SOME THOUGHTS on MYSTICISM
-by Eddie Hyatt.
In a recent church gathering, a well-known evangelical pastor led his congregation in a "breathing" exercise in which they were exhorted to take "nice, big, deep breaths." He explained that such breathing exercises, meditation, reflection, and silence have been central to the Christian tradition for thousands of years.
He then sought to buttress his argument by pointing out, "In Yoga, one of the central tenets is that your breath needs to remain the same regardless of pose. And the Yoga Masters say this is how you follow Jesus and surrender to God."
[i] Pastor Rob Bell is typical of many today looking to medieval mystics (and to Eastern forms of mysticism) in their search for spiritual reality. But while many medieval mystics can be admired for their passion and devotion, they cannot be followed in many of their doctrines and experiences.
They often exhibit a glaring lack of discernment and common sense because they are loyal to the medieval church and share in its lax (and sometimes hostile) attitude toward Scripture. So, while some of their experiences are, no doubt, genuine, many are obviously psychic, and some are probably demonic. Basically, these practices take you to an Altered State of Consciousness.
Commenting on medieval mysticism and its neglect of Scripture, Dr. Hans Kung, the most widely read Catholic theologian in the world today, says, These new revelations not only overshadowed the Bible and the Gospel but also Him whom the Gospel proclaims and to whom the Bible bears witness.
It is striking how rarely Christ appeared in all these "revelations," "apparitions," and "wonders." Catholics who followed in the wake of every new "revelation," which often turned out to be fantasy or deceit, indulged their desire for sensation by looking for the latest reports of miracles-and yet who had never once in their whole lives read the Scriptures from cover to cover.
[ii] The Origins of Mysticism Medieval mysticism arose in reaction to the lifeless, outward forms of the medieval church. During the same period, evangelical revival groups also emerged for similar reasons. But whereas the revival groups, such as the Waldenses and Albigneses, gave their loyalties to the Scriptures and looked there for models of faith and spirituality, the mystics tended to give allegiance to the pope and the institutional church.[iii] This meant that the mystics were more susceptible to non-Biblical approaches to spirituality, resulting in their adoption of many beliefs and practices rooted in pagan, mystical thought, particularly Neoplatonism.
To READ MORE-
http://www.biblicalawakening.blogspot.com/
[i] www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/robbelltranscript.doc
[ii] Hans Kung, The Church (Garden City, NY: Image Books, 1976), 257-58.
[iii] See my book, 2000 Years of Charismatic Christianity (Lake
Mary, FL: Charisma House, 2002) for a more thorough discussion
of this issue.
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MODERATOR:
Andrew Strom,
32 Coleridge Cres,
Killay,
Swansea, SA2 7DJ, UK
Traci Morin
Touch of God International Ministries of Healing and Deliverance - Setting the Captives Free.
