallas Willard, and the Church That Transforms: https://deeperwalk.com/streaming/renovated-church-that-transforms-dallas-willard/ It promotes an “attachment approach” to spiritual growth,” “key insights from brain science to help you in your journey of transformation,” and “12 practices for cultivating healthy attachment with God and others.”
A quote from the above paper, near the conclusion: “Teaching a brain the way the brain learns presents no danger to Christians if the soul is fast enough to keep up. A fast soul and brain combination can learn our identities through loving attachments with God and others. People will see and hear the Spirit of Christ through their hearts. Their spirit participates in teaching the brain the way the brain learns.”
And another: “Neurotheology is only a part (subset) of the Life Model. The Life Model is only part (subset) of theology and Christian practice. The Life Model is a needed addition to any Christianity that is overly focused on beliefs. It provides correction for the common problems many Christians have living out their faith. The Life Model supplement for Christian living intentionally leaves eternal matters up to each Christian faith tradition it serves. We do not teach about how the soul gets saved because that is not the purpose of the Life Model and its neurotheology. Preparing the soul for eternity is what churches do. The Life Model teaches people to begin their post-resurrection life now while they are still in human bodies by teaching the brain in the way the brain learns.”
Also, it quotes from The Message, “Until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13 The Message)
I’ve attached a screenshot from that big paper as well.
These people are PROPONENTS of Jim Wilder’s book Renovated, and state here, “The book proposes that:
- Salvation is about attachment and uses the human attachment system to grow a new identity
- We can experience mutual mind with God
- Mutual mind without attachment will not change character”
Jump to about minute 35 when he talks about “mutual mind state.”
More proof that Jim Wilder is connected with contemplatives, how to “Attach with God”:
I also found another connection between Jim Wilder, his “attachment” psychology and how “Attaching to God” is connected with spiritual directors. This course was promoted by ThriveToday (by Jim Wilder.)
You will see some familiar names in the list of speakers!
My (conservative Baptist) uncle is a missionary, and he told me recently that a missionary conference he attended did periods of meditation interspersed with Eugene Peterson commentary quotes! I had recently shared your info with him warning of contemplative practices, but he had not bumped into this until just then!
I am simply astounded by the things that are being said, but because we still preach Christ crucified, it seems that we can mix anything in! Our church is growing almost beyond capacity- 1,200 each Sunday.
Sincerely from Rebekah Welsch (pen name)
Contemplative Spirituality: A belief system that uses ancient mystical practices to induce altered states of consciousness (the silence) and is rooted in mysticism and the occult but often wrapped in Christian terminology. The premise of contemplative spirituality is interspiritual (all paths lead to God) and panentheistic (God is in all). Common terms used in this movement are “spiritual formation,” “the silence,” “the stillness,” “ancient-wisdom,” “spiritual disciplines,” “spiritual directors,” and many others.
Spiritual Formation: A movement that has provided a platform and a channel through which contemplative prayer has entered the church. Find Spiritual Formation being used, and in nearly every case, you will find contemplative spirituality. In fact, contemplative spirituality is the heartbeat of the Spiritual Formation movement; without it, there really is no Spiritual Formation movement.
Related Articles:
Spiritual Formation—A Dangerous Substitute For the Life of Christ
When Mysticism Fills the Vacuum of Nominal Christianity by Ray Yungen
Be Still Book Confirms True Nature of Contemplative Prayer
(image from istockphoto.com; used with permission)
Wow!
Here we go again, same old lie!
The Bible and being filled with the Spirit of God isn’t enough!
You need us to tell you un-Biblical ways to get close to God and be used by Him!
The Word of God makes amazing promises!
Like – 2 Timothy 1:7 “…God has not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
And like – 1 Corinthians 2:12-16 “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.”
Jesus makes amazing promises!
Like – John 14:26- “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
So, in conclusion;
We have the Mind of Christ, we have the Holy Spirit with His attending love and peace, joy and patience, kindness and self control.
We can walk surrendered to Jesus Christ (Rom.12:1) and be transformed by a renewed mind as we read God’s Word, pray and worship Him and fellowship with other Saints- honoring them above ourselves (Rom. 12:2-10).
We have all we need (2 Peter 1:3).
We simply don’t need these false teachers!
They don’t add anything wholesome to our walk with God!
Engineering the choices that man and woman make to benefit some power or influence. Gods way is to make an informed choice to obey the word of God as specified in the passage II Tim 3:16-17. Gods way is simple and easy to follow not complicated and filled with Gods pleasure.
Mat 7:15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Mat 7:16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
John R. Rice quote: “All Satan’s Apples Have Worms.“
Wowee, Jack. Thank you for sharing! The document you found is truly a case in point. It clearly wraps “neurotheology,” attachment theory, trauma theory, and “spiritual formation and monastic theology” all in one neat little package, complete with their rationale for doing so! It’s quite unbelievable. I recommend any readers of this article to take a good look at the document that Jack shared from Western Theological Seminary. It outlines exactly what I was trying to prove!
Thanks for the warning. The word “neurotheology” triggered something in my memory, and then I remembered that my own pastor had said earlier this year that he was taking courses in it, which made me suspicious when I looked it up:
https://www.westernsem.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Spiritual-Formation-Relational-Neuroscience-Learning-Sequence-1.pdf