Spirituality is a Package Deal It is crucial in understanding the New Age to know that it sees everything in a spiritual way, from a plastic container (“bad energy, low […]
Scazzero has a habit of imposing his own experiences and feelings on Scripture as well on all Christians. In this book, he makes broad generalizations, such as all Christians “wear masks,” Christians do not know how to deal with their emotions, and most Christians were not raised in healthy families. It was hard not to write, “speak for yourself!” in the margins of many pages in this book.
There are so many serious issues with this book, it is quite distressing that it is being recommended by many pastors and church leaders. I am not addressing all content of the book, only points related to my areas of my ministry or of obvious concern. Scazzero does offer some good insights in the book, but they are overshadowed by too many troubling statements.
Ezekiel had a “severe alteration of consciousness” when he had his vision in Ezekiel 8. This explains, according to Mackie, the alleged different views of reality Ezekiel and other biblical characters had, and their other “states of consciousness” (starting around 49 min.). This did not need to be spelled out to anyone when the Bible was written, claims Mackie, because they all “took it for granted.” I do not think there is evidence for this in the text; furthermore, I think that seeking such states as well as the belief in “different levels of reality” is contra God and the Bible. A forthcoming article will address this issue and attempt to explain why this is not compatible with Scripture.
Our reality, claims Mackie, is constructed from our experiences (starting around 50 min.) in which we develop “coping mechanisms” and so “what we experience as reality is a result of these shields we build up for years and years.” Whereas we take our dreams as fantasy and what happens during the day as reality, the biblical authors have “the opposite view,” asserts Mackie.
This article includes concerns with Michael Heiser, John Mark Comer, and Gregory Boyd, all influences on Bible Project’s Tim Mackie Five points of concerns are […]
[NOTE: I was asked to critique this book for the American Gospel 3, and so I decided to put my notes into an article. I do not normally cover the […]
I first read about “thin places” in some evangelical writings several years ago and was surprised this concept had made its way into the church. Thin places refer to geographic […]
A popular idea expressed in this blog with widespread impact asserts that saying God’s name “Yahweh” is equivalent to breathing. There is also a video at the link with very emotional […]
Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” John 20:29 Note: Many will say […]
Everything is Sacred: 40 Reflections on the Universal Christ (Convergent Books, 2021, hardback edition), is based on Richard Rohr’s Universal Christ book, and written in the voice of Richard Rohr’s co-author Patrick Boland, […]
John Philip Newell, who runs a spiritual community in Iona, Scotland, as well as The School of Earth and Soul in the United States (Colorado and Virginia), has become well […]