Is esotericism as found, for example in New Age beliefs, compatible with the Christian faith? No. Esotericism ignores the reality of God. God is a personal Being; he is love and the origin of life, not some cold cosmic energy. People are willed and created by God, but people are not divine; rather, we are a creature that is wounded by sin, threatened by death, and in need of redemption. Whereas most proponents of esotericism assume that a person can redeem them self, Christians believe that only Jesus Christ and Gods grace redeem them. Nor are nature and the cosmos God (pantheism). Rather, the Creator, even though he loves us immensely, is infinitely greater and unlike anything he has created. Many people today practice yoga for health reasons, enroll in a meditation course so as to become more calm and collected, or attend dance workshops so as to experience their bodies in a new way. These techniques are not always harmless. Often they are vehicles for doctrines that are foreign to Christianity. No reasonable person should hold an irrational world view, in which people can tap magical powers or harness mysterious spirits and the initiated have a secret knowledge that is withheld from the ignorant. In ancient Israel, the surrounding peoples beliefs in gods and spirits were exposed as false. God alone is Lord; there is no god besides him. Nor is there any (magical) technique by which one can capture or charm the divine, force ones wishes on the universe, or redeem oneself. Much about these esoteric beliefs and practices is superstition or occultism. (YOUCAT questions 355-356)
Posted on: Mon, 21 Jul 2014 10:42:46 +0000
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