MAINSTREAM EVANGELICALISM EMBRACING CONTEMPLATIVE MYSTICISM

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As part of our online apologetics and discernment labors Apprising Ministries been documenting the New Downgrade within evangelicalism, which accelerated when its own mainstream made the fateful decision to more fully embrace the sinfully ecumenical Emergent Church aka the Emerging Church. Now upgraded to the Emerging Church 2.0, it actually has its own new postmodern form of “big tent” Progressive Christianity—a Liberalism 2.0—sometimes referred to by these rebels against the final authority of God’s Word as Emergence Christianity.

The EC would prove to be a Trojan Horse where Satan has been able to off-load his ne0-Gnostic mystic corruption Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM), an infestation of which is now becoming pandemic within the very heart of the church visible. I’ve told you before that this spurious CSM—the refried Roman Catholic mysticism “discovered” by Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard Foster, and now perpetrated as supposed Spiritual Formation with an able assist from his spiritual twin SBC minister Dallas Willard, was a core doctrine in the EC right from its hatching in hell.

Let me give you an idea of how long this CSM has been slithering around in mainstream evangelicalism and exactly how far it has now spread. Dr. Gary Gilley has just reviewed The Life You’ve Always Wanted, Spiritual Disciplines For Ordinary People By John Ortberg and begins by telling us that Ortberg is:

a teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church, [who] published The Life You’ve Always Wanted in 1997 and expanded it in 2002. (Online source)

So this book dates back to when the EC left from its demonic den to begin slithering toward your local church circa 1997; and further, Willow Creek—though like the EC a part of the semi-pelagian (at best) Church Growth Movement—is not Emergent but a highly influential evangelical church in the more Purpose Driven/Seeker Driven-type camp. Yet just look at the CSM skubalon Ortberg throws at the flock:

The book, however, is heavily laced with the teachings, and teachers, of mysticism and Roman Catholic traditions and rituals.

The authors he draws from and quotes are a virtual Who’s—Who of mystics both past and present:

Richard Foster (pp. 9, 81, 100, 112, 113, 143)
Dallas Willard (pp. 10, 27, 35, 43, 52, 66, 92, 106)
St. John of the Cross (pp. 36, 157)
Thomas Kelly (pp. 76, 140, 150)
Thomas Merton (pp. 85, 95, 96)
Henri Nouwen (PP. 86, 99, 158, 161, 180)
Julian of Norwich (p. 91)
George Fox (p. 142)
Ignatius of Loyola (p. 142)
The Desert Fathers (pp. 171, 180)
Francois Fenelon (p. 173)
Madame Guyon (p. 186)

In addition, there are assorted liberals and Roman Catholic leaders that he quotes positively including:

James Dunn (p. 31)
G. K. Chesterton (p. 61)
Mother Teresa (pp. 66-68)
Carl Jung (p. 77)
Tony Campolo (p. 104)
Pope John XXIII (pp. 124, 207)
Soren Kierkegaard (pp. 11, 175, 218)

And as expected, since this book is about “spiritual disciplines for ordinary people,” there is much borrowed from Roman Catholic tradition, especially from the mystical wing (pp. 44, 54, 98, 102, 131, 201). (Online source)

Despite all of the above reasons to roundly reject it, as you can see below, this book of Romish coprolite comes highly recommended by Saddleback Church of Purpose Driven Pope Rick Warren:

(Online source)

For more on books by teachers of CSM, which you’ll find recommended and sold at Saddlback, I refer you to a couple of my pieces from last year, Rick Warren, Saddleback Church, And Spiritual Disciplines andSaddleback Church, Rick Warren, And Spiritual Disciplines. So here I’ll just show you that right underneath Ortberg’s book of mystic mythology at Saddleback’s recommended resources for Spiritual Disciplines you’ll find both of the main gurus in what’s becoming a cult of Foster-Willardism:

(Online source)

Notice that both of these books are made available to its flock by Saddleback, itself one of the most influential churches within the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest *cough* Protestant denomination in the U.S. Dr. Gilley has rightly referred to Foster’s magnum opus as a virtual encyclopedia of theological error.[1] I guess other than that it’s a pretty valuable book for evangelical Protestants; such is the growing syncretism and spiritual blindness. Ah, but there’s more; you’re probably aware that Dr. John Piper has apparently taken it upon himself to rehabilitate Rick Warren’s rep for the Reformed community.