LTRP Note: With the majority of Christian colleges and seminaries now bringing in contemplative spirituality via Spiritual Formation programs, and with Christian leaders such as Rick Warren and Beth Moore endorsing the movement, and with countless pastors giving it a thumbs up to their congregations, isn’t it time professors, pastors, and leaders understand what the final outcome of contemplative prayer is? Isn’t it time they understand that leading Christians and church goers down this path is leading them away from the Cross, not toward it. At Lighthouse Trails, we believe it is beyond time for this understanding to occur.

By Ray Yungen
The final outcome of contemplative prayer is interspirituality. If you have truly grasped the portrait I have tried to paint in my books and articles, you have begun to see what this term signifies. The focus of my criticism of mystical prayer must be understood in the light of interspirituality.
Just what exactly is interspirituality? The premise behind interspirituality is that divinity (God) is in all things, and the presence of God is in all religions; there is a connecting together of all things, and through mysticism (i.e., meditation) this state of divinity can be recognized. Consequently, this is a premise that is based on and upheld by an experience that occurs during a self-hypnotic trance linking one to an unseen world rather than to the sound doctrine of the Bible.
It is important to understand that interspirituality is a uniting of the world’s religions through the common thread of mysticism. Wayne Teasdale, a lay monk who coined the term interspirituality, says that interspirituality is “the spiritual common ground which exists among the world’s religions.”1 Teasdale, in talking about this universal church also states:
She [the church] also has a responsibility in our age to be a bridge for reconciling the human family . . . the Spirit is inspiring her through the signs of the times to open to Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, Taoists, Confucians, and indigenous peoples. As matrix [a binding substance], the Church would no longer see members of other traditions as outside her life. She would promote the study of these traditions, seek common ground and parallel insights.2 (emphasis mine)
An article in my local newspaper revealed just how well received interspirituality has become in certain circles. One Presbyterian elder who was described as a “Spiritual Director” made it clear when she said:
I also have a strong interest in Buddhism and do a sitting meditation in Portland [Oregon] as often as I can. I considered myself ecumenical not only in the Christian tradition, but with all religions.3 (emphasis mine)
There is a profound and imminent danger taking place within the walls of Christianity. Doctrine has become less important than feeling, and this has led to a mystical paradigm shift. Sound doctrine must be central to this debate because New Ageism has a very idealistic side to it, offering a mystical approach to solve human problems. Everyone would like to have his or her problems solved. Right? That is the practical aspect I have written about before—a seemingly direct route to a happy and fulfilled life. However, one can promote the attributes of God without actually having God.
People who promote a presumably godly form of spirituality can indeed come against the truth of Christ. Then how can you be assured that what you believe and practice is of God?
The Christian message has been clear from the beginning—God has sent a Savior. If man only had to practice some kind of mystical prayer to gain access to God then the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ was a fruitless, hollow endeavor.
Sound Christian doctrine comes from the understanding that mankind is sinful, fallen, and separated from God. Man needs a saving work by God! A teaching like panentheism (God is in everybody) cannot be reconciled to the finished work of Christ. How could Jesus be our Savior then? New Age constituents will say He is a model for Christ consciousness, but the Bible teaches He is the Savior of mankind. Therefore, panentheism cannot be a true doctrine.
The problem is that many well-intentioned people embrace the teachings of panentheism because it sounds so good. It appears less bigoted on God’s part. No one is left out—all are connected to God. There is a great appeal in this message. Nevertheless, the Bible does not teach a universal salvation for man. In contrast, Jesus said:
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)
Christ’s message is the polar opposite of these universalist teachings. Many people (even Christians) today think only a few really bad people will be sent to hell. But in Matthew, the words of Jesus make it clear that this just is not so.
While God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for the sins of the world, He did not say all would be saved. His words are clear that many would reject the salvation He provided. But those who are saved have been given the “ministry of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18) making an appeal to those who are perishing (2 Corinthians 4:3). The Christian message is not samadhi, Zen, kundalini, or the contemplative silence. It is the power of the Cross!
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18)
Yes, perishing—and not just unaware of their “true self” (as contemplatives like Brennan Manning proclaim).
In an opinion poll, the startling results describe how Americans actually view God. Spirituality and Health magazine hired a reputable pollster organization to gauge the spiritual beliefs of the American public. This national poll revealed that 84 percent of those questioned believed God to be “everywhere and in everything” rather than “someone somewhere.”4 This means panentheism is now the more popular view of God. If true, then a high percentage of evangelical Christians in America already lean towards a panentheistic view of God. Perhaps many of these Christians are fuzzy about the true nature of God.
How could this mystical revolution have come about? How could this perspective have become so widespread? The answer is that over the last thirty or forty years, a number of authors have struck a deep chord with millions of readers and seekers within Christianity. These writers have presented and promoted the contemplative view to the extent that many now see it as the only way to “go deeper” in the Christian life. They are the ones who prompt men and women to plunge into contemplative practice. It is their message that leads people to experience the “lights” and the “inner adviser!”
Endnotes:
1. Wayne Teasdale, “Mysticism as the Crossing of Ultimate Boundaries: A Theological Reflection” (The Golden String newsletter, http://clarusbooks.com/Teasdale.html, accessed 10/2009).
2. Wayne Teasdale, A Monk in the World (Novato, CA: New World Library, 2002), p. 64.
3. Jan Alsever quoted in Statesman Journal, January 27th, 1996, Religion Section.
4. Katherine Kurs, “Are You Religious or Are You Spiritual?” (Spirituality & Health Magazine, Spring 2001), p. 28.
(Photo from bigstockphoto.com; used with permission)
https://www.thebereancall.org/content/silent-god-silent-man-book-review
A very good article which reviews a book, “Silent God Silent Man”. As a former New Ager, I can agree with the authors’ conclusions, and with yours.
Ray Yungen, through Lighthouse Trails Publishing, did the Body of Christ a huge service when you sounded the alarm.
Thank you for your perseverance.
The modern day contemplative prayer movement has its roots in the mystics of the Roman Catholic church. Priests monks and nuns have long practiced and promoted contemplative prayer as the means to a deeper spirituality hence many do not recognise the dangers of the panentheism of the new agers, buddist, hindu or other religions etc. The problem is really that the RC mystics believe they have merely to access the presence of God to experience God’s love and forget Jesus’words in John 14:6 ‘no one comes to the Father except through me’. Truly experiencing God’s love is tied to a realization that we are sinners in need of a Saviour and that ‘God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whomo ever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life’. John 3:16.
In answer to those who would claim to be encouraging and / or practicing contemplative prayer but claim to be holding to faithful doctrine in practice, where do they draw the line as far as sufficient “but Christian“ guidelines, are they going to be inclined to robustly defend against problematic ideas and figures? How many of them are going to rule out name checking such historical and current figures that are associated commonly with contemplative prayer, promoting spiritual formation, “encountering“ God and what that entails?
Here’s an example. Someone I know told me she was exploring relaxation and de-stressing techniques, And was guided to classes for meditation, which along with yoga seem to be making the biggest inroads as far as culture at large as well as Christian culture. She went to a center where they did that that was open to all, but didn’t like the instruction at the beginning that they were to make a “offering“ of a flower towards something as they started. It appears she quite rightly gathered that that was part of a Buddhist or Hindu ceremony, with some labels stuck in the back closet for the wide-eyed coming through the doors.
Problem is, what if you’ve got a trusted “senior pastor” and / or the rest of a church staff or some national figure from a Bible study putting a “but Christian” label on stuff that’s specifically does have a history of practice and specifically has had mountains of documented diversions from evangelical Christianity to the “God is in everything“ panentheism that is a hallmark of where a lot of these practices go as far as eastern and mysticism religions, New Age, emergent, and all sorts of practices?
How many wide-eyed people, especially on the younger side, who want to “go deeper” on exercise/yoga/meditation seem to find that to “go deeper”, they need to go to someone who just happens to be adherent to a particular pagan religion, which will start them on the bromides of enlightenment and go from there?
I think this article was posted here, but here is something that appears to go to this point that related to Richard Rohr:
https://web.archive.org/web/20201124213640/https://religionnews.com/2019/04/16/for-millennials-mysticism-shows-a-path-to-their-home-faiths/ Original link: https://religionnews.com/2019/04/16/for-millennials-mysticism-shows-a-path-to-their-home-faiths.
‘For millennials, mysticism shows a path to their home faiths’
Bob, we have answered that question in a number of articles and booklets. Check out our book Is Your Church Doing Spiritual Formation?
Exodus 32 is the sad story of very first seeker friendly people pleasing church leader.
His actions proved his priority. What was his first love, pleasing man or God? Nothing good can come from turning aside to walk a different path. Church leaders will be judged more harshly and justly so.
Jesus made it crystal clear to Peter that every sheep belongs to Him not to any shepherd.
I believe that it reasonable to apply Christs attitude about harming the little ones to hold true for His entire flock. Woe unto such a wicked pastor.
I will keep saying it. This is what happens when sound discernment and critical thinking is driven out of both the church and the Christian community so that what you are left with is an emotive religious experience that can be manipulated at will. This is in spite of Christianity’s rich history of ever encouraging critical thinking.
And since there is no letting up on this New Ageism, it is only going to get worse.
Thank you for your article
What about the adherents of contemplative prayer who say they dont define it as you have documented . They say that their definition is not like what you are saying.
They dont accept other religions that are contrary to true faith in Christ Jesus.
What do we say to them.
Thank you
Bob
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