The New Spirituality is a paradigm for devotion and spiritual formation that utilizes unorthodox forms, liturgical rites and rituals, para-religious paraphernalia, and philosophical approaches originating from corruptions of Bible concepts and from so-called “ancient” traditions and extrabiblical sources. It emphasizes individualistic spiritual autonomy and focuses on personal ostensible “spiritual” experience rather than on proven and accepted, i.e., orthodox, scriptural doctrine. It is rooted in Dark Ages mysticism, particularly early-Catholic mysticism paganism, and the occult though insidiously cloaked in common Christian terminology. The fundamental premise of The New Spirituality is pantheistic (God is all) and panentheistic (God is in all). It advocates and actively promotes an all-inclusive ecumenicism achieved through wildly liberal doctrinal syncretism.
The New Spirituality is known by many names and assignations, such as The Spiritual Formation Movement, Contemplative Spirituality, and The Spiritual Disciplines, Emergent or Emerging, et al. A few of the high-profile leaders of the “movement” are Richard Foster, a Quaker and former professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, Brian McLaren, a prominent Emergent theologian, Bill Hybels of Willow Creek churches, and Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven” series and lead pastor of Saddlebrook Church. A growing number of prominent names of the Pentecostal and Neo-Pentecostal streams are identifying with aspects of The New Spirituality as well, Mike Bickel, Mark Chironna, James Goll, and Bill Johnson, being among the list.
As indicated in the previous post on this topic, in the interest of averting and avoiding the deceptions espoused and propagated under the general banner of “The New Spirituality” it is extremely helpful in our view to be apprised of some of the “bad actors” involved in such advances of false teaching. The following list compiled by Chris Lawson and published by the Lighthouse Trails Research Project delineates individuals known to be associated with the The New Spirituality advance is present herein as an additional resource toward that goal of informing believers against such subtle deception, for the Bible is clear that even the elect are not impervious to its allure in the last days. The list is presented as a means by which to identify some of the most egregious offenders, but it is by no means exhaustive. Believers must always read with great discernment and prayer, being Berean-like in comparing the teachings of everyone with the Word of God.
The New Spirituality in the Church [List of Proponents]
Each of the following authors professes to be Christian and/or uses biblical terminology in his or her writing, yet promotes at least one of the following serious false teachings: contemplative spirituality (i.e., Spiritual Formation), the emergent, progressive “new” spirituality, the seeker-friendly, church-growth movement (e.g., Willow Creek, Purpose Driven) and/or Yoga.
A
Abbott, David L.
Adams, James Rowe
Allender, Dan
Arico, Carl J.
Armstrong, Karen
Artress, Lauren
Assagioli, Roberto
B
Babbs, Liz
Bakker, Jay
Barton, Ruth Haley
Bass, Diana Butler
Batterson, Mark
Baxter, Mary
Bell, Rob
Benner, David
Bennison, John
Bentley, Todd
Bickle, Mike
Bjorklund, Kurt
Blanchard, Ken
Boa, Kenneth
Bolger, Ryan
Bolz-Weber, Nadia
Bono
Bordenkircher, Susan
Borg, Marcus
Bourgeault, Cynthia
Bronsink, Troy
Brother Lawrence
Brueggemann, Walter
Bruteau, Beatrice
Buchanan, John M.
Budziszewski, J.
Buford, Bob
Burke, Spencer
C
Calhoun, Adele Ahlberg
Caliguire, Mindy
Campbell, Joseph
Campolo, Bart
Campolo, Tony
Canfield, Jack
Card, Michael
Carroll, L. Patrick
Chalke, Steve
Chalmers, Joseph
Chinmoy, Sri
Chittister, Joan
Claiborne, Shane
Coe, John
Coffin, William Sloane
Collins, Jim
Crabb, Larry
Cron, Ian
Crossan, John Dominic
Crowder, David
D
De Mello,
Anthony De Waal, Esther
Demarest, Bruce
Dillard, Annie
Dowd, Michael
Dykes, David R
Driscoll, Mark
Drury, Keith
Dyckman, Katherine Marie
E
Edwards, Gene
Edwards, Tilden
Egan, Harvey
Epperly, Bruce
Evans, Rachel Held
F
Felten, David
Fleming, Dave
Flowers, Betty Sue
Ford, Leighton
Fosdick, Harry Emerson
Foster, Richard
Fox, George
Fox, Matthew
Friend, Howard E., Jr.
Funk, Mary Margaret
G
Garrison, Becky
Geering, Lloyd
Gibbs, Eddie
Gire, Ken
Goleman, Daniel
Goll, James
Graham, Dom Alfred
Greig, Pete
Griffin, Emilie
Griffiths, Bede
Gru, Jean-Nicholas
Gungor
H
Haas,
Peter Traban
Haight, Roger
Haliczer, Stephen
Hall, Thelma
Hansen, Mark Victor
Hays, Edward
Hazard, David
Healey, Charles
Hedrick, Charles
Hildegard of Bingen
Hipps, Shane
Holmes, Emily
Hougen, Judith
Humphreys, Carolyn
Hunard, Hannah
Hunt, Anne
Hunter, Todd
Hybels, Bill
I
Ignatius Loyola, St.
Issler, Klaus
J
Jager, Willigis
Jenks, Gregory C.
Johnson, Bill
Johnson, Jan
Johnston, William
Jones, Alan
Jones, Laurie Beth
Jones, Tony
K
Kaisch, Ken
Keating, Thomas
Kelsey, Morton
Kent, Keri Wyatt
Kidd, Sue Monk
Kimball, Dan
King, Mike
King, Robert H.
Kraft, Robert A.
Kreeft, Peter
L
L’Engle, Madeleine
Lamott, Anne
Law, William
M
Madigan, Shawn
Main, John
Manning, Brennan
Martin, James
Mattioli, Joseph
Matus, Thomas
May, Gerald
McColman, Carl
McKnight, Scot
McLaren, Brian
McManus, Erwin
Meninger, William
Meyers, Robin R.
Miller, Calvin
Miller, Donald
Moon, Gary
Moore, Beth
Moore, Brian P.
Moran, Michael T.
Moreland, J.P.
Morganthaler, Sally
Mother Theresa
Mundy, Linus
Muyskens, John David
N
Newcomer, Carrie
Norris, Gunilla Brodde
Norris, Kathleen
Nouwen, Henri
O
Ortberg, John
P
Pagels, Elaine
Pagitt, Doug
Palmer, Parker
Paloma, Margaret M.
Patterson, Stephen J.
Peace, Richard
Peale, Norman Vincent
Pennington, Basil
Pepper, Howard
Peterson, Eugene
Piper, John
Plumer, Fred
Pope Benedict XVI
Procter-Murphy, Jeff
R
Rakoczy, Susan
Reininger, Gustave
Rhodes, Tricia
Robbins, Duffy
Robbins, Maggie
Rohr, Richard
Rolle, Richard
Rollins, Peter
Romney, Rodney
Ruether, Rosemary Radford
Rupp, Joyce
Russell, A.J.
Ryan, Thomas
S
Sampson, Will
Sanford, Agnes
Scandrette, Mark
Scazzero, Pete
Schuller, Robert
Selmanovic, Samir
Senge, Peter
Shannon, William
Shore, John
Sinetar, Marsha
Sittser, Gerald
Smith, Chuck, Jr.
Smith, Elizabeth
Smith, James Bryan
Southerland, Dan
Spangler, Ann
Spong, John Shelby
St. Romain, Philip
Stanley, Andy
Steindl-Rast, David
Strobel, Kyle
Sweet, Leonard
T
Talbot, John Michael
Tasto, Maria
Taylor, Barbara Brown
Teague, David
Thomas, Gary
Thompson, Marjorie
Thresher, Tom
Tiberghien, Susan
Tickle, Phyllis
Treece, Patricia
Tuoti, Frank
Twiss, Richard
V
Vaswig, William (Bill)
Virkler, Mark
Voskamp, Ann
W
Wallis, Jim
Wakefield, James
Ward, Benedicta
Ward, Karen
Warren, Rick
Webber, Robert
Wilhoit, James C.
Willard, Dallas
Wilson-Hartgrove, Jonathan
Winner, Lauren
Wink, Walter
Wolsey, Roger
Wright, N.T.
Y
Yaconelli, Mark
Yaconelli, Mike
Yancey, Phillip
Yanni, Kathryn A.
Yarian, Br. Karekin M., BSG
Young, Sarah
Young, William Paul
Yungblut, John R.
Z
Zeidler, Frank P.
This list was compiled by Chris Lawson and published by the Lighthouse Trails Research Project. Our thanks to them both for their untiring and tedious labors in researching these matters and making this list available to us to republish.
Here are a few of the other articles relative to this topic posted by SLM:
MYSTIC
HERETICS CHRISTIANS MUST AVOID
INCURSION OF MYSTICISM INTO
THE PENTECOSTAL-CHARISMATIC STREAM
RICK
WARREN PIED PIPER TO END-TIMES BABYLONIAN CHURCH
A
BRIEF PRIMER ON THE CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER DECEPTION
THE
JESUIT AGENDA BEHIND FALSE ECUMENCISM
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