My study into the emerging church started when a pastor back East asked if I knew anything about “The One Project”. When I began to study into the history of the Project and those who started the movement, I was lead to enquire about the Emerging Church and its teachings and history. I found that it deals with much more than just “spiritual formation” and “centering prayer.”
Tape cassette series produced in 1995, four years after Quantum Spirituality, joining with Warren.
In 2008, Sweet issued an explanation or response to all the criticism he had been getting about his theology and new age/Emerging Church connections. Sweet claimed he had no connection with New Age, and was opposed to the Emerging church ideas, but never refuted all the garbage he has put out from 1991 through 2008. See slides below.
Warren Smith, who has written much about the spiritualistic, New Age, emerging church errors that have been coming into the Evangelical world has this to say about Sweet’s doctrines:
Omega? Panentheism (from Greek πᾶν (pân) "all"; ἐν (en) "in"; and θεός (theós) "God"; "all-in-God") is a belief system which posits that the divine (be it a monotheistic God, polytheistic gods, or an eternal cosmic animating force), interpenetrates every part of nature and timelessly extends beyond it. Panentheism differentiates itself from pantheism, which holds that the divine is synonymous with the universe.[1]
In panentheism, the universe in the first formulation is practically the whole itself. In the second formulation, the universe and the divine are not ontologically equivalent. In panentheism, God is viewed as the eternal animating force behind the universe. Some versions suggest that the universe is nothing more than the manifest part of God. In some forms of panentheism, the cosmos exists within God, who in turn "pervades" or is "in" the cosmos. While pantheism asserts that 'All is God', panentheism goes further to claim that God is greater than the universe. In addition, some forms indicate that the universe is contained within God.[1] Much Hindu thought is highly characterized by panentheism and pantheism.
The 2012 web-page at Christian Book Distributers list 14 books on Emerging Church and Leonard Sweet, and lists 68 items with a “Leonard Sweet” only search.
A is for Abduction, released Jan. 2003,
Brian McLaren is a prominent Christian pastor, author, activist and speaker and leading figure in the emerging church movement. He has often been named one of the most influential Christian leaders in America and was recognized by Time Magazine as one of the 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America in 2005. McLaren is on the international steering team and board of directors for Emergent Village.
Jerry Haselmayer (B.A., University of Southern Indiana) is president and founder of Leadership Pathways, a consulting firm that partners with clients to deliver experiential learning, tailored personal coaching, and organizational change. An ordained minister, he lives in Cincinnati with his wife and three children. http://www.amazon.com/Jerry-Haselmayer/e/B003Y376Q6
Amazon.com Review of the book A is for Abduction. Of course you can find many good things said about the book by many supporters as well.
Jesus Drives Me Crazy! Released June 2003
The official book description on Amazon, most likely taken from the back cover or forward inside the book.
One of the book review on Amazon.com
The Church in Emerging Culture: Five Perspectives. Released Oct. 2003
Leonard Sweet is general editor who holds a “conversation” with five other church leaders. Thus he can direct the emphasis of the book!
* Andy Crouch is young writer and editor
* Michael S. Horton is a reformed theologian
* Frederica Mathewes-Green is an Orthodox Christian and commentator
* Brian McLaren is a pastor and senior fellow of Emergent Village.
* Erwin Raphael McManus is a cultural revolutionary and pastor of the innovative and interethnic L.A. based community Mosaic.
The idea of the book is have a “conversation” with several people who have different views of Emerging culture and what the churches response should be. It seems clear from many of the reviews that the liberal, progressive thoughts are held up prominently as the correct answer.
Official book description from Amazon.com, taken from the back cover. Asked what seems to be a rhetorical questions in their estimation. The Emerging Church is pitted against Reformed, Orthodox ideas in “conversation,” with the editor of course supporting the Emerging church ideas.
Some obviously saw that McLaren was given the last word by the editor Sweet who is more sympathetic to his views than any of the other authors.
Summoned to Lead. Released 2004, one of his earlier books on leadership. We will return to the issue of Leadership a little later with the book I Am a Follower in Presentation 4.
Fall of 2005, George Fox University published an interview with Leonard Sweet on the Emerging Church.
Notice the drawing away from any form of organization and leadership.
Remember the idea of tables and chairs, we will see this again. “Key words for emerging churches are incarnational, missional, and relational.” These are all terms being used in the SDA church by those pushing this movement.
The Gospel According to Starbucks: Living with a Grande Passion, Jan. 2007
Alex Bryan quotes several times from this book in his doctoral thesis which was under the mentorship of Leonard Sweet at George Fox University.
The Gospel According to Starbucks: Living with a Grande Passion, Jan. 2007
The Gospel According to Starbucks: Living with a Grande Passion, Jan. 2007
Jesus Manifesto, June 2010.
“Frank Viola has been pioneering in organic missional church life since 1988. He brings over 20 years of experience to the table in what is now a growing phenomenon. Beyond planting organic missional churches, he is a bestselling author and sought-after conference speaker. Frank's public speaking covers a wide range of topics including the centrality, supremacy, and all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ, the deepening of the spiritual life, Christian community, church planting, God's eternal purpose, mission, and church renewal. He has written numerous books on the deeper Christian life and radical church reform, including the bestsellers From Eternity to Here, Jesus Manifesto (coauthored with Leonard Sweet), and Pagan Christianity? (co-authored with George Barna). …” (from his own website: http://frankviola.org/biography/)
He has written several books: Reimagining Church: Pursuing the Dream of Organic Christianity; Finding Organic Church : A Comprehensive Guide to Starting and Sustaining Authentic Christian Communities; Beyond Evangelism; Epic Jesus: The Christ you Never Knew. Book sets sold under caption: “Its Time to ReChurch.” see also: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_church)
This book uses language that we will find in the One Project. This book is being promoted by Alex Bryan and The One Project.
Verbatim quote from CBD Christian Book Distributors web site.
Official Book Review Book seller posts on Amazon.com. Sounds good at first glance.
Continuing Amazon official Review. Openly states that some find it to teach pantheistic ideas. Many of the other unsolicited reviews had similar things to say about the book.
These are a couple of statements taken from one page of Sweet’s book. Concepts here are pantheistic in nature, and a view which Sweet has clearly expressed in other books before this.
“[footnote 13] For another way of putting it, ‘the beating heart of the universe now beneath a human heart,’ see English literary critic Muriel C. Bradbrook as quoted by Michael Mayne in, “The Enduring Melody” (2006), p. 179.”
“Muriel Clara Bradbrook (1909 – 11 June 1993) was a British literary scholar and authority on Shakespeare. She was Professor of English at the University of Cambridge, and Mistress[1] of Girton College, Cambridge.” “Michael Clement Otway Mayne KCVO (10 September 1929 – 22 October 2006) was an English priest of the Church of England who served as the Dean of Westminster.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Mayne)
Martin Buber (1878-1965) however, is the person who coined the statement “The beating heart of the universe is holy joy.” Martin Buber was an Austrian-born Israeli philosopher best known for his philosophy of dialogue, a form of existentialism centered on the distinction between the I-Thou relationship and the I-It relationship.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Buber) This statement of his is quoted on numerous web sites with other pantheistic/New Age sentiments.
Sweet’s “Christ dwells in us” is stated as a fact for all men. This is a Hindu idea and at the heart of pantheism, but only true of the Christian and not in a metaphysical way.
“[footnote 15] Maria Mckee on Nightmusic ‘Breathe,’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v+RvRxYty2ie0.” Sweet’s reference is taken from a YouTube video of a night club setting where McKee sings this song. There is not the slightest intimation that this is Christian song being song to Christ. For more on McKee see next slides.
Sweet suggests that “Breathe on me Breath of God” and “Breathe” by Maria McKee are one and the same?
Maria McKee was a founding member of the cowpunk/country rock band, Lone Justice, in 1982, with whom she released two albums. Some claim she had a “conversion” experience before making her 1989 album “Maria McKee”. The whole album and song “Breathe” for all practical purposes are secular songs having nothing to do with God or Christianity, (despite some claims from the CCM world), but has new age/mystical sounding lyrics about drinking, prostitution, bar hopping, love affairs, and even suicide.
Breath lyrics: “At first I was scared when I opened up my head and the motor that was running was the mind of you, I was scared when I looked at my reflection and the shine I saw were the eyes of you…. Whenever I'm alone and you're lost out there I can feel you breathe cause our lungs we share, When I'm alone anytime, anywhere, I can feel your heart beat, 'cause our blood we share. I was scared when you came into my room, The walls became the sea, your voice was the moon Oh, when you rocked me in your arms, Like a song, a wave on the tide of you.” The music video gives not the slightest hint that this is a religious song or speaking of Christ or Christianity.
“‘Show me Heaven’ is another song recorded by McKee for the soundtrack to the movie ‘Days of Thunder’ (which was released in June 1990). McKee's recording was a massive hit in the United Kingdom, spending four weeks at number-one in September 1990, and became by far her highest-charting single ever.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Show_Me_Heaven) “She refused to perform this song in public up until recently, when she sang it for the first time in eighteen years, at Dublin Gay Pride.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_McKee)
This song has nothing to do with Christianity. It is an erotic, sensual song, mixing metaphorical language to describe a sexual encounter. The Music Video is from a bedroom scene. “Hey babe I need your hand to steady me.” Really? Is she talking about Christ?
1993 Album, “You gotta sin to get saved,” has a very similar theme.
(EGW) “Pantheistic theories are not sustained by the Word of God. The light of His truth shows that these theories are soul-destroying agencies. Darkness is their element, sensuality their sphere. They gratify the natural heart, and give license to inclination. …
The sophistries regarding God and nature that are flooding the world with skepticism are the inspiration of the fallen foe, who is himself a Bible student, who knows the truth that it is essential for the people to receive, and whose study it is to divert minds from the great truths given to prepare them for what is coming upon the world.
I have seen the results of these fanciful views of God, in apostasy, spiritualism, and free-lovism. The free-love tendency of these teachings was so concealed that at first it was difficult to make plain its real character. Until the Lord presented it to me, I knew not what to call it, but I was instructed to call it unholy spiritual love.”--Testimonies, vol. 8, pp. 291, 292. (1904)
Leonard Sweet seeks to give the Hymn “Breathe on me….” a mystical new age meaning, and puts it in the same category as the secular mystical song “Breathe”. But this is ridiculous based on the facts. A simple comparison will bring this out.
“… the mind of you” and “the eyes of you” phrases are pantheistic and New Age in nature, and have nothing to do with giving ones self to Christ as Leonard Sweet claims. Yet this book is being promoted, as we will see, by The One Project.
“Breath on me Breath of God,” was written by Edwin Hatch in 1878 and is taken from the thoughts in John 20:22—“He breathed [1720 Strong’s] on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” [Strong’s 1720: “From G1722 and φυσάω phusaō (to puff; compare G5453); to blow at or on: - breathe on. This Greek word is used in Jn 20:22 and is the only place used in NT.]
Joh 20:22
He breathed on them (enephusēsen). First aorist active indicative of emphusaō, late verb, here only in N.T. though eleven times in the lxx and in the papyri. It was a symbolic act with the same word used in the lxx when God breathed the breath of life upon Adam (Gen 2:7). It occurs also in Ezek 37:9. See Christ’s promise in Joh_16:23. Jesus gives the disciples a foretaste of the great pentecost. (Clarks Commentary?)
Joh 20:22
He breathed on them - It was customary for the prophets to use some significant act to represent the nature of their message. See Jer. 13; Jer. 18, etc. In this case the act of breathing was used to represent the nature of the influence that would come upon them, and the source of that influence. When man was created, God breathed into him the breath of life, Gen_2:7. The word rendered “spirit” in the Scriptures denotes wind, air, breath, as well as Spirit. Hence, the operations of the Holy Spirit are compared to the wind, Joh_3:8; Act_2:2.
Receive ye the Holy Ghost - His breathing on them was a certain sign or pledge that they would be endowed with the influences of the Holy Spirit. Compare Act_1:4; John 2. (Barnes Commentary)
Joh 20:22
he breathed on them — a symbolical conveyance to them of the Spirit. (JFB Commentary)
Unsolicited review on Amazon.com by Michael Duran, which summarizes what many others have also said about the book.
Continued:
Unsolicited review on Amazon.com by Michael Duran, which summarizes what many others have also said about the book.
Often it is not what a person says that is so wrong as what a person fails to say or include when describing the plan of salvation. Half the story or half truth is worse than blatant error because it is more subtle.
Continued:
Unsolicited review on Amazon.com by Michael Duran, which summarizes what many others have also said about the book.
Continued:
This taken from an overall positive review. We will continue with Leonard Sweet in the next presentation.
We will continue to look at Leonard Sweet’s work in our next presentation.