Over the past several years, a number of our readers have asked us why we have not written about the theologian A.W. Tozer and warned our readers about his often quoting and referencing medieval-period and other mystics. Thus, we have known about Tozer’s affinity toward the mystics for some time now and have hoped we might someday be able to address this. Partly because it hasn’t been evident whether he practiced mystical meditation himself (though he was clearly enamored with the writings of many mystics), we haven’t followed through with researching and writing about him. And we also realized that to really write about Tozer would be a huge undertaking for he was somewhat of a complex hybrid (we’ll explain what we mean by that later), and it would take a deep dissecting and studying of his works to uncover all the layers. Frankly, we have just not had the time to do it.

However, because Tozer did glean from and favorably point to numerous mystics, we knew we could not recommend his writings or use them in anything we published or carried. That would be especially important for Lighthouse Trails, given that we have had a primary focus for 21 years of warning the church about mystical spirituality entering the church.

It does seem odd to think that a man of such apparent intelligence and spiritual insights in certain areas (as some of our readers and colleagues have pointed out) did not have the discernment to see that these figures he was quoting and admiring (such as Meister Eckhart and John of the Cross, who were both panentheists) were indeed mystics and outside the realm of biblical Christianity. And if he did realize they were and drew from and pointed his readers to them anyway, then a logical conclusion some might draw would be that he either didn’t understand the dangerous and occultic nature of mysticism or he did believe mysticism was acceptable. In an “authorized biography” titled The Life of A.W. Tozer, the author quotes Tozer as saying: “As God’s hungry bee, I’m able to suck nectar out of all sorts of flowers.”1 One of those from whom he may have drawn “nectar” was the mystic Thomas Merton, with whom he kept “correspondence for some time.”2 Merton, a universalistic panentheist, believed there was no contradiction between Christianity and Buddhism and said he wanted to be the best Buddhist he could be.3 While Tozer must have been aware of Merton’s openly professed beliefs, we are not saying that he agreed with him on those points. But his friendship with Merton is just one example of Tozer’s being drawn to the mystics.

In that same biography of Tozer (which was largely a praise for Tozer, not a criticism), the author said:

[Tozer] was a modern mystic who had given priority to the lost art of meditation. . . . Tozer’s hunger for God led him to study the Christian mystics. Their knowledge of God and absorbing love for Him profoundly attracted Tozer. They were spirits kindred to his own. He relentlessly pursued their writings in order to find out for himself what they knew about God and how they came about their knowledge. The way to God was paramount in Tozer’s thinking. He so identified with their struggles and triumphs that people began referring to him, also, as a mystic, a designation to which he never objected. Tozer’s list of these “friends of God” grew with the years, and nothing delighted him more than to uncover a long-forgotten devotional writer. He eagerly introduced these newly discovered mystics to his friends, bringing many of them into public awareness.4

A Cloak of Obscurity

Frankly, Tozer’s writings were often cloaked in obscurity whether he meant for that or not. In The Pursuit of God (one of his most popular books, even to this day), he uses terms and phrases that very easily could be taken for those of a mystic (e.g., “all is of God,” “experience of the Divine,” “spiritual realities,” and “manifest Presence”).5 He uses the word “presence” (referring to God’s presence) dozens of times in The Pursuit of God; it is somewhat reminiscent of Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling who uses the word “Presence” more than 365 times in her book. Some might defend Tozer and say he was just trying to wake up a sleeping, dry church of his time and remind Christians of their need for a relationship with Christ. And this may be true; however, it seems that Tozer was swinging like a pendulum between two extremes: a legalistic-type background (i.e., “the holiness movement“)* and mysticism and couldn’t decide where to land. Perhaps he did not understand the serious ramifications of both extremes. The many extremes in the church presently are constantly pulling Christians away from truth, not toward it. Unfortunately, Tozer is one of the main men whose mystical interests and public praises have been used to bring about a massive mystical movement in today’s church.

Tozer seemed to have an insatiable thirst for what he called “the deeper life”6 (or what he also called “holy mysteries”7) with God; and as the preface of his book The Pursuit of God clearly shows, he believed that:

The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts.8

Thus, he seems to have spent much of his life seeking after experiences that would give him this deeper life he so sought. He says, “Others before me have gone much farther into these holy mysteries than I have done.”9 (We must assume that he is referring, at least in part, to the mystics he admits to glean from.) In studying the contemplatives and mystics as we have for so many years, we have found this to be a common thread among them (and it appears some of this rubbed off on Tozer). It’s a kind of always seeking but never finding, a searching for something that is never really attained; so the searching always goes on. And as some of you may remember reading in our materials, it was Thomas Merton who likened the contemplative mystical prayer experience to an LSD trip.10 He was comparing it favorably, but he was obviously wrong. With the drug trip, there is a feeling of almost reaching full truth and light but never completely grasping it (thus, it’s spiritually addictive nature); and with the contemplative prayer experience, the same thing happens (thus, the spiritually addictive nature to it as well). Always searching, but never finding. It may very well be that Tozer was in this state (at least to some degree) of always searching for that still deeper life. He certainly would have read about it many times as he read the mystics for this is what they are always after.

We know of a number of solid discernment ministries that quote and reference Tozer. We’ve seen his name favorably referenced in many good books on truth. This article is not in any way intended to criticize or judge that. Our motivation in writing this article is because we also know that many in the emergent/contemplative/progressive camp have quoted and referenced Tozer as well and with damaging results. Perhaps what has happened here is that people read Tozer through the filter of their own minds and spirituality. For those who are solid believers in Christ and His Word, they read the words of Tozer where he encourages the relationship with Christ, prayer, and to walk faithfully as His disciples. For the emergent/progressive person or one leaning toward mysticism, Tozer gives them the “proof” that they are going in the right direction. His obscurity has apparently produced many various “fruits.” Worth noting, Tozer was a key figure and influence in the Christian Missionary & Alliance and was an ordained minister in that denomination. That denomination was also one of the first ones to go contemplative (very likely, at least in part, because of Tozer’s influence). Whether Tozer meant it or not, he (along with others) provided growing soil, if you will, for the contemplative prayer movement to take root and flourish in the evangelical church.

As for our referring to Tozer as a Christian hybrid, we have observed over the years ministers and teachers who appear to be Christian (and we believe some of them genuinely to be Christian, including Tozer), but they have tainted themselves (and their followers) with harmful practices, teachings, connections, and promotions** that hinder rather than enhance one’s relationship with God. Hence, the term we use in referring to them as “bridgers”11 whose teachings and practices have the potential of drawing people into the mystical, the New Age, or an unscriptural belief system, whether they always mean to or not.

A Book About Tozer’s Mysticism

In 1980, a woman named Eleanor K. Harris wrote a dissertation/thesis for New York University titled, “The Thought of Aiden Wilson Tozer: An Analysis and Appraisal with Special Emphasis on His Mysticism and Conceptual Approach to the World.” Harris, herself, was an advocate for mysticism as exhibited in the acknowledgments of the report where she thanks her mother for “first introducing her to the mystical mode of consciousness.”12 Regarding her report, she says:

The purpose of this research is the examination of a twentieth century figure [A.W. Tozer] operating within a very conservative segment of Protestantism who was influenced by mystical prayer.”13

One of the pieces of information in Harris’ research report (on page 229) is a letter she received, during her research for the book, from David Fant. Fant was the author of a biography about Tozer titled A Twentieth-century Prophet. There is an Addendum in his book titled “Dr. Tozer’s Recommended Books” where nearly three dozen books that Tozer read and recommended are listed. In the letter to Harris from Fant, he stated:

The recommended books listed on Page 180 of the biography was prepared by Dr. Tozer himself as a result of many inquiries. There was a copy of each in his personal library.14

Tozer’s recommended reading list included a who’s who of medieval mystics such as: St. John of the Cross (Dark Night of the Soul), an anonymous monk (The Cloud of Unknowing), Bernard of Clairvaux, Julian of Norwich, Meister Eckhart, Thomas Kelly, Brother Lawrence (Practicing the Presence of God), Michael (Miguel) Molinos, Jacob Boehme, Richard Rolle, and Francis de Sales to name about one third of the listed names. Incidentally, many of these names Tozer recommended in this list are in Chris Lawson’s Directory of Authors (Three Not Recommended Lists) booklet.15

Of Tozer’s list of recommended books, Fant says that listing them didn’t mean that Tozer “put his stamp of approval” on all the content of each book and said, “if any doctrinal defects should appear these would be far overbalanced by the spiritual verities.” That’s not much of a disclaimer because the doctrinal “defects” of these mystics are not at all overbalanced by their spiritual benefits. The opposite is true: these “defects” far outweigh any spiritual benefits.

The Cloud and Contemplative Prayer

Taking just one example, The Cloud of Unknowing, Ray Yungen explains:

[The Cloud of Unknowing] is essentially a manual on contemplative prayer inviting a beginner to:

“Take just a little word, of one syllable rather than of two . . . With this word you are to strike down every kind of thought under the cloud of forgetting.”

The premise here is that in order to really know God, mysticism must be practiced—the mind has to be shut down or turned off so that the cloud of unknowing where the presence of God awaits can be experienced.16

For those who may not be familiar with the term “contemplative prayer/meditation,” this small quote from The Cloud of Unknowing describes the essence of contemplative prayer: a word or phrase is repeated (or the breath is focused on) for several minutes, which is said to put the mind into a neutral state in order for the practitioner to shut out mental distractions and to hear the voice of God and feel at one with Him. The root belief of this practice is that God is in all people, and as contemplatives teach, anyone can practice contemplative meditation and get results because it has nothing to do with doctrine or belief in God but rather a spiritual realm that is reached in an altered state of consciousness. Proclaiming Christians who practice this say it is different than Eastern meditation which tries to empty the mind, and Christian contemplatives saying they are filling their mind, not emptying it. But regardless if the intent is different, contemplative prayer is the same as Eastern-style or New Age meditation. If what we are saying is true, then contemplative prayer is an occultic practice just as it is in the Eastern or New Age camp. A quote by mystic Richard Kirby, author of Mission of Mysticism (taken from Yungen’s book A Time of Departing), is haunting:

The meditation of advanced occultists is identical with the prayer of advanced mystics: it is no accident that both traditions use the same word for the highest reaches of their respective activities—contemplation.17

While there are undoubtedly many since Tozer’s death in 1963 who have analyzed (both praiseful and critical) his teachings and beliefs, it is not the intent of this article to do a full examination. But it is our intent to issue a warning that while many may have benefited from his writings, we will never know how many went into mystical spirituality because of Tozer’s quest for a “deeper life” that involved (at least to some degree) the teachings and beliefs of the mystics.

One of Tozer’s main messages in his life was clearly how to discover and obtain the deeper things of God. The contemplative mystic would argue that you can’t really be deep with God and intimate with God without mystical experiences. Yungen explains this:

Contemplative advocates propose that something vital and important has been missing from the church for centuries. The insinuation is that Christians have been lacking something necessary for their spiritual vitality; but that would mean the Holy Spirit has not been fully effective for hundreds of years and only now the secret key has been found that unlocks God’s full power to know Him. These proponents believe that Christianity has been seriously crippled without this extra ingredient. This kind of thinking leads one to believe that traditional, biblical Christianity is merely a philosophy without the contemplative prayer element. Contemplatives are making a distinction between studying and meditating on the Word of God versus experiencing Him, suggesting that we cannot hear Him or really know Him simply by studying His Word or even through normal prayer—we must be contemplative to accomplish this. But the Bible makes it clear that the Word of God is living and active and has always been that way, and it is in filling our minds with it that we come to love Him, not through a mystical practice.18

The Bottom Line

The bottom line with Tozer and his writings, from the standpoint of this article, is this:

• Many fine upstanding and devoted Christians have testified that they have been greatly blessed by Tozer’s writings.
• There is ample evidence from his writings that he was a true believer in Christ and believed in salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
• It appears that other than vague references, he never came out and gave specific instruction on how to practice mantra meditation.
• He unfortunately did not exhibit discernment when it came to understanding or expressing the dangers of mysticism and the mystics who promoted it.
• His favorable referencing to and quoting of numerous mystics (many of whom were panentheistic) and their beliefs has been utilized by those in today’s church who promote and advocate for contemplative spirituality (i.e., mystical spirituality).

Conclusion

In Tozer’s own writings, and in the biographies written about him, the words “mystics,” “mystical,” and “mysticism” are treated as if they are everyday terms the Christian can and should utilize.*** And with today’s contemplative prayer movement’s energizing force being that of mystical meditation, Tozer’s use of the words and the words commonly associated with him makes him a poster child for today’s contemplative prayer movement.

Tozer’s writings and his affinity with the writings of mystics and the influence they had on him can only be expected to lead some of his readers into the same endless experiential search for a “deeper” truth. But the “deepest” truth can only be resolved and settled by being rooted in the simplicity of the Gospel where, “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1, emphasis added). The word “peace” here indicates a settled condition in the believer’s heart where “ever learning [striving], and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7) is no longer the condition of the believer’s heart. Thus, while a discerning Christian may be able to distinguish and compartmentalize Tozer’s good and bad, too many Christians today do not exhibit that level of discernment or already have an affinity toward contemplative mysticism, and reading Tozer could lead such undiscerning (or contemplative-leaning) Christians in the wrong direction.

Harry Ironside warned about the dangers of mixing truth with error:

Error is like leaven of which we read, “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9). Truth mixed with error is equivalent to all error, except that it is more innocent looking and, therefore, more dangerous.19

The Bible is clear that we, as believers in Christ, are to be discerning and never to allow the enemy a foothold through deceptive means. May we strive to walk in the simplicity of Christ and His Gospel, to hide His Word in our hearts, and to serve Him with a good conscience and a pure heart that others may see the truth and turn to Christ.

For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward. (2 Corinthians 1:12)

But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:3)

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Endnotes

1. James Snyder, The Life of A.W. Tozer (Bloomington, MN: Bethany House Publishers (division of Baker Publishing), pp. 191-192.
2. Ibid.
3. David Steindl-Rast, “Recollection of Thomas Merton’s Last Days in the West” (Monastic Studies, 7:10, 1969).
4. James Snyder, The Life of A.W. Tozer, op. cit., pp. 17-18.
5. A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God (Camphill, PA: Christian Publications, 1982 edition), p. 8-13.
6. Such as in his book, Keys to the Deeper Life and often used in his other writings.
7. A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God, 1982 edition, op. cit., p. 10.
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid.
10. A statement by Matthew Fox who was quoting Thomas Merton from a statement Merton told him in 1967; http://web.archive.org/web/20060425035122/nineoclockservice.tripod.com/mattiefx.htm.
11. A term coined by former radio host, Ingrid Schleuter.
12. Eleanor K. Harris, “The Thought of Aiden Wilson Tozer: An Analysis and Appraisal with Special Emphasis on His Mysticism and Conceptual Approach to the World” (1980), p. iii; from a purchased PDF by Lighthouse Trails.
13. Ibid, p. 4
14. David Fant, A.W. Tozer, A Twentieth-Century Prophet (Chicago, IL: Wingspread Publishers; an imprint of Moody Publishers, 2010 edition, originally published in 1964 by Christian Publications), p. 229, Appendix B.
15. Chris Lawson, Directory of Authors (Three Not Recommended Lists) (Lighthouse Trails booklet).
16. Ray Yungen, A Time of Departing (Roseburg, OR: Lighthouse Trails Publishing, 2006 second edition), p. 33.
17. Richard Kirby, The Mission of Mysticism (London, UK: SPCK, 1979), cited in A Time of Departing, p. 32.
18. Ray Yungen, “Christianity Is Missing Out on Something Vital – Is This True?” (https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/christianity-is-missing-out-on-something-vital-is-this-true/).
19. Harry Ironside, “Should Christians Expose Error?” (https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/should-christians-expose-error-2/).

*The Christian Missionary & Alliance was a “holiness movement” denomination (of which Tozer was an ordained minister)

**Not guilt by association but rather guilt by proxy or promotion.

***See Yungen’s article, “Does God Sanction Mystical Experiences?” (https://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/does-god-sanction-mystical-experiences/)

Related Article:

“The ‘Regeneration of the Churches’ – An Occult Dream Come True” by Ray Yungen

Dear Lighthouse Trails:

I’m attending a Bible study at _________________________, and they recently had a women’s 2-day conference.  I didn’t attend, because throughout the Bible study, the leaders and class participants kept referring to The Chosen while studying the book of John.  In another session, Eugene Peterson’s Message “Bible” was being used to study the book Revelation.

Anyway, the guest speaker for the conference was a woman from the Gospel Coalition. A friend of mine who attended the conference really liked her. However, one of the breakout sessions taught by a couple of the church ladies was called “Visio Divina.”  I’ve heard of Lectio Divina (and have avoided that), but this was a new one for me.  Sounds like a different flavor, same brand to me.

I’ve searched Christian apologetics websites such as yours and have yet to see anything about it, though.  All I find are websites gleefully describing it. Would really appreciate your take—possibly an article on your blog addressing it?  

I’ve decided to finish the few weeks left in our study of John but don’t intend to return to that church for future study groups.  It’s a shame because it’s a lovely church, and the women are very committed to their faith. It’s just that this mysticism seems to be creeping into even the more conservative theological churches unawares.  In this particular church, I do wonder if the pastor oversees the materials being studied and talked about within the Women’s Ministry.

Thanks so much for all your work!  

Blessings, Catherine

LTRP Comments: The term was not typically used in the English form until the 21st century and most of that use has occurred in just the last few years. Today, dozens and dozens of books have been published which include the term. In the Preface (written by editors) of Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit (a book written by the late Catholic mystic Henri Nouwen), it states:

Although the editors have used the term visual divina for many years in workshops and retreats, visio divina—the Latin version of sacred seeing—has started to appear on Web sites devoted to contemporary prayer and meditation. The postmodern practice of visio divina, combined with the ancient practice of lectio divina, provides an integrative, sensory, spiritual approach to connecting with divine creativity and presence in sacred word and image. (p. 137)

The book also states:

The ancient practice of meditating on visual images has recently been identified as visio divina (divine or sacred seeing). In our world of many words, sitting in silent reflection with an image may aid in the descent of your mind into the heart. (emphasis added)

We know from studying contemplative spirituality for over twenty years that the “descent of your mind into the heart” is contemplative language referring to the altered state of consciousness that is reached during mystical meditation. Ray Yungen explains this in A Time of Departing, quoting Nouwen as saying we must move from the “moral to the mystical.” In his book, The Way of the Heart, Nouwen says:

The quiet repetition of a single word can help us to descend with the mind into the heart . . . This way of simple prayer . . . opens us to God’s active presence. (p. 91, 1991 edition)

Yungen discusses this “active presence” that Nouwen was referring to:

But what God’s “active presence” taught him, unfortunately, stood more in line with classic Hinduism than classic evangelical Christianity.

Nouwen wrote, “Prayer is ‘soul work’ because our souls are those sacred centers where all is one. . . . It is in the heart of God that we can come to the full realization of the unity of all that is.” (Bread for the Journey, 1997, 1/15 & 11/16 readings)

Again, in the Preface of Spiritual Formation, it encourages readers to practice “silent visio divina” for ten minutes, focusing on a piece of art or some image. The book explains:

One way to pray contemplatively is to behold the beauty of the Lord by gazing at the Byzantine icon of the Transfiguration. . . . This activity can be called visio divina. (p. 16)

As the editors of Spiritual Formation explain, Henry Nouwen never used the term visio divina, but he certainly was incorporating the practice as can be seen in Nouwen’s 1987 book Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying With Icons.

For those reading this post who do not understand the dynamics behind meditation practices, we encourage you to read these two articles by Yungen: “Meditation! Pathway to Wellness or Doorway to the Occult?” and “Understanding the New Age, Meditation, and the Higher Self.” If you want to share these articles with others, you are welcome to print them from our site for free or order them in booklet form on our store.

In conclusion, visio divina is a mystical practice where art or some icon or image is focused on for several minutes in order to enter a meditative state of mind. Below is our report on lectio divina, which is a related mystical practice used to enter meditative states. As the letter to the editor above attests to, such practices have now entered theologically conservative churches, and warnings need to be made. If this practice is being encouraged at your church, talk to your pastor and share this information with him. If he is willing to read Yungen’s book A Time of Departing, we are happy to send him a free copy of the book. Just e-mail us at editors@lighthousetrails.com. And remember whether it’s called visio divina, lectio divina, sacred prayer, contemplative prayer, centering prayer, or a number of other terms, a mystical practice by any other name is still a mystical practice.

Now our article on Lectio Divina:

“LECTIO DIVINA-What it is, What it is not, and Should Christians Practice it?”

LECTIO DIVINA—There’s a lot of talk about it today; umpteen books are published and more are on the way about lectio divina; and an increasing number of evangelical/Protestant figures are writing about it, endorsing it, and teaching it. Some people think lectio divina simply means to read a passage of Scripture slowly (or “praying the Scriptures”) then ponder or think on that Scripture. That can be a part of it. But if you ask mystics or contemplatives what it really entails (And who would know better than they?), they will tell you that lectio divina (pronounced lex-ee-o di-veen-a) always includes taking a passage of Scripture (or other writings), reading it slowly, and repeating it as you work your way down to where you have just a word or small phrase from the passage that you are “meditating” on (repeating over and over). Basically, you are coming up with a mantra-like word or phrase that has been extracted from a passage of Scripture, which, according to contemplatives, if repeated for several minutes, will help you get rid of thoughts and distractions, so then, they say, you can hear the voice of God and feel His presence (going into the silence).

There are said to be four steps in lectio divina. These four steps are:

Reading (lectio)—Slowly begin reading a biblical passage as if it were a long awaited love letter addressed to you. Approach it reverentially and expectantly, in a way that savors each word and phrase. Read the passage until you hear a word or phrase that touches you, resonates, attracts, or even disturbs you.

Reflecting (meditatio)—Ponder this word or phrase for a few minutes. Let it sink in slowly and deeply until you are resting in it. Listen for what the word or phrase is saying to you at this moment in your life, what it may be offering to you, what it may be demanding of you.

Expressing (oratio)—If you are a praying person, when you are ready, openly and honestly express to God the prayers that arise spontaneously within you from your experience of this word or phrase. These may be prayers of thanksgiving, petition, intercession, lament, or praise. If prayer is not part of your journey you could write down the thoughts that have come your way.

Resting (contemplatio)—Allow yourself to simply rest silently for a time in the stillness of your heart remaining open to the quiet fullness of God’s love and peace. This is like the silence of communion between the mother holding her sleeping infant child or between lovers whose communication with each other passes beyond words.1

Catholic priest and contemplative mysticism pioneer Thomas Keating explains what lectio divina is not in an article he has written titled “The Classical Monastic Practice of Lectio Divina.” He explains that lectio divina is not traditional Bible study, not reading the Scriptures for understanding and edification, and not praying the Scriptures (though praying the Scriptures can be a form of lectio divina when a word or phrase is taken from the Scriptures to focus on for the purpose of going into “God’s presence”).2 Keating says that lectio divina is an introduction into the more intense practices—contemplative prayer and centering prayer.

While some people think lectio divina is just reading Scripture slowly (and what’s wrong with that), it is the focusing on and repeating a word or small phrase to facilitate going into the “silence” that is the real danger. There is certainly nothing wrong with reading Scripture carefully and thoughtfully. Thoughtfully, we say. In eastern-style meditation (and in contemplative prayer) thoughts are the enemy. Eastern-style mystic Anthony De Mello describes this problem with thoughts in his book Sadhana: A Way to God:

To silence the mind is an extremely difficult task. How hard it is to keep the mind from thinking, thinking, thinking, forever thinking, forever producing thoughts in a never ending stream. Our Hindu masters in India have a saying: one thorn is removed by another. By this they mean that you will be wise to use one thought to rid yourself of all the other thoughts that crowd into your mind. One thought, one image, one phrase or sentence or word that your mind can be made to fasten on.3

Spiritual director Jan Johnson in her book, When the Soul Listens: Finding Rest and Direction in Contemplative Prayer also believes that thoughts get in the way, and the mind must be stilled:

Contemplative prayer, in its simplest form, is a prayer in which you still your thoughts and emotions and focus on God Himself. This puts you in a better state to be aware of God’s presence, and it makes you better able to hear God’s voice, correcting, guiding, and directing you.4

Mark Yaconelli, author of Contemplative Youth Ministry: Practicing the Presence of Jesus, has this to say about lectio divina. Keep in mind that Yaconelli’s materials are used in evangelical/Protestant settings (e.g., colleges, seminaries, youth groups):

In order to practice lectio divina, select a time and place that is peaceful and in which you may be alert and prayer fully attentive. Dispose yourself for prayer in whatever way is natural for you. This may be a spoken prayer to God to open you more fully to the Spirit, a gentle relaxation process that focuses on breathing, singing or chanting, or simply a few minutes of silence to empty yourself of thoughts, images, and emotions.5

Research analyst Ray Yungen explains this silence that contemplative mystics seek:

When [Richard] Foster speaks of the silence, he does not mean external silence. In his book, Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home, Foster recommends the practice of breath prayer6—picking a single word or short phrase and repeating it in conjunction with the breath. This is classic contemplative mysticism. . . . In Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home, [Foster] ties in a quote by one mystic who advised, “You must bind the mind with one thought”7 . . . I once related Foster’s breath prayer method to a former New Age devotee who is now a Christian. She affirmed this connection when she remarked with astonishment, “That’s what I did when I was into ashtanga yoga!”8

With lectio divina, the word or phrase one repeats eventually can lose its meaning, and this repetitive sound can start to put the practitioner into an altered mind state. Yungen tells us that:

Keeping the mind riveted on only one thought is unnatural and adverse to true reflection and prayer. Simple logic tells us the repeating of words has no rational value. For instance, if someone called you on the phone and just said your name or one phrase over and over, would that be something you found edifying? Of course not; you would hang up on him or her. Why would God feel otherwise? And if God’s presence is lacking, what is this presence that appears as light during meditation and infuses a counterfeit sense of divinity within?9

Yungen exhorts believers that: “the goal of prayer should not be to bind the mind with a word or phrase in order to induce a mystical trance but rather to use the mind to glory in the grace of God. This was the apostle Paul’s counsel to the various churches: ‘Study to shew thyself approved’ (2 Tim. 2:15) and ‘we pray always’ (2 Thessalonians 1:11) as in talking to God with both heart and mind.”10

In order to help those you care about stay clear of contemplative spirituality and spiritual deception, it is important for you to understand how lectio divina plays a significant role in leading people toward full blown meditative practices. And we propose that this “presence” that is reached during the “silent” altered states of consciousness from saying a word or phrase over and over (or focusing on the breath or an object) is not God’s presence. God has instructed us in the Bible not to perform “special kinds of process[es]” or “formula[s],”11 as Thomas Keating calls lectio divina, to induce mystical experiences (see Deuteronomy 18:9-11); thus, we believe ample warning about lectio divina is warranted.

In conclusion, lectio divina is a bridge to eastern-style meditation. If indeed, this is true, then it will lead Christians away from the message of the Cross and the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and thus Christians should not practice lectio divina. Do you know where practices such as lectio divina took Thomas Keating in his spirituality? When you read the statement by him below, you can see the answer to this:

We should not hesitate to take the fruit of the age-old wisdom of the East and “capture” it for Christ. Indeed, those of us who are in ministry should make the necessary effort to acquaint ourselves with as many of these Eastern techniques as possible.

Many Christians who take their prayer life seriously have been greatly helped by Yoga, Zen, TM and similar practices, especially where they have been initiated by reliable teachers and have a solidly developed Christian faith to find inner form and meaning to the resulting experiences.12

Notes:
1. Taken from: http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/lectiodivina.htm.
2. Thomas Keating, “The Classical Monastic Practice of Lectio Divina”  (http://web.archive.org/web/20120201174238/http://www.crossroadshikers.org/LectioDevina.htm).
3. Anthony de Mello, Sadhana: A Way to God (St. Louis, the Institute of Jesuit Resources, 1978), p. 28.
4. Jan Johnson, When the Soul Listens (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1999), p. 16.
5. Mark Yaconelli, http://web.archive.org/web/20080724110254/http://www.ymsp.org/resources/practices/lectio_divina.html.
6. Richard Foster, Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home (San Francisco, CA: Harper, 1992), p. 122.
7. Ibid., p. 124.
8. Ray Yungen, A Time of Departing (Eureka, MT: Lighthouse Trails Publishing, 2006), p. 75.
9. Ibid., p. 76.
10. Ibid., p. 75.
11. Keating, “The Classical Monastic Practice of Lectio Divina,” op. cit.
12. M. Basil Pennington, Thomas Keating, Thomas E. Clarke, Finding Grace at the Center (Petersham, MA: St. Bede’s Pub., 1978), pp. 5-6.
To order copies of LECTIO DIVINA-What it is, What it is not, and Should Christians Practice it?, click here.

BONUS SECTION

Q & A
IS THERE REALLY A DIFFERENT WAY OF READING THE WORD OF GOD?

QUESTION: I live in South Africa and even here, the Dutch Reformed church is doing the contemplative route. Some writers have even written some books on the subject in which they actually encourage their members to explore that route! I put an enquiry to one of the blokes on this subject and he explained as follows:

In the years after Christ ascended to heaven, there were actually two ways of reading the Bible . . .

The school of Antioch read it as a historic/grammatical narrative and the school of Alexandria took the more ‘spiritual’ route of reading.

Both ways are/were apparently valid.

The Antioch model ensured that God’s Word was read with intellectual integrity and the Alexandrian model ensured that it was read as God’s Word (i.e. meditative and contemplative reading).

From the 12th century onwards, universities then created a platform on which the Word could be challenged or critiqued which led to the questioning of the “Godly Dimensions” thereof . . . lectio divina was then neglected; and by now starting the lectio divina method, the idea is to reclaim the ‘Godly Dimensions” of the Word!!”

Question? How could we as children of God ever have missed this (tongue in cheek), and is there really a different way of reading the Word? God’s Word is His Word, and we read it as it stands, right, with recognition of the metaphors that [are] used? (maybe I am missing something). Your comments on this will be appreciated, since people just accept this and follow it as if it is fine! If one does challenge them on this, he or she is [said to be] in the wilderness and should wake up and smell the roses [they say] . . .

ANSWER: The contemplative prayer (i.e., spiritual formation) movement has found its way into virtually every Christian denomination throughout the world.

In your question, you ask, “how could we as children of God ever have missed this . . . ?” That’s a good question. If lectio divina and other contemplative practices were so utterly vital to sustain our relationship with Christ (some Christian leaders state we must have the “stillness” to really know God), how is it that nowhere in the Bible is there any indication at all that we are to use God’s word as a tool to go into a state of silence to reach “‘Godly dimensions’ of the Word.”

If indeed such practices were vital for the Christian believer, surely Jesus Christ or the apostles (especially the apostle Paul) would have explicitly instructed us on this. In Ephesians 2, we are told that the “saints” (i.e., “the household of God”) are “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone,” and that it is through Christ that we become a “holy temple in the Lord . . . for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (vs. 19-22). But the contemplative prayer movement says we must draw from the ancient Catholic mystics and desert fathers in order for us to become all that Christ desires for us. Basically, the foundation that was laid out in Scripture (which is the Gospel) with Christ as the chief corner stone (the sacrificial Lamb for our salvation) was not enough, but the foundation of the ancient mystics is laid down instead. As Ray Yungen points out, one mysticism proponent admits that the practices these earliest monks drew from were so strongly similar “to those of their Hindu and Buddhist renunciate brethren several kingdoms to the East” that “the meditative techniques they adopted for finding their God suggest either a borrowing from the East or a spontaneous rediscovery”1

With lectio divina (as with other contemplative practices), the Word of God is used as a tool to perform a ritual that will bring on a mystical experience. We contend that it is a misuse of Scripture where God’s word is actually used in a way contrary to God’s intent and purposes. A word or phrase from a passage of Scripture is turned into a mantra-like practice, where it is repeated over and over. No longer do the words have the meaning intended by the authors (the apostles and prophets inspired by the Holy Spirit) but rather an experience to “feel” closer to God is sought.

The contemplative says we must seek after a “deeper” relationship with God. But for the born-again believer who has been united with Christ through faith by His grace and “sealed unto the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30), a method or ritual is not needed to draw near to the Lord for He is already in our hearts established and “we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). Being indwelt by the Holy Spirit and being in the body of Christ is all that is necessary to fulfill your relationship needs for God. There is no esoteric tradition that will give you more of the Holy Spirit.

In answer to the question, no, we as believers did not miss anything. Contemplatives such as Richard Foster say that Christians are missing something, that our lives are empty and lacking in vitality, and thus we need, they say, these meditation techniques. But if we truly do have a relationship with Jesus Christ, if we have allowed Him to be Lord and Savior of our lives, then He promises to live in our hearts and commune with us. Surely, if we needed to repeat words and phrases over and over in order to have that fellowship with Christ, He would, at some point, have told us in His Word and laid out these contemplative instructions. But rather, the Word tells us that His “grace and peace” have been given to us “through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord” and that His “divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness” and that through “exceeding great and precious promises” we can be “partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:2-4).

The biblical way to draw near to God is one in which we acknowledge the work has already been done at the Cross and is offered to “whosoever believeth,” with a free and clear invitation of communion with God, a communion that is ours for the asking. The contemplative way to “draw near to God” is riddled with man’s efforts, mystical eastern practices, altered states of consciousness, an eventual change in attitude toward the atonement, an exaltation of man (as having divinity), and a growing view that the Bible is more of a ritualistic tool and a poetic piece of literature rather than an authority (unchanging, solid, and trustworthy) for our spiritual lives. Just look at the views of the emerging church (which is propelled by contemplative prayer) to see the “fruit” of contemplative spirituality. Or consider what the occult prophetess Alice Bailey said:

It is, of course, easy to find many passages which link the way of the Christian Knower with that of his brother in the East. They bear witness to the same efficacy [efficiency] of method.2

Or the words of Thomas Merton’s biographer and advocate, William Shannon:

If one wants to understand Merton’s going to the East it is important to understand that it was his rootedness in his own faith tradition [Catholicism] that gave him the spiritual equipment [contemplative prayer] he needed to grasp the way of wisdom that is proper to the East.3

Simply put, what these quotes reveal is that these “dimensions” of God are not really dimensions of God at all, but pathways to the mystical occult practices and teachings of the East. Ironically, lectio divina will lead practitioners away from the very thing it claims to embrace: the Word of God.

When we use the Bible, let us use it in the way it is intended. As Paul succinctly puts it, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). Now, if one would like to use the Word of God as a “tool,” the Bible offers its own suggestions:

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105)

And take . . . the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:17)

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

By its own claims, the Bible is useful for gaining understanding and receiving instruction, but never is it offered as a hypnotic tool or as a mind-altering device. Now, while lectio divina is promoted as a devotional technique, the methods employed ultimately lead one to the “silence.” Thus, as believers, let us reject this practice, and let us cling to and “contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3).

Notes:
1. Daniel Goleman, The Meditative Mind (Los Angeles, CA: Tarcher/Putnam Inc., 1988), p.53.
2. Alice Bailey, From Intellect to Intuition (New York, NY: Lucis Publishing Co., 1987, 13th printing), p. 193, as cited from A Time of Departing, 2nd ed., p. 28.
3. William Shannon, Silent Lamp, The Thomas Merton Story (New York, NY: Crossroad Publishing Company, 1992), p. 281.

(image used from istockphoto.com; used with permission)

No subject ever discussed can be more important and crucial in this life than the subject of salvation. This is what the citizens of Berea were discussing where it says in Acts 17:11, “they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” The Bereans did two things right here in that their humble disposition motivated them with “readiness” to receive instruction, and they went to the Scriptures as the final authority on the subject. Notice the plural word “scriptures” is used as it is essential that Scripture be compared with Scripture in order to find out if “those things were so.”

Although this may sound elementary (and it actually is), the sad reality is that human nature (in particular our sin nature) tends to be impulsive, and it is so easy to grab one verse, or maybe just one or two words, from the Bible and run with it, twisting and distorting it from its actual meaning in Scripture. For example, Jesus referred to Himself as “the bread of life” (John 6:35), which was obviously a figure of speech. However, Jesus then emphasized the point by saying, “For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed . . . he that eateth me, even he shall live by me” (John 6:55,57). Even though Jesus then qualified His statement by saying, “This is that bread which came down from heaven” (John 6:58), comparing Himself with manna, His disciples were already locked into a confusion, disputing amongst themselves what He could mean by His statements. The fact is, from a non-figurative perspective, partaking of human flesh was an unthinkable abomination, and the partaking of any kind of blood was forbidden in the Law.
Because of their great confusion, Jesus later explained to His disciples that (a) He would soon ascend to Heaven (John 6:62) making all He had said impossible in a physical sense, (b) that partaking of flesh “profiteth nothing” (John 6:63), and (c) the words He had spoken, “they are spirit” (John 6:63) (i.e., a figure of speech). Then, at the Last Supper, Jesus made it even clearer that He had been using a figure of speech by referring to the bread and wine as His body and blood (which obviously was impossible in a literal sense because He was still physically present) and then saying, “this do in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19) to signify that they were to remember His sacrifice on the Cross in this manner. Most unfortunately, the Catholic Church has turned this memorial into a very literal “sacrament of the Eucharist” where participation in this sacrament is what saves you. Hence, we now have “another gospel” that is works based and therefore never for certain.

Likewise, John Calvin did much the same thing, except in his case, he latched onto little more than a single word (predestinate) and ran with it. Then, rather than carefully looking to the whole of Scripture to verify his precepts and conclusions, he looked to the writings of Augustine to verify his thinking. The result is that, as with Catholicism, we now have “another gospel” that is not solely based on Scripture but on the confused thinking and misconstrued assumptions of a mere man.

With Calvin, rather than changing his views to fit Scripture, he changed the meaning of words in Scripture to fit his now distorted view of God and salvation.

Let us, therefore, look to Scripture on the subjects pertaining to salvation. A good place to start is chapter 33 of Ezekiel where the very words of God, spoken through a prophet, reveal God’s heart on the subject of repentance:

Again, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying . . .

So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. . . .

Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? . . .

[A]s for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness . . . When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered . . .

Yet the children of thy people say, The way of the Lord is not equal: but as for them, their way is not equal. When the righteous turneth from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby. But if the wicked turn from his wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby. Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one after his ways. (Ezekiel 33:1,7,11-13,17-20; emphasis added)

For the sake of brevity, we have hopped from verse to verse in Ezekiel 33, but if you have suffered under the teaching of Calvinism, it would do you well to carefully read all of this portion of Scripture through the twentieth verse as this passage refutes Calvinism without Calvinists doing some very serious mental gymnastics in altering and twisting the meaning of words. The italicized portions especially reveal that:

• God has given everyone a free will.
• Everyone already has the God-given ability to choose whether or not to live for God.
• Our destiny—Heaven or Hell—is our choice, but if we choose Heaven, we must choose to do it God’s way as we cannot trust (i.e., be saved) in our own righteousness.
• God takes no pleasure in sending people to Hell. It is not His choice but our choice to make.
• God is “equal” in His dealings with all of mankind. He is not a cruel or unjust God. It is those who depict God as cruel and unjust (as one who delights in sending people to Hell) who are “not equal”—or perhaps it is better to say blasphemous. Even the apostle Peter said that God is “no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34), and Paul said, “there is no respect of persons with God” (Romans 2:11). (See also Ephesians 6:9 and Colossians 3:25.) In other words, both Peter and Paul are in agreement with Ezekiel in that God is equal and fair in His dealings with all people. But John Calvin opposed this truth in saying, “All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation.”1
• Repentance is a pre-conversion experience. It precedes the grace (indwelling Holy Spirit) that God gives to live a godly life.

Next, let’s consider the ministry of John the Baptist. Jesus said of him, “Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28). Scripture also says of him, “Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee [Jesus] . . . John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Mark 1:2, 4). Though the religious leaders stayed away, many unconverted sinners came to John and partook of this baptism of repentance. As is indicated here, historically they repented as a prelude to later receiving Christ as their Savior. John the Baptist said of Jesus, “I indeed baptize you with water; but . . . he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire” (Luke 3:16). But, while these people were yet sinners, God made repentance available to all who willed it through the ministry of John the Baptist.

Then in Acts 16:30, the Philippian jailer asks of Paul and Silas, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” to which they respond, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31).
For the Calvinist, any testimony of a conversion experience may be questioned and scrutinized. In fact, except for this being in Scripture, they would tell you that such a testimony is totally unacceptable. From a fatalistic, predestinate* viewpoint, neither the jailer nor his family could have any choice in the matter, so most likely they would all go to Hell. Also, beyond their lacking any free will in the matter, they are fully degenerate to the degree that they are unable to repent or believe. Such is the predicament for the Calvinist who is fully indoctrinated into Calvin’s teachings. It is a large pill to swallow, and it is to be swallowed whole.

From a biblical perspective, the conversion experience is not forced or manipulated but initiated of a person’s own free will as the Holy Spirit draws him (remember John 12:32 where Jesus says He will draw all men). The individual repents and believes, then is “born again” of the Holy Spirit. From the Calvinist perspective, one must be born again first before one can repent and believe, but this is Scripture turned upside down and backwards.

Perhaps the act of becoming a Christian can best be explained by illustration: It is like a person walking down the wrong path; the person then stops and turns around (repentance), then looks to the right direction (faith). (This is what God requires to be born again.) To be born again means to be indwelt with the Holy Spirit as Paul indicates that Christians have God’s Spirit in them (Romans 8:9). Now with the Holy Spirit abiding within, the person begins walking in the new direction. It should be noted here that biblical repentance does not mean that we must clean up our act before we can come to Christ. Rather, it is an admission of our guilt and of our need of a Savior to begin transforming our lives to the image of God’s Son. Walking in the new direction, then, is subsequent to first repenting and believing. Then, as we will never be perfect in this life, we will continue to live a life of faith and repentance as the Holy Spirit continually transforms us to be like the Son.

In conclusion, it is important to realize that we will never understand all of Scripture perfectly, but the fundamentals of the Gospel can be readily comprehended. God is love and will not turn away whosoever comes to Him. Unfortunately, many come to Calvinism because on the surface, it appears to offer comfort and assurance of salvation. But, like Catholicism, there is no real assurance of salvation in Calvinism where salvation is deemed to be predestinated and therefore inaccessible by our choice or will. Once fully indoctrinated into Calvinism, the Calvinist is left wondering for the rest of his life if he is one of the elect. This is not a walk of faith but of doubt, and it is totally unscriptural. Scripture says that we can walk in assurance of eternal life:

Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. (1 John 5:1; emphasis added)

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:17; emphasis added)

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13; emphasis added)

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*Harry Ironside explains Predestination in a Q&A here.

And there is also a sermon titled “Predestined for Hell? Absolutely Not!” by the late Pastor Adrian Rogers on Predestination that is worth watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBADZEz2n3g.

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(Image used is from bigstockphoto.com; used with permission. Article by D. Dombrowski is from an appendix in Bob Kirkland’s book, Calvinism: None Dare Call It Heresy.)

LTRP Note: In 2012, a man named George Mair passed away. He had written a glowing biography about Rick Warren, and what followed broke his heart and revealed many things that would clarify the roots of where the church was heading.

By Warren B. Smith
(The following is from Warren Smith’s book, A “Wonderful” Deception, chapter 5.)

In a May 31, 2005 midnight e-mail to Lighthouse Trails Publishing, Rick Warren made it clear that he was not happy with Rick Warren biographer George Mair [author of A Life With Purpose] or with Lighthouse Trails regarding the subject of  Ken Blanchard [whom Rick Warren was planning to use for the P.E.A.C.E. Plan]. With an apparent effort to take the spotlight off Blanchard’s New Age affinities, Warren attempted to place it on George Mair and Lighthouse Trails instead.

With no documentation, Rick Warren immediately accused Mair of having “literally hundreds of errors and made-up conclusions” in A Life with Purpose: The Story of the Man Behind The Purpose-Driven Life . At the same time, he took Lighthouse Trails to task for relying on anything that Mair wrote in his book. Ironically, the only thing that Lighthouse Trails had quoted from A Life with Purpose was the statement that Rick Warren had “hired” Ken Blanchard to help with his P.E.A.C.E. Plan. The April 19, 2005 Lighthouse Trails Press release stated:

According to a new biography on Rick Warren, A Life With Purpose written by George Mair, Rick Warren has solicited the services of Ken Blanchard to aid him in training leaders: “Rick taps the best and most famous to help train church leaders to be like Jesus. He has hired Ken Blanchard . . . . to come to Saddleback to help train people how to be effective leaders.”2

Rick Warren didn’t seem to understand how a reasonable person could misinterpret the phrase “signed on” to mean “hired.” True, George Mair had assumed that “signed on” meant “hired,” but that was not even the issue Lighthouse Trails was raising. The issue was why would Warren choose a New Age sympathizer like Ken Blanchard to “equip” leaders around the world to “lead like Jesus”? Lighthouse Trails was not focusing on George Mair’s book—only on Blanchard’s New Age sympathies. Mair just happened to be the one who mentioned that Warren would be working with Blanchard to equip leaders. What proved to be so revealing to those watching Rick Warren, was how he and his apologists turned the tables on people. Rather than dealing with the New Age implications of the Purpose Driven movement, they tried to discredit those of us they perceived to be “critics.” In this case, George Mair and Lighthouse Trails became the “problem” rather than Blanchard’s New Age affections.

Rick Warren’s midnight e-mail to Lighthouse Trails cited his many unsubstantiated objections to George Mair’s book. Interestingly, that e-mail was posted on the Internet by [Rick Warren’s main apologist at the time] Richard Abanes within just a few hours after Warren sent it to Lighthouse Trails.3 It began circulating quickly, and within twenty-four hours, Lighthouse Trails was receiving calls and e-mails about Warren’s e-mail to them. Lighthouse Trails would later post a point-by-point response to Warren’s e-mail, contending that most—if not all—of his complaints regarding George Mair’s book and the Lighthouse Trails Press Release were generally misstated and simply not true. Warren’s e-mail and the Lighthouse Trails point-by-point refutation are still posted at www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com.

Thou Dost Protest Too Much

photo: George Mair (see related link at bottom of this post)

In his e-mail to Lighthouse Trails, the pastor with a reputation for being “seeker-friendly” was anything but “seeker-friendly” with George Mair. Although Rick Warren has stated on numerous occasions that there are 2.3 billion Christians* in the world, he made it clear in his e-mail he did not consider Mair to be one of them. Even though Mair described himself as a Christian (and actually was attending Saddleback for two years while he was writing A Life with Purpose), Warren dismissed Mair as “an unbeliever”—someone who “was not even born again.” In questioning Mair’s faith, Warren was trying to undermine Mair’s credibility in commenting on anything pertaining to Warren and the Church Growth movement. In his e-mail to Lighthouse Trails, Warren wrote:

George Mair, an unbeliever, evidently wanted to make a quick buck turning out a book on me, at the peak of the popularity of The Purpose Driven Life . . . Since he is not even born again, he certainly wouldn’t understand theology, what I believe, or even the basics of our ministry.4

Perhaps hopeful that Mair’s reference to “New Age prophet Norman Vincent Peale” would be buried along with the Lighthouse Trails documentation of Ken Blanchard’s New Age endorsements, Warren made it seem that George Mair’s book was completely worthless—even though Mair’s book had nothing but effusive praise for Rick Warren and his ministry. Using capital letters to make his point and to express his displeasure with Mair, Warren wrote in the e-mail:

THERE IS ALMOST NOTHING CORRECT IN MAIR’S BOOK. Practically every page has either a factual error, a made-up story, or Mair’s weird interpretation of my motives and beliefs.5

After detailing these alleged “factual errors,” Rick Warren added:

I could go on and on, but any author who gets such basic facts wrong (that are easily checkable) should not be trusted with his interpretation of anything.6

In attempting to discredit George Mair, it appeared that Rick Warren was also attempting to discredit Lighthouse Trails and what they had written about Ken Blanchard. However, as Lighthouse Trails was quick to point out, it was Warren who was getting most of his facts wrong. For example, in regard to Blanchard’s New Age endorsements, Warren stated in his e-mail to Lighthouse Trails that Blanchard’s actions were the result of Blanchard being a “new believer.” He said Blanchard should not be held responsible for those endorsements because they had been made before he was a Christian. He wrote:

Ken is a new believer—a new creature in Christ. He should not be held accountable for statements or endorsements he made before he became a Christian. And he’s just learning now.7

But Lighthouse Trails would show in their point-by-point refutation that Rick Warren’s statement about Ken Blanchard being “a new believer” was not true—at least according to Blanchard, who, by his own description, had been a believer for fifteen years—since the late 1980s. In fact, Warren was sitting next to Blanchard at the 2003 Lead Like Jesus Celebration in Birmingham, Alabama when Blanchard described the date of his conversion to everyone at the conference. Blanchard told Warren and all those in attendance and watching on the simulcast that he had come to the Lord “in 1987-88.” As previously mentioned, Blanchard stated:

And God started sending me this team, Bob Buford, Norman Vincent Peale, and [Bill] Hybels. All kinds of people started coming after me. I finally joined up in 1987-88 and turned my life over to the Lord.8

Ken Blanchard, by his own description, was anything but “a new believer,” contrary to what Rick Warren told Lighthouse Trails in the e-mail he made public through Richard Abanes. In addition to the Birmingham Lead Like Jesus Celebration, Blanchard described his 1987-88 conversion in his 1994 autobiography, We are the Beloved: A Spiritual Journey. In We are the Beloved, Blanchard similarly explained that prior to his conversion he had been spiritually prepared by Norman Vincent Peale, Bob Buford and Bill Hybels—three men associated with Robert Schuller.9 The fact that Blanchard came to the Lord under the tutelage of Peale and two other colleagues of Schuller, explains a lot more about Blanchard’s New Age endorsements than Warren’s attempt to blame them on Blanchard being “a new believer.”

Another New Age Link: Henri Nouwen

A website for Hindu Guru Paramahansa Yogananda discloses that We Are the Beloved—Blanchard’s 1994 Christian testimony—is actually “ghost-written” by Blanchard’s longtime New Age friend, associate, and Yogananda devotee Jim Ballard.10 One of the people Blanchard dedicates his book to is Norman Vincent Peale.

Along with his praise of Norman Vincent Peale, Blanchard states that the title of his book—We Are the Beloved—was inspired by the late mystical/contemplative/Catholic priest Henri Nouwen’s book, Life of the Beloved.11 Blanchard quotes Nouwen frequently in his book and credits Leadership Network head, Bob Buford, for introducing him to the writings of Nouwen.12 Many emergent and alternative church figures were trained by Bob Buford’s Leadership Network. They too tout Nouwen and other mystics in their writings. Nouwen is a favorite of both Rick Warren and his wife, Kay. In Ray Yungen’s book, A Time of Departing, which exposes the contemplative prayer movement, Yungen documents the Warrens’ strong admiration for Nouwen as well as Warren’s promotion of other contemplative prayer teachers.13

Interestingly, Robert Schuller incorporated Nouwen’s ideas into the Institute for Successful Church Leadership that was attended by thousands of pastors, including Rick Warren. In addition, Schuller had Nouwen as a special guest on the Hour of Power television program in 1992. After Nouwen appeared on that program, his “reputation [among Protestants] blossomed dramatically.”14 In his book Here and Now, Henri Nouwen presents his bottom-line belief—that is also the bottom-line teaching of the New Age/New Spirituality—that God is “in” everyone. He wrote:

The God who dwells in our inner sanctuary is also the God who dwells in the inner sanctuary of each human being.15

Nouwen’s seductive but obviously false New Age teaching that God is “in” everyone parallels Robert Schuller’s sermon at the Crystal Cathedral when he proclaimed that God is “in” every single human being.16 This foundational teaching taught by Nouwen, Schuller and countless New Age teachers is, again, what Norman Vincent Peale taught in his 1952 book The Power of Positive Thinking when he wrote: “God is in you.”17

Blanchard’s Book with Peale

A probable key to Ken Blanchard’s New Age inclinations is alluded to in We are the Beloved. He writes that one of the ways he listens to God is by reading The Daily Word—a monthly New Age publication his mother had been giving to him since he was a child:

Listening, for me, also includes reading other helpful devotional books. In addition to reading the Bible each morning, I usually read a selection from a daily devotional—a collection of inspirational readings designed to be read through in a year. My current favorites are Time With God and The Daily Word (a monthly publication my mother has given me since I was a child).18

The Daily Word is published in Unity Village, Missouri by the New Age Unity School of Christianity. Their “Christianity” is definitely not biblical. In fact, they are long-time proponents of A Course in Miracles that teaches that “the recognition of God is the recognition of yourself”19 and that we are all Christ.20 As previously mentioned (on page 38), the Unity School of Christianity is where Robert Schuller told New Age believers about the need to counter Christian “Fundamentalists” by “positivizing” the Christian faith.

Norman Vincent Peale and Robert Schuller were both drawn to the New Age/New Thought “principles” of the Unity School. Peale said he believed the Unity movement was “good” because it “has brought the Divine into the consciousness of untold thousands of people.”21 Schuller also showed his adherence to these Unity “principles” when he said “how helpful they had been to him in his work.”22

While Rick Warren and his apologist probably hoped that the Ken Blanchard “problem” would just quietly disappear, more New Age implications regarding Blanchard would come to light. In 1988 when Blanchard really was a new believer—he co-authored a book with Norman Vincent Peale. The book was titled The Power of Ethical Management and was based on New Age/self-esteem type principles popularized by Peale and Schuller through the years. The book was published just two years after Peale endorsed Bernie Siegel’s book Love, Medicine & Miracles.

Church Growth: Peale, Schuller, Warren
In his e-mail to Lighthouse Trails, Rick Warren made only one mention of Norman Vincent Peale in expressing his objections to George Mair’s book. He stated: “Mair says that New Age Minister Norman Vincent Peale was my mentor!”23 But as Lighthouse Trails pointed out in their response to Warren, Mair never said that Peale was Rick Warren’s “mentor.” Mair simply stated that Peale had been instrumental in laying the groundwork for today’s Church Growth movement.24 Robert Schuller, however, has openly described Peale as his mentor.25 And Schuller has described how Peale’s 1957 appearance at his church helped to catapult Schuller and his church into prominence. Schuller’s megachurch soon inspired the whole Church Growth movement.26 And while Warren avoids crediting Peale or Schuller for influencing his ministry, there is no doubt that Saddleback Church was forged in the bowels of a Church Growth movement that was inspired by their teachings. Just as clearly as Schuller described Norman Vincent Peale as his mentor, Schuller’s Hour of Power website stated that Rick Warren had been “mentored” by Schuller’s ministry.27

Stumbling into the Truth
Many people felt empathy for George Mair. All he did was write a positive, upbeat account of Rick Warren and his Purpose Driven movement. It was a given that Mair was a popular writer who knew he had a good story in Warren. But the fact of the matter is that he wrote a very flattering account of Warren’s life and ministry. He had even subtitled his book—The Reverend Rick Warren: the Most Inspiring Pastor of Our Time. While writing his book, Mair had attended Saddleback Church and even contributed money to the church. On paper—book or no book—George Mair would seem to be the kind of person Rick Warren would want to reach out to and try to encourage in the faith. Yet Warren expressed nothing but disdain for this man who had only good things to say about him. Mair had obviously hit a very sensitive nerve with Warren.

What was it about Mair’s book that affected Rick Warren so greatly? The objections Warren listed seemed rather trivial and superficial. Was Warren really that upset over whether or not he was described as meeting his wife in high school or college? Or whether or not Warren’s father officially headed up a youth ministry? Or were the issues Warren raised masking his real concern regarding Mair’s book—how Mair had described Norman Vincent Peale and Robert Schuller as the founding fathers of the modern day Church Growth movement that eventually gave birth to Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church and his whole Purpose Driven movement.

Rick Warren protested in his e-mail to Lighthouse Trails that he had never even read Norman Vincent Peale’s The Power of Positive Thinking. But what Warren was overlooking was that Robert Schuller probably read every book Peale ever wrote and that Schuller had incorporated many of Peale’s teachings into his own books and sermons. These teachings were then passed on to pastors, like Warren, who were now passing them on to others whether they realized it or not. In Deceived on Purpose, I wrote:

[I]t seemed that one of Rick Warren’s unstated purposes was to mainstream Robert Schuller’s teachings into the more traditional “Bible-based” wing of the Church. Many believers who seem to trust Rick Warren, ironically, do not trust Robert Schuller. Rick Warren’s “magic” seems to be able to make the teachings of Robert Schuller palatable to believers who would have otherwise never accepted these same teachings had they come directly from Schuller himself.28

Whether or not Rick Warren ever read The Power of Positive Thinking or ever met one-on-one with Robert Schuller were not the issues. The point George Mair made most effectively in his book was that Warren and the whole Church Growth movement had been greatly influenced by Norman Vincent Peale and Schuller. And this was not something that Rick Warren wanted to see in a book published by Penguin Books and going out to countless numbers of people. Mair’s observations have underlined my concern regarding the definite New Age implications to Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven movement.

George Mair probably understood very little about New Age teachings. The New Age was probably not something evil or deceptive to him. But in his research, he came upon the Lutheran Quarterly article that described Norman Vincent Peale’s attraction to New Age teachings. All Mair did was report what he found. He wasn’t making any judgment about Peale or the New Age. I knew from a book Mair had previously written about Oprah Winfrey, that he had similarly discovered Oprah’s New Age affections and her relationship with New Age leader Marianne Williamson. To Mair, this wasn’t a negative thing. It was just part of what turned up in his research. However, by simply doing his homework, Mair had turned over a Norman Vincent Peale-Robert Schuller rock that Warren would have preferred being left alone. Ironically, Mair was just trying to write a positive book about Rick Warren. It just so happened that he stumbled upon the truth.

Christian Charity?
George Mair was stunned by Rick Warren’s overwhelmingly negative—even hostile—reaction to his book. It never occurred to Mair that “the most inspiring pastor of our time” would be so offended by the writing of such a favorable book. Prior to the untoward treatment he received from Rick Warren and his apologists, Mair said he had been extremely impressed with Warren and his Purpose Driven ministry. During the writing of his book, Mair said he had come to believe that Rick Warren was a “great man.”29 After A Life With Purpose was published, Mair acknowledged he was genuinely shocked by the angry response he received from Warren and his apologist. Commenting specifically on this, George Mair stated:

I am stunned by the viciousness of the attacks on me although I know that sort of thing happens (never has in my 20 or so previous works). . . . Even more curious to me is what happened to the concept of Christian charity. 30

Two further notes of irony. First, to insure the accuracy of his book, George Mair wanted to make sure his manuscript was made available to Rick Warren before it went to press. According to a written statement Mair provided to Lighthouse Trails, he contacted Saddleback’s “chief attorney,” but several months went by with no response from the attorney. When the Saddleback attorney finally responded, it was too late—the book had already gone to press.31 Secondly, as Warren appeared to distance himself from Ken Blanchard, Warren was actually sitting on the National Board of Blanchard’s Lead Like Jesus organization and would be one of the key endorsers of Blanchard’s 2005 book, Lead Like Jesus. But even with Saddleback’s all-out efforts at damage control, Rick Warren and his staff were about to be embarrassed in a whole new way by one of Rick Warren’s “best friends.”

Endnotes:

1. May 31, 2005 e-mail from Rick Warren to Lighthouse Trails Publishing, LLC., http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/emailfromrw.htm, sent at 12:15am.
2. Editors at Lighthouse Trails Publishing, LLC, “Special Report: Rick Warren Teams Up With New-Age Guru Ken Blanchard!” (April 19, 2005, http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/PressReleasekenblanchard.htm).
3. Richard Abanes posted it on AR-Talk (AR-Talk website: http://apologia.org/html/ar_talk.html).
4. May 31, 2005 e-mail from Rick Warren, op. cit.
5. Ibid.
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid.
8. Lead Like Jesus Celebration, November 20, 2003, Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, op. cit.
9. Ken Blanchard, We Are the Beloved: A Spiritual Journey (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994), pp. 23-28.
10. SRF Devotee: Connecting SRF Devotees Worldwide: Featured artist Jim Ballard, http://www.srfdevotee.com/featured/spotlite.html.
11. Ken Blanchard, We Are the Beloved, op. cit., p. 95.
12. Ibid.
13. Ray Yungen, A Time of Departing (Eureka, MT: Lighthouse Trails Publishing, LLC, 2nd ed., 2006), chapter 8, “America’s Pastor.”
14. Deirdre LaNoue, The Spiritual Legacy of Henri Nouwen (New York, NY: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2000), p. 49.
15. Henri Nouwen, Here and Now (New York, NY: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1997 edition), p. 22.
16. Robert H. Schuller, “God’s Word: Rebuild, Renew, Restore,” op. cit.
17. Norman Vincent Peale, The Power of Positive Thinking, op. cit., p. 40.
18. Ken Blanchard, We Are the Beloved, op. cit., pp. 65-66.
19. A Course in Miracles: Combined Volume: Text, Workbook for Students, Manual for Teachers (Glen Ellen, CA: Foundation for Inner Peace, 1975, 1992), Text section: p. 147.
20. Ibid., (A Manual for Teachers section ), p. 87.
21. Ray Yungen, For Many Shall Come in My Name (Eureka, MT Lighthouse Trails Publishing, LLC, 2nd edition, 2007), p. 47, citing Neal Vahle, The Unity Movement: Its Evolution and Spiritual Teachings (Radnor, PA: Templeton Foundation Press, 2002, quote by Norman Vincent Peale), p. 423.
22. Ibid., p. 48, citing Marcus Bach, The Unity Way (Unity Village, MO: Unity School of Christianity, 1982), p. 267.
23. May 31, 2005 e-mail from Rick Warren to Lighthouse Trails, op. cit.
24. George Mair, A Life With Purpose, op. cit. p. 93.
25. Robert Schuller, “Trust for the Crust,”op. cit.
26. Robert Schuller, My Journey: From an Iowa Farm to a Cathedral of Dreams (San Francisco, CA: HarperCollins, 2001, First Edition), pp. 227-233; Norman Vincent Peale visited Schuller’s drive-in theater church on June 30, 1957.
27. “Who are we?” (Hour of Power, Jubilee Celebration Year; this is no longer on the Hour of Power website but can be accessed at: http://web.archive.org/web/20071122165352/http://www.hourofpower.org/Jubilee/who_are_we.cfm).
28. Warren B. Smith, Deceived on Purpose, op. cit., p. 113.
29. Editors at Lighthouse Trails, “George Mair’s Book: A Life with Purpose” (June 8, 2005, http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/mairwarren.htm); also see: “A Public Response from Lighthouse Trails Publishing” (June 17, 2005, http://www.lighthousetrailresearch.com/report3.htm).
30. Ibid.
31. A letter sent from George Mair to Lighthouse Trails in 2005 describing these events. On file.

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