Conquest of the Contemplatives? | thebereancall.org

TBC Staff

Conquest of the contemplatives?

So, I will be reviewing a book by one of the leading contemplative advocates in the visible church.

It is somewhat shocking to me that contemplative prayer has re-infected so many churches. Ray Yungen’s book A Time of Departing, and Carolyn Greene’s excellent fiction book Castles in the Sand, plus the work of many in discernment ministries, had seemed to successfully warn Christians about this deceptive and alluring meditative practice.

But now, years later, this dangerous practice is back and seemingly stronger than ever.

Contemplative prayer is not prayer at all. It is essentially the same thing as Eastern or New Age meditation, but is masked with Christian terms and phrases. The goal in contemplative prayer is to stop the thinking process and enter into what is known as the silence. This is accomplished by repeating a word or a phrase over and over (or focusing on the breath) until the word loses its meaning and the mind becomes void.

In this silence many wonderful deceptions can occur. How sweetly and thoroughly can the unclean spirits work in this void!

Beware.

The contemplative advocates are popular, with their appealing sermons and podcasts. Many are believing their teachings and their claims.

In this book I am reading and reviewing are references to people like Brennan Manning, Richard Foster, and Richard Rohr—well, you get the picture. These are some of the people who brought this poison to the Protestant church in the first place.

Contemplative prayer is back. Or maybe, simple man that I am, it never really left.

https://thewordlikefire.wordpress.com/2022/12/01/conquest-of-the-contemplatives/