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Session 5 Final
Holly Ray
Colorado Christian University
PHL-205A
David Mau
November 12, 2023
Session 5 Final
This course taught so much about many different worldviews, and what causes and
affects them. In the textbook
Understanding the Times
by Myers and Noebel, is a list called “Ten
Ways of Looking at the World.” These “ways” are theology, philosophy, ethics, biology,
psychology, sociology, law, politics, economics, and history. This paper will compare the
worldviews of Christianity and New Spirituality/Pantheism, considering these ten ways of
looking at the world.
Christianity revolves around the belief in one tri-union God, and in the belief of Jesus
Christ incarnate God. “The Christian worldview is based squarely on the person of Jesus Christ.
As John Stott said, “Christ is at the center of Christianity; all else is circumference.” (Myers &
Noebel, 2015, p. 33). The central concerns of Christianity include surrender, salvation,
forgiveness, and redemption. Christianity’s main view is that one must believe that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God, and died for our sins so that we could be reconciled with God the Father. The
major themes of Christianity involve surrender to the Lordship of Christ, compassion, love,
humility, hope, and servitude. Christianity’s core ideas are in believing in the Holy Trinity, the
Righteousness of Jesus Christ, and in sin being an absolute truth. The ultimate goal of
Christianity is to realize the need for a Savior for our souls, living a life in relationship with the
Savior and in accordance with God’s will, while building the kingdom of God.
New Spirituality, or Pantheism, is a term used to describe a diverse set of beliefs, many
being from religions and practices from the ancient Egyptians, thousands of years old. Myers and
Noebel (2015) state “New Spirituality is hard to define because it lacks a definitive core of
belief” and that it is “an ancient worldview masquerading as a new path for meaning on which
the human race can travel in order to achieve true enlightenment” (p. 129). The central concerns
of New Spirituality involve connecting with a higher power, and spiritual enlightenment. The
major themes of New Spirituality include the idea of oneness, the importance of mindfulness and
manifestation, and an interconnectedness that God is all, and all is God. The ideas of New
Spirituality are in the belief in the power of positive thinking, the law of attraction, that we create
our own reality, that crystals and burning sage can ward off evil energy, and that people are of
one consciousness. “New Spirituality advocates often point to Jesus as an example of how to tap
into the energy field called consciousness.” (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 137). The ultimate goals
of New Spirituality are to transcend to higher consciousness and to vibrate on higher frequencies,
to “become one with the universe, where they cease to exist” (Welbaum, n.d.) while feeling free
from the confines of religion.
Though there may seem to be some similarities between New Spirituality and
Christianity, there are distinct differences. In comparing both worldviews using the “Ten Ways of
Looking at the World” in Myers and Noebels
Understanding the Times
, the contrast between the
two is stark. Reviewing each worldview individually considering theology, philosophy, ethics,
biology, psychology, sociology, law, politics, economics, and history, will give us a deeper look
revealing these differences.
Theology:
Christians believe that “God is a personal triune, creator, omnipotent,
omniscient, omnibenevolent, holy God who desires to be in a relationship with His children.”
(Sims, 2017). “Today theologians and philosophers use the word pantheism to describe this
belief. Pan means
all
and theos means
God
. Pantheists believe “all is God.” It’s an accurate
description of the theology of New Spirituality.” (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 136). Christians
believe that Christ is the way to get to heaven, while Pantheists believe that all paths lead to
heaven.
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Philosophy:
Christians have the understanding that God, also in the form of Jesus, is the
sole meaning of Truth. A verse that Christians revere and uphold is John 14:6, when Jesus says,
“I am the way, the truth, and the life” (
New International Version
, 1973/2018). New Spiritualism
does not believe in absolute truth, but rather relative truth. Believing that truth is different for
everybody; My truth is different than your truth (Parr, 2019).
Ethics:
Christianity teaches ethics based on the teachings of Jesus. The Torah was the
Old Testaments guide to ethics, and Jesus taught how to ethically live in God’s will. The ethical
principles of a Christian could be also referred to as the fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians
6:22-23; “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (
New International Version
, 1973/2018). Ethics are
gifts of guidance given to imperfect people, through the Holy Spirit, to help them live in a way
that pleases God. New Spirituality highly believes in karma, and themselves governing what is
right and wrong. “To New Spiritualists, ethics is something that happens inside a person, not the
result of divine commands or societal expectations.” (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 245).
Biology:
Christianity considers life very preciously and intimate with God as the Creator,
while New Spiritualists believe that life has evolved over time. “New Spiritualists carefully
distinguish this view from anything resembling the Christian idea of creation. As Deepak Chopra
phrases it, “Consciousness-directed evolution isn’t the same as invoking a creator God. Instead,
it introduces a property inherent in the cosmos: self-awareness.” (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p.
275). Christians believe in the sanctity of life and consider it a gift from God, that is to be
acknowledged and cared for. New Spiritualists do not regard life in the same way, but rather as
consciousness, energy and spirit.
Psychology:
Christians see the mind and soul as a vital part of being. This gives
knowledge of the God the father, and individuality. New Spiritualists focus on oneness and
meditation to quiet the mind. “Scripture is very clear that we do have a soul that is distinct from
our physical bodies, which not only can function somewhat independently of our ordinary
thought processes (1 Cor. 14:14; Rom. 8:16), but also, when we die, is able to go on consciously
acting and relating to God apart from our physical bodies. “New Spirituality denies the existence
of individual souls. Because of this fundamental difference in belief, there is quite a worldview
conflict in psychology” (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 293).
Sociology:
“The Christian worldview promotes involvement in making society better, but
it does so based on actual truths and a call to responsible choices. Christian sociology sees each
person as valuable and able to contribute to society.” (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 340). As
Western sociology is growing toward changes for the individual, and more out of the traditional
constructs of religion, New Spirituality has its place here. Pantheism is a growing community,
though not confined to any one group. This opens things up for New Spirituality to redefine
religion and gives exploration to concepts of sociology and culture.
Law:
Christianity believes that “the structure of law derives from God who is
simultaneously beyond us (transcendent) and with us (immanent)” (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p.
352). Christians see God as the originator of law. Christians submit to law, as the Bible tells us to
submit. Romans 13:1 says, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no
authority except that which God has established.” (
New International Version
, 1973/2018). New
Spirituality focuses on individuality becoming a conscious oneness. “New Spiritualists do not
spend much energy discussing law, justice, and judgment. They prefer instead to concentrate on
personal inner development, getting in touch with the God within.” (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p.
365).
Economics:
“Poverty exacts a heavy emotional and spiritual toll, but its most costly
effect is hopelessness.” (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 413). Christians trust God to be their provider
and their hope, especially in scarce times. New Spiritualists find hope in believing in the power
of positive thinking, manifestation and the law of attraction.
History:
Christians believe that God is the creator of all things and the author of time.
“Christianity is based in history” as it gives way, through the Bible, to the past and the story that
has unfolded before us and is still unfolding today (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 446). Many New
Spiritualists view history as an unraveling of higher consciousness and spiritual awakenings, that
have taken place from a higher power, or a higher self.
I support the Christian worldview, finding it most compelling. “Christians believe God
makes Himself known in nature and in the Bible. These two forms of revelation establish a
worldview—a pattern of ideas, beliefs, convictions, and habits—that leads to flourishing for
ourselves and others.” “In contrast to the biblical account, New Spirituality claims God is pure
energy, or consciousness. In this view, God has no personality or will. God is a tool to be used,
not a person to be known.” Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 33). God is not identical with nature or the
universe, nor is the universe or nature the same as God. Romans 1:20 (
New International
Version
, 1973/2018) tells us that God has revealed Himself not only in history, but also in the
beauty and order of His created world. This removes any excuse for ignorance of Himself. Sin
distorts, but it does not remove the possibility of perceiving God in nature.
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“Everything that the New Spiritualists say they are seeking is actually found in Jesus. No,
not the Jesus of popular television marketing. Not the Jesus of the New Ager’s imagination. And
not the Jesus of all talk and no walk, who is heard but never seen. The Jesus I am talking about is
the Ultimate Reality who became flesh to bring us grace and truth that we might become the
children of God.” (Zacharias, 2012). Christianity emphasizes on having a personal relationship
with God and Jesus Christ through prayer, worship and studying the Bible. Allen Parr (2019)
states that New Spirituality relies heavily on the practices of mysticism; Channeling, spirit
guides, tarot readings, and horoscopes.
God is gentle in drawing people to Him, but the story of Jesus Christ’s finished work on
the cross compels me to the Christian worldview. “No argument seems compelling to someone
unless they are, in some way, attracted to its contents. Rhetoric, emotion, persuasion, can all sell
a response for the moment; but no one continues unless the content meets some human need.”
(Beretta, 2010). Christianity has a very clear set of beliefs, making it comforting and valuable.
While there is still extraordinary mystery within the faith of Christianity, the principles are clear,
and the gospel message is compelling.
“Faith in God, as described in the Bible, is not a belief based on the lack of evidence, but
rather trusting God based on the evidence that he is trustworthy. There are many objective
reasons to believe in God based on the discoveries of modern science. Just as a painting reveals
the soul of the painter, so God’s creation reveals his soul. Studying nature through scientific
inquiry does not provide reasons to dismiss the existence of God but reveals God’s character and
gives powerful evidence for belief in God.” (Strauss, 2019). Looking deeper, we can see that
God is found in the metaphysics of all of creation. “Christianity says a creator God, not a
sequence of random cosmic accidents, is responsible for an orderly, beautiful, meaningful
cosmos. Evolutionist Paul Amos Moody affirms, “The more I study science the more I am
impressed with the thought that this world and universe have a definite design, and a design
suggests a designer.” (Myers & Noebel, 2015, p. 41).
Christianity and New Spirituality could find some common ground, but they “have a
different understanding of the world, God, Jesus, authority, knowledge, truth, morality, humanity,
evil, salvation, and on and on it could go. The only way that someone could state that these two
religions are compatible is to ignore what they actually teach – and that doesn’t seem very
honest.” (Sims, 2017). As you can see, these two worldviews are very different from one another,
but could find common ground. With these two worldviews desiring peace and love, this could
make for a more harmonious society.
References
Beretta, M. (2010, February 5).
What is it that makes Christianity so compelling to those who
believe?
Eternal Perspective Ministries. Retrieved November 12, 2023, from
https://www.epm.org/resources/2010/Feb/5/what-it-makes- christianity-so-
compelling-
those-who/
Myers, J., & Noebel, D. A. (2015).
Understanding the Times: A survey of competing worldviews
.
David C. Cook.
Sims, M. (2017, July 8).
Christianity vs. New Age Spirituality
. Marcjsims.com. Retrieved
November 11, 2023, from https://marcjsims.com/2017/07/08/christianity-vs-new-age-
spirituality/
Strauss, M. (2019, November 17).
Four reasons to believe in God from science
. Dr. Michael G.
Strauss. Retrieved November 12, 2023, from
https://www.michaelgstrauss.com/2019/11/four-reasons-to-believe-in-god-
from.html
THE BEAT by Allen Parr. (2019, August 13).
7 New Age beliefs and how to immediately
recognize them
. [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=weGGxMJbYJw
The Woman’s Study Bible - New International Version.
(1973/2018). Biblica Inc.
Welbaum, S., (n.d.). [Session 5 Video]. Colorado Christian University. PHL-205A
Zacharias, R. (2012).
Why Jesus? Rediscovering His truth in an age of mass marketed
spirituality.
FaithWorks.
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