From the Lighthouse blog has an important look at Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard Foster and his spurious spirituality rooted in the Counter Reformation of apostate Roman Catholicism:

This article hopes to reveal the underlying nature of Foster’s spirituality and to reject the recommendations of these Christian figures who rather than warning the body of Christ about Foster’s spiritual formation, they point to him as a credible source of spiritual nourishment… (Online source)

As an illustration of just how close to home this hits Protestant evangelicalism consider the current article from the March/April 2009 issue of Modern Reformation by Michael Horton Following Jesus: What’s Wrong and Right About the Imitation of Christ.

Dr. Horton begins by saying:

Sharing his priorities for the next thirty years, best-selling author Richard Foster disclosed his “spiritual formation agenda” in a January 2009 Christianity Today article. Foster observes that there is a lot of interest these days in “social-service projects.” “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but where, oh where, are those who think of changing themselves?”

Besides the obsession with world transformation, he complains that an overemphasis on grace in some circles “will not allow for spiritual growth” … Foster also blames much of the distraction from spiritual growth to “a Christian entertainment industry that is masquerading as worship” and “an overall consumer mentality that simply dominates the American religious scene.” 

I find much of what Foster says about contemporary spirituality persuasive. It should come as no surprise to a regular reader of this magazine that I would find him spot-on in his worry that the holiness of God has been eclipsed by the ephemeral exuberance of entertainment passing for worship and consumerism packaged as mission and discipleship…

First of all, this is not an attempt to “get” Dr. Horton, whose labors in the Lord have been of much benefit to me personally. It is simply bringing attention to what a difficult subject Spiritual Formation is going to be as it continues spreading deeper within mainstream evangelicalism and thereby gains a much larger audience.

Essentially what Dr. Horton says above is true; but only to a point. The holiness of God has been eclipsed. However, the reason for that is found when Foster asks, “where, oh where, are those who think of changing themselves?” Unless one is first sovereignly regenerated by God they have exactly zero real chance to change themselves.

But then again, with their repackaged pietism passing for Christianity, the semi-pelagian (at best) form of man-centered Emergence Christianity of which Foster, and his spiritual twin Dallas Willard, were mentors clearly does not understand that.  And the Body of Christ has no need for their highly subjective Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism, which is, in and of itself, a repudiation of Sola Scriptura.

No, nothing good is going to come by attempting to graft into the faith men like Foster and their very wrong, and highly ecumenical, anti-Reformation philosophies dependent upon man’s wisdom. Frankly, there are others men like Dr. Horton can point us to because as a friend of mine said: I would never speak favorably of Benedict XVI for fear others may be confused about his “goodness” when, in fact, he makes his converts twice the sons of hell.

See also:

RICHARD FOSTER AND QUAKER BELIEFS

EVANGELICAL RIP VAN WINKLES EMPLOY QUAKER MYSTIC RICHARD FOSTER FOR BEDTIME FABLES

THE TERMINOLOGY TRAP OF “SPIRITUAL FORMATION”

“CELEBRATION OF DISCIPLINE” BY RICHARD FOSTER AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THEOLOGICAL ERROR

QUAKER MYSTIC RICHARD FOSTER: CIRCUMNAVIGATE INCONSISTENCIES IN THE BIBLE

SO YOU WANT TO BE LIKE CHRIST… DITCH THE DISCIPLINES OF DALLAS WILLARD

CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY/MYSTICISM (CSM) OF SPIRITUAL FORMATION IS RECKLESS FAITH