A question was put to us: “Does anyone know anything about the author/speaker Lisa Harper? Is she New Age or biblically sound?”
Here is our answer:
In looking at her 2011 book, Stumbling into Grace, she is quoting several major contemplatives: Henri Nouwen, Thomas Merton, Brennan Manning, Richard Foster, Anne Lamott, and at least one New Age author, Gerald May. We don’t know that she is advocating contemplative practices in her book, but clearly she is reading from and gleaning from the mystics and passing those “insights” onto her readers.
As with many other Christian authors today, they may have some “biblical” things to say in their books (deception is often hidden within the pages of truth), but if they are even just quoting the contemplatives (which means they are reading them also), then at the very least, they do not have discernment, and at worst, they are contemplative/emerging themselves. Typically, what we see is when an author begins reading and quoting the mystics, in time, he or she begins to absorb the spirituality of the mystics and then pass it on to their followers.
I will add – the Anne Graham Lotz study with her daughter, “God Won’t Leave You There” is EXCELLENT and not published by Lisa Harper. Harper’s group was just using it to get people into the platform.
I was excited to sign up for a “free” online Bible study with the new study by Anne Graham Lotz and her daughter, Rachel-Ruth. I thought it would be weekly live sessions with them talking. However, once you signed up, you are with Lisa Harper’s social media platform. They ask you for money for extra services with a paid subscription. I opted out of everything but just wanted the free weekly Bible study session. The first session rolled around, and it was some other person running it. It was disappointing, but still the discussion was good. But then, she started promoting Lisa Harper and her next study on Song of Solomon. This was just a hook to get you into Lisa Harper world, and to get money. I was very disappointed, as I’ve done a Lisa Harper study and I agree that there’s much amiss. I’ve been led astray by false teachers for years when I was younger. If the focus is too much on the leader (they are lifted up), or there is a Balaam vibe for profit, or like the money-changers profiting off the people, walk away. I did this time. Keep Jesus the only focus.
Thanks for the discerning heart-
Appreciate your words and work-
She’s on TBN as well.