Celebration of Discipline / Richard Foster

I've had to deal with this book because of my ministry. Actually, the first time I saw this book, it was the earlier edition where he actually taught about going out of one's body. That section and other sections were removed in later editions. I think his book is a mixture of some good things with some things not so good. He gives very little Biblical support for many of his statements, and he quotes in a positive way many Catholic mystics and universalists.

Foster, a Quaker, has an organization called Renovare. Many Roman Catholics are on his board. This is not surpristing since Foster quotes so many Catholics and endorses something called Contemplative Prayer, a method of meditation (Eastern/New Age meditation combined with Catholic mysticism) started in the Catholic church by monks/priests Basil Pennington and Thomas Keating. Catholic monk Thomas Merton, who was heavily influenced by Buddhist meditation, was a big influence on this.

Here are some links (I do not endorse everything on the sites of all these links but I think they do point out serious issues with Foster):
http://www.despatch.cth.com.au/Articles_D/Foster_Expose.htm

At the link below are more links on the left on Richard Foster:
http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/fosteranduniversalism.htm

http://www.cephasministry.com/new_age_richard_foster.html

An additonal article that mentions Foster:
"The Evangelical Attraction to Mysticism"
http://www.bereanbeacon.org/EvangelicalAttraction.html


Hopefully, this info will help.

 

I had liked Foster and his books, but now I may have to rethink some of this......hhhmmmmm