Interspirituality - The Outcome of Contemplative Prayer

While the majority of Christendom has been seduced and mesmerized by Purpose-Driven, mysticism, the emerging church and a watered-down gospel, interspirituality is on the move. Evangelical leaders as well as New Age gurus and other religious leaders across the world are joining in this effort to find common ground, thus they hope, peace and unity.


Wayne Teasdale, a monk who coined the term interspirituality, said, "[I]nterspirituality: a crossing-over boundaries that mysticism makes possible and concrete. The spiritual common ground which exists among the world's religions will be identified, and its theological implications suggested." In other words, mysticism (i.e. contemplative prayer) is the common element that unites all religions. According to Teasdale, who believed truth and God could be found outside of the Christian faith, that it is the bridge which unites all.<

Tony Campolo, a leading evangelical author and speaker says in his book, Speaking My Mind: "[M]ysticism [contemplative prayer]provides some hope for common ground between Christianity and Islam."-
And we mustn't forget the words of Tilden Edwards, founder of the very contemplative Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation who said contemplative prayer is the bridge between Christianity and Far Eastern religions.

Why do these men say this? Do they know something that many others don't? Yes, they do. They know that going into the silence, into the altered state of consciousness takes the practitioner into a spiritual realm. They believe this realm is God, Divinity. And they believe anyone can enter this realm. That is why Campolo said mysticism is the link between Christianity and Islam. He believes the same God is reached.

While the push for interspirituality grows at alarming speeds throughout the world, born-again believers are going to be pushed outside of the organized evangelical church and considered to be the main obstacle from bringing the world into unity and peace. It's happened before in history, and it appears to be happening again.

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