Celebration of Discipline by Foster

You may want to check Google Books yourself. I just did. They let you preview up to page 22 and then skip to the back cover.

There is no way to compare pp 22-27, 86 on Google Books with the above quotes.

 

Sure you can. That's where I looked it up. They only allow you to look at a certain number of pages, so you need to essentially go directly to it. I believe your "quoted" section actually begins on page 27.

 

It won't let me preview 27

 

Red flags should go up when one views the beginning of Chapter 2 of the book where Foster quotes Thomas Merton, the Catholic Mystic. (page 15)

I still am unable to get to page 27. I cannot figure how you are able to.

 

One really only need read page 2 of the book to see the 'Spiritual Disciplines' Foster speaks of is nothing more than mysticism. He states that even those who do not know Christ should practice them.

 

Havensdad...

Andy Stanley? Charles Stanleys son???

If thats who it is this is quite disappointing, considering who his dad is.

 

Tiny Tim...

I am certain there is a lot of good in the book. My responses shouldnt be viewed as a blanket condemnation of the book.

I just think that discernment is in order here.

In other words, eat the fish...throw away the bones.

 

Andy Stanley is the son of Dr. Charles Stanley:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Stanley

 

On page 27-28, Foster encourages the practice of astral projection (although he claims it is not astral projection)

He tells the reader to imagine leaving his body, looking back at this body and reassuring it that he will be back. Then the reader is told to travel in his imagination to outer space.

Friend, that is mysticism. It is a pagan practice. And Foster tries to justify doing that which God strictly frowns upon.

Earlier in the book, page 13 if I remember correctly, he is teaching another forbidden practice... that of divination.

Has God changed? My Bible tells me divination is not of God, yet here is Foster promoting it.

(information read on http://cicministry.org/commentary/issue112.htm)

 

Sounds like something Shirley McClain would endorse.

These practices are anti biblical and disobedient to God.

 

I studied this book years ago in a small group. We found it very useful. Of course if a person does not like to think of self discipline they may throw rocks at it. There are many types of self discipline that we Christians should take more seriously.

I am not sure what people mean when they use the word 'new age' in relation to this book. I see nothing new age in learning to place ourselves in God's presence where he can begin to do the work of transformation in us.

Foster lists 12 disciplines for a Christian. This is not an exhaustive list, but it is a good start.

Here is the list:

Inner Disciplines
The Discipline of Meditation
The Discipline of Prayer
The Discipline of Fasting
The Discipline of Study

Outer Disciplines
The Discipline of Simplicity
The Discipline of Solitude
The Discipline of Submission
The Discipline of Service

Corporate Disciplines
The Discipline of Confession
The Discipline of Worship
The Discipline of Guidance
The Discipline of Celebration

What is 'new age' about any of these disciplines?

 

Ya know I think the one I have benefited from the most is that of solitude. Being that I travel extensively and get to serve in a dynamic church I find it hard to be alone in a meaningful way.

Also I have been discovering fasting and the power that comes from intentionally setting yourself aside and focusing on growing closer to God. There has been tremendous blessing for me by practicing this.

Thanks for asking, I really like Foster's book and use it in combination with Don Whitney's book when I teach a seminar on the topic. I don't find anything remotely "new agey" in the book, and frankly anybody who does probably is looking too hard.

It has really help my spiritual development and growth. I am thankful the book and his ministry.:thumbsup:

 

For what its worth I'm going to make several observations:

1. Christian mysticism doesn't equal new age.

2. Andy Stanley's book on communication is very, very, very good. I actually give it to any of our members who are leaving to be trained for ministry. It is one of the better texts in the field for communicating today.

3. I think some people need to be less worried about perceptions of the "pagan" and "occult" and more invested in what they can celebrate about Christ in their lives.

 

I'm speaking about Christian mysticism from the historical perspective.

Besides I would't take the dictionary.com or gotquestions.com definitions over JND Kelly, Bauchman, Grillmeier, etc.

We're talking about two different forms here.

 

In Foster's book, he encourages the readers to use their imagination. When one researches 'imagination' in the Word of God, one finds that it is always spoken of in a negative light.

Why should one delve into one's imagination?

People are being deceived into bringing mysticism into the Church. God's Word warns against such. We are not to have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.

 

May I humbly submit that google.com isn't the best place to begin to understand this topic.

Check out an excellent text on the subject like The Essential Writings of Christian Mysticism by McGinn from your local library and use his reference list as a source to begin reading. Maybe McGrath's Christian Spirituality would work for you too.

Then go to CCEL.org and start looking up these people. Google.com is not a good place to begin understanding this, or any, theological perspective. What Joey B Blogger thinks is Christian mysticism and what actually is Christian mysticism are usually two different things.

This is the problem with the internet, the average person has no way of knowing who is and isn't qualified to speak on a subject. Just like this issue here, not all perspectives are equal.