They made [the LORD God] jealous with their foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols. They sacrificed to demons, which are not God. (Deuteronomy 32:16-17)

Found Among Unbelievers And Heretics

Let me give you further illustration concerning where the Gnosticism arising through the contemplative spirituality found in the warped theology of Emergent Guru Brian McLaren and most especially in the Quaker mysticism of his friend Richard Foster is quickly heading. This is the same Richard Foster who is himself the Guru of Contemplative Spirituality and as of today still remains unequally yoked together with unbelievers and heretics in the Living Spiritual Teachers Project (LSTP). We take for our most obvious example mystic Matthew Fox, another who also happens to be listed at the now infamous LSTP.

I will share a revealing excerpt from A New Reformation (ANR) the latest book by the “living spiritual teacher” Guru Fox. On the back cover of ANR we read the following glowing endorsement: “Insightful and profound. History will name Fox one of the great Christian spirits of our age.” These words are from John Shelby Spong who is about as heretical as one can be. This ought to give you a rough idea of just how far from the historic orthodox Christian faith Fox goes in this particular work.

So what are we to learn through this “insightful and profound” new reformation according to mystic Matthew Fox? Why amazingly enough it has to do with postmodernism, interfaith beliefs, and what Fox calls “deep ecumenicism.” In his EPILOGUE Fox is discussing “our moment in history.” Under the heading “Passing from Modern to Postmodern Religion” the mystic “living spiritual teacher” writes:

Another way in which religion responds to the pluralistic aspect of postmodernism is by embracing deep ecumenicism and interfaith beliefs. The traditionalists may cry “syncretism,” but the reality is that conquest, domination, elitism, and proselytizing all work together as expressions of denominationalism (118)

The Devil’s Deadly Due Emerges Again

Let’s stop the wagon train of sappy sentimentality right here for a moment. This no doubt plays well to many leaders within new evangelicalism who are deeply affected by Norman Vincent Peale and Robert Schuller, Satan”s own twin towers of sentimental selfishness masquerading as self-esteem. However, what is not commonly thought of is that both of these men in this deadly duo practiced contemplative spirituality themselves and their resultant psychobabble theology centered on pleasing man has all but crippled the Christian Church in America.

Fox is seriously out of touch with the historic revelation of God’s dealings with His nation of Israel in the Old Testament. For this chosen people of God also lived among a pluralistic society. However, from the text in Deuteronomy 32 apparently the LORD God of the Bible wasn’t as concerned with the “way in which religion responds to the pluralistic aspect” of surrounding societies. Yahweh Elohim just doesn’t seem to be aware of this allegedly pressing need for “deep ecumenicism” and the embracing of “interfaith beliefs” that the mystical mush god has revealed to his servant Matthew Fox.

Then “one of the great Christian spirits of our age” mystic Fox concludes:

Those who adopt a postmodern religious awareness see the limits to any single tradition and reach out to others who beyond their own not to steal, but to learn from them and, in turn, to purify there own tradition. As Jenks puts it, “Different cultures acknowledge each other’s legitimacy. The motives are equally political and asthetic” (page 13). Likewise, of postmodern ecumenicism, we can say that all religions acknowledge each other’s legitimacy (ibid.)

Silly Jesus, if only the Master Teacher and His apostles had understood that “all religions acknowledge each other’s legitimacy.” But this is precisely what happens when we worship each other instead of God. Can you see it now? This contemplative spirituality always ends up in the worship of man. All the mystic traditions find their “common ground” in meditation as they seek an alleged “divine spark within.” So what that George Fox of the Quakers called it the “Inner Light,” it’s still the same old rubbish now being taught by men like Matthew Fox and Richard Foster.

No wonder they can both be listed in the LSTP to help “identify living teachers whose wisdom might augment your spiritual journey.” Peas in a pod; mystics in a trance, it’s all the same thing. This new evangelical “deep ecumenicism” arrived at through contemplative spirituality is already found in the Bible anyway. Surprised? You really shouldn’t be. Have you not read:

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.(Romans 1:21-25, ESV)