Christian mysticism and New Age mysticism (Jesus Christ, ritual, gospel, purification)

[Victor]

For Christians, the spiritual life is a relationship with God which gradually through his grace becomes deeper, and in the process also sheds light on our relationship with our fellow men and women, and with the universe. Spirituality in New Age terms means experiencing states of consciousness dominated by a sense of harmony and fusion with the Whole. So “mysticism” refers not to meeting the transcendent God in the fullness of love, but to the experience engendered by turning in on oneself, an exhilarating sense of being at one with the universe, a sense of letting one's individuality sink into the great ocean of Being.(59)

This fundamental distinction is evident at all levels of comparison between Christian mysticism and New Age mysticism. The New Age way of purification is based on awareness of unease or alienation, which is to be overcome by immersion into the Whole. In order to be converted, a person needs to make use of techniques which lead to the experience of illumination. This transforms a person's consciousness and opens him or her to contact with the divinity, which is understood as the deepest essence of reality.

The techniques and methods offered in this immanentist religious system, which has no concept of God as person, proceed 'from below'. Although they involve a descent into the depths of one's own heart or soul, they constitute an essentially human enterprise on the part of a person who seeks to rise towards divinity by his or her own efforts. It is often an “ascent” on the level of consciousness to what is understood to be a liberating awareness of “the god within”. Not everyone has access to these techniques, whose benefits are restricted to a privileged spiritual 'aristocracy'.
The essential element in Christian faith, however, is God's descent towards his creatures, particularly towards the humblest, those who are weakest and least gifted according to the values of the “world”. There are spiritual techniques which it is useful to learn, but God is able to by-pass them or do without them. A Christian's “method of getting closer to God is not based on any technique in the strict sense of the word. That would contradict the spirit of childhood called for by the Gospel. The heart of genuine Christian mysticism is not technique: it is always a gift of God; and the one who benefits from it knows himself to be unworthy”.(60)

For Christians, conversion is turning back to the Father, through the Son, in docility to the power of the Holy Spirit. The more people progress in their relationship with God – which is always and in every way a free gift – the more acute is the need to be converted from sin, spiritual myopia and self-infatuation, all of which obstruct a trusting self-abandonment to God and openness to other men and women.

All meditation techniques need to be purged of presumption and pretentiousness. Christian prayer is not an exercise in self-contemplation, stillness and self-emptying, but a dialogue of love, one which “implies an attitude of conversion, a flight from 'self' to the 'You' of God”.(61) It leads to an increasingly complete surrender to God's will, whereby we are invited to a deep, genuine solidarity with our brothers and sisters.(62)

[Victor]

The “god within“ and “theosis”

Here is a key point of contrast between New Age and Christianity. So much New Age literature is shot through with the conviction that there is no divine being “out there”, or in any real way distinct from the rest of reality. From Jung's time onwards there has been a stream of people professing belief in “the god within”. Our problem, in a New Age perspective, is our inability to recognise our own divinity, an inability which can be overcome with the help of guidance and the use of a whole variety of techniques for unlocking our hidden (divine) potential. The fundamental idea is that 'God' is deep within ourselves. We are gods, and we discover the unlimited power within us by peeling off layers of inauthenticity.(63) The more this potential is recognised, the more it is realised, and in this sense the New Age has its own idea of theosis, becoming divine or, more precisely, recognising and accepting that we are divine. We are said by some to be living in “an age in which our understanding of God has to be interiorised: from the Almighty God out there to God the dynamic, creative power within the very centre of all being: God as Spirit”.(64)

In the Preface to Book V of Adversus Haereses, Saint Irenaeus refers to “Jesus Christ, who did, through His transcendent love, become what we are, that He might bring us to be even what He is Himself”. Here theosis, the Christian understanding of divinisation, comes about not through our own efforts alone, but with the assistance of God's grace working in and through us. It inevitably involves an initial awareness of incompleteness and even sinfulness, in no way an exaltation of the self. Furthermore, it unfolds as an introduction into the life of the Trinity, a perfect case of distinction at the heart of unity; it is synergy rather than fusion. This all comes about as the result of a personal encounter, an offer of a new kind of life. Life in Christ is not something so personal and private that it is restricted to the realm of consciousness. Nor is it merely a new level of awareness. It involves being transformed in our soul and in our body by participation in the sacramental life of the Church.

[Victor]

I figured this would be a good read for catholics who wish to familiarize themselves with the differences.

[Willamena]

Originally Posted by Victor

I figured this would be a good read for catholics who wish to familiarize themselves with the differences.

And non-Catholics. Thank you.

[athanasius]

Originally Posted by Victor

I figured this would be a good read for catholics who wish to familiarize themselves with the differences.

Great points! A Great book to read on the dangers of the new age movement and how it tries to pass itself of as christian would be;
"Catholics and the New age" by Fr Mitch Pacwa

[Random]

As a former Catholic I marvel that modern members of the faith are beginning to embrace this kind of talk, Victor. It was sorely lacking for so long.

The goal of Theosis, meaning to become-like-god or Godlike, is no different than that of Yoga or Buddhist samadhi. It remains a neglected part of Catholic theology, as more than one distinguished Bishop and theologian has lamented.

The New Age paradigm arose out of a profound sense of loneliness, isolation and alienation amongst the young decades ago and right up to Generation X of the 90's, and it has been true to its birthright only in the sense that it has quickly and fatally sunk into a piteous mechanic of Self-Help nonsense and "fake" (that is, well meaning but unhelpful) gurus.

But what Theosis could do for the esteem of Catholics and the Faith in general is partly what the Church is aprehensive about.

Sadly, the fact of Catholic Christianity, or perhaps even Christianity in general, is that it is authoritarian and claims to derive its mandate from an external Deity. This means unitlateral change is unlikely in the near future, as any attempt to empower its faithful spiritually on an individual level beyond the mere talk about supernatual Grace as a state of being would mean relinquishing the booty of souls who hear the Word of God only as interpreted by fallible men.

I admire your dedication, Victor, but GOD lived before the Church and shall live long after it has waned.

Any person alone, personally, can have whatever they want if they are prepared to be responsible for their own destiny, whatever it may be.

Thanks for listening, and good OP: really enjoyed reading that.

[doppelgänger]

Here's the source, BTW:

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/po...ew-age_en.html

[bflydad]

Originally Posted by Victor

All meditation techniques need to be purged of presumption and pretentiousness. Christian prayer is not an exercise in self-contemplation, stillness and self-emptying

I'm not sure that I see the difference. While I agree that much New Age mysticism does cloak itself in pretentiousness, I don't think that it has to. Ultimately, I think mysticism is the same regardless of the label put on it. It seems to me that a dialogue of love cannot be had when you are angry or thinking about a million different things or focused on your job, you mortgage, etc. It seems to me that to engage in that dialogue of love, be it with God or with a significant other, you need to still your mind, stop worrying about everything else and focus on God/significant other.

Originally Posted by Victor

The “god within“ and “theosis”

Our problem, in a New Age perspective, is our inability to recognise our own divinity, an inability which can be overcome with the help of guidance and the use of a whole variety of techniques for unlocking our hidden (divine) potential. The fundamental idea is that 'God' is deep within ourselves. We are gods, and we discover the unlimited power within us by peeling off layers of inauthenticity.(63) The more this potential is recognised, the more it is realised, and in this sense the New Age has its own idea of theosis, becoming divine or, more precisely, recognising and accepting that we are divine. We are said by some to be living in “an age in which our understanding of God has to be interiorised: from the Almighty God out there to God the dynamic, creative power within the very centre of all being: God as Spirit”.(64)

How is this different from the Southern Baptist concept of "soul competence"? I see the thread is within the Catholic category but the title says Christian so I'm not sure whether or not this applies.

BTW, great thread. I got a lot out of reading it.

[Random]

Originally Posted by doppelgänger

Here's the source, BTW:

http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/po...ew-age_en.html

Thanks for that, Dopp. I was unaware of the site, look forward to musing over it. Despite the past, I'm always interested in what the Church is selling these days...