Dangerous People

Is Emerging Church Leader, Brian McLaren, Turning His Back on the Cross?

March 20, 2005

Is Brian McLaren becoming an enemy of the Cross of Jesus Christ? While his signature and endorsement on the back of such books as Tony Campolo's Speaking My Mind and Dave Fleming's The Seeker's Way, was horrible enough, that was mild compared to what he has now done.

In the midst of Purpose Driven mania and an apparently sleeping church, Brian McLaren has endorsed a book that calls the doctrine of the Cross a vile doctrine.

That book? None other than Alan Jones' new book, Reimagining Christianity. Alan Jones in an interspiritualist and mystic in every sense of the word. Take a look at the Living Spiritual Teachers Project, of which Jones is involved. This group of about twenty-five includes Zen and Buddhist monks, New Agers and even Marianne Williamson and her Course in Miracles. The goal of this group is to destroy the belief that Jesus Christ is the only way for redemption and to integrate other world religious beliefs into Christianity.

Not only does Alan Jones believe the Cross to be vile, he says that the spiritual practice of contemplative prayer will draw Christians into the realms of all other world religions. Now on this point, we have to agree with Mr. Jones. He couldn't be more right.

Right now there are two groups of people who are rushing interspirituality and contemplative prayer into the world's midst.The first group consists of those who are not afraid nor do they keep secret the beliefs they hold. They include such as Thomas Merton, Thomas Keating, Wayne Teasdale, Bede Griffiths, Robert Schuller, Tilden Edwards, Alan Jones, Marcus Borg and the list goes on.

The second group, and in a sense a far more dangerous group because they outwardly wear the clothing of sheep, are nothing more than disciples of the first group. They include, to name a few: Richard Foster, Brennan Manning, Bruce Wilkinson, Eugene Peterson, John Ortberg, John Eldredge, Bill Hybels, and yes Rick Warren and Brian McLaren.

In time,we believe this second group will merge with this first group, proudly and openly. With Brian McLaren's help that task will be accomplished far sooner than some had expected.

http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/SpecialNewsAlertMarch202005.htm

[TBC: Contact us for a copy of our Purpose Driven Life critique or read it online at our website: www.thebereancall.org.]