Familiar Terrain but a Good Article

My pastor sent a text message, "Familiar terrain, but a good article," with a link to this article, The New Age Movement is Infiltratiing Your Church by Will Spencer. He describes a twenty-year tour through the marketplace of spirituality and sampling the many offerings that were available in "more than 30 countries around the world seeking God. Or so I thought." After returning home with no real answers to his big questions, he was introduced to apologetics and armed with answers, came to the faith. To his horror, though, when he entered the church, he discovered it had been paganized: So, you can imagine my shock to be a Prodigal Son, returning home to my Father’s house, only to discover my siblings feeding from the pig’s trough!

For example, I’ve been astounded to see the angry reaction from Christians on X when I question the Hindu practice of yoga. Enthusiasts say it’s “just stretching,” that they enjoy the exercise, or that it’s permissible as a “meat sacrificed to idols” issue (ref. 1 Cor 8) and that I should just lighten up.

The word “yoga” is based on the Sanskrit term “yuj” meaning “yoke,” as in “to yoke—or become one with—the Divine.” Every entry-level yoga teacher training explains how different poses are devoted to Hindu demons.

He then addresses a second shock of what we might call the re-enchantment of the church: I was further floored to discover the popularity of the Enneagram with Christians in positions of power. Russell Moore claims to be an “Enneagram Type 4” and spoke at the 2023 Gospel for the Enneagram Summit. Andy Stanley discussed the Enneagram on his leadership podcast saying, “It helped me tremendously.” Even N.T. Wright uncritically referenced the Enneagram on his own website, in a discussion about the Psalms.

Little do Christians know that even in New Age circles, that “personality test” was considered woo-woo!

Is the evangelical church spiritual but not religious?: Yoga and the Enneagram are two examples of New Age contamination I’ve seen in Evangelical circles, but I could name more. It seems that every day Americans aren’t the only ones who are “spiritual but not religious.” Many professing Christians are, as well.

Christians should know better. But at the encouragement of respected leaders they’ve adopted the same practices I fled from. They’re trading the rich, saving discipleship of historic Christianity for empty spiritual dead ends.

I would like to think this is a much-needed wake-up call for church leaders and their congregations but I am inclined to think most will turn past it with little more than a yawn. It is, as my pastor noted, familiar terrain for us as the church further embraces re-enchantment. 

https://mailchi.mp/9d1f5537feb3/the-resurrection-probability?e=169825fd77