From Apprising Ministries:
With a link right off their main website this morning to its Christian History site Christianity Today, “a magazine of evangelical conviction,” continues leading the way back into the dark ages as they present their to a classic of corrupt Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism The Cloud of Unknowing, which begins:
Sometime during the last half of the 14th century, somewhere in England’s East Midland area, some anonymous Carthusian monk (or priest) created one of the most enduring how-to books on prayer—The Cloud of Unknowing. His intentional anonymity illustrates his main message: Christ must become more visible as his followers grow kinder and humbler. Anonymous wants readers “sincere in their intentions to follow Christ” in love. A series of letters written by this master teacher to his student, the Cloud represents the ancient tradition of Christian contemplative wisdom. This tradition began with the third-century Desert Mothers and Fathers who practiced a life of prayer in Egypt’s Scete desert, followed by the earliest Benedictines who dedicated themselves daily to regular times of lectio divina—the “sacred reading” of Scripture done in a deliberately prayerful manner.
Lighthouse Trails Research, who has done much helpful work in the field of refuting contemplative spirituality, has more about this book of mysticism in A Popular Contemplative Book. Following is what Martin Luther, who had forgotten more about these so-called “spiritual disciplines” than, for example, egregiously ecumenical Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard Foster, had to say on the subject so foolishly romanticized above:
Idolatry is all manner of seeming holiness and worshipping, let these counterfeit spiritualities shine outwardly as glorious and fair as they may; in a word, all manner of devotion in those that we would serve God without Christ the Mediator, his Word and command. In popedom it was held a work of the greatest sanctity for the monks to sit in their cells and meditate of God, [solitude] and of his wonderful works; to be kindled with zeal, kneeling on their knees, praying, and having their imaginary contemplations of celestial objects, with such supposed devotion, that they wept for joy. In these their conceits, they banished all desires and thoughts of women, and what else is temporal and evanescent. They seemed to meditate only of God, and of his wonderful works...
Read the entire article here at Apprising Ministries.
See these follow-on pieces from Apprising Ministries:
MARTIN LUTHER ON CONTEMPLATIVE SPIRITUALITY AND EMERGENCE CHRISTIANITY
SO…BE AFRAID; BE VERY AFRAID…
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Editor's note: Martin Luther called contemplative prayer idolatry. How is it that organizations such as the The Baptist General Association of Virginia (SBC) partner organization, Woman's Missionary Union of Virginia promote this idolatry?
See how elements within The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) are promoting mysticism.
Why are pastors allowing their congregations to be led to the slaughter? Why are congregations abandoning The Scriptures? Have we completely lost sight of our true purpose?
Lamentations 4
11 The LORD gave full vent to his wrath; he poured out his hot anger,and he kindled a fire in Zion that consumed its foundations.
12 The kings of the earth did not believe, nor any of the inhabitants of the world,that foe or enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
13 This was for the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests,who shed in the midst of her the blood of the righteous.
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