Looking at the comments section of that article reminded me of this other one on Mike Horton’s review of Jesus Calling, where readers of a Reformed blog seemed so surprised that a prominent theologian would affirm the sufficiency of Scripture.
One of the fundamentalist versions of mysticism is discerning God’s will in a particular decision via “inner peace.”
Do I hear an ax being ground?
Fair question. I suppose you could call it axe grinding to the extent I can think of a couple individuals in particular who were close to me and who put their “inner peace” ahead of biblical standards.
But I don’t think it is merely axe grinding, because it goes beyond being an issue of merely personal consequence to me. I was taught (as part of various groups) on many occasions to place importance on inner peace in discerning “the will of God” in decision-making, I observed others being taught the same, and I have seen references to that criteria in blogs/internet sources even recently. So it is also a systemic problem.
One of the fundamentalist versions of mysticism is discerning God’s will in a particular decision via “inner peace.”
Do I hear an ax being ground?
Fair question. I suppose you could call it axe grinding to the extent I can think of a couple individuals in particular who were close to me and who put their “inner peace” ahead of biblical standards.
But I don’t think it is merely axe grinding, because it goes beyond being an issue of merely personal consequence to me. I was taught (as part of various groups) on many occasions to place importance on inner peace in discerning “the will of God” in decision-making, I observed others being taught the same, and I have seen references to that criteria in blogs/internet sources even recently. So it is also a systemic problem.
Fair answer. I suppose I should have communicated that the issue was not the “inner peace”, a concept that I find appalling for the most part, but on the “fundamentalist versions of mysticism.” My tent is pretty large, and I find this piece of advice as readily in every other circle as I do in fundamentalist circles; i.e., it is not a fundamentalist issue as much as it is an issue to all well-meaning believers of practically every stripe whose ability to communicate applying the will of God to specific situations is “impaired.”
One of the fundamentalist versions of mysticism is discerning God’s will in a particular decision via “inner peace.”
Do I hear an ax being ground?
Fair question. I suppose you could call it axe grinding to the extent I can think of a couple individuals in particular who were close to me and who put their “inner peace” ahead of biblical standards.
But I don’t think it is merely axe grinding, because it goes beyond being an issue of merely personal consequence to me. I was taught (as part of various groups) on many occasions to place importance on inner peace in discerning “the will of God” in decision-making, I observed others being taught the same, and I have seen references to that criteria in blogs/internet sources even recently. So it is also a systemic problem.
Fair answer. I suppose I should have communicated that the issue was not the “inner peace”, a concept that I find appalling for the most part, but on the “fundamentalist versions of mysticism.” My tent is pretty large, and I find this piece of advice as readily in every other circle as I do in fundamentalist circles; i.e., it is not a fundamentalist issue as much as it is an issue to all well-meaning believers of practically every stripe whose ability to communicate applying the will of God to specific situations is “impaired.”
Lee: Agreed. But it stands out more (to me) in fundamentalist circles, which would generally consider themselves non- or anti-mystic.
Discussion
NewOne of the fundamentalist
One of the fundamentalist versions of mysticism is discerning God’s will in a particular decision via “inner peace.”
Newdmyers wrote: One of the
Do I hear an ax being ground?
Lee
NewLooking at the comments
Looking at the comments section of that article reminded me of this other one on Mike Horton’s review of Jesus Calling, where readers of a Reformed blog seemed so surprised that a prominent theologian would affirm the sufficiency of Scripture.
NewYes and no on the axe
Fair question. I suppose you could call it axe grinding to the extent I can think of a couple individuals in particular who were close to me and who put their “inner peace” ahead of biblical standards.
But I don’t think it is merely axe grinding, because it goes beyond being an issue of merely personal consequence to me. I was taught (as part of various groups) on many occasions to place importance on inner peace in discerning “the will of God” in decision-making, I observed others being taught the same, and I have seen references to that criteria in blogs/internet sources even recently. So it is also a systemic problem.
Newdmyers wrote: Lee
Fair answer. I suppose I should have communicated that the issue was not the “inner peace”, a concept that I find appalling for the most part, but on the “fundamentalist versions of mysticism.” My tent is pretty large, and I find this piece of advice as readily in every other circle as I do in fundamentalist circles; i.e., it is not a fundamentalist issue as much as it is an issue to all well-meaning believers of practically every stripe whose ability to communicate applying the will of God to specific situations is “impaired.”
Lee
NewAgreed
Lee: Agreed. But it stands out more (to me) in fundamentalist circles, which would generally consider themselves non- or anti-mystic.