[I]The Road Less Traveled[/I], Is this book Biblically Sound?

I've never heard of the book, but it has a catchy title.

Dave

 

Is it anything like "On the Road" by Jack Kerouac?

-Pluvivs

 

"The Road Less Traveled" by M. Scott Peck is not Biblically sound. Peck falls into the New Age category, leaning strongly toward Buddhism.

Supposedly in the 80's, I think, Peck claimed to have become a Christian (The Road Less Traveled was written in 1978). However, shortly after I became a believer, I saw an interview in 1991 with Peck in New Age Journal (I was still getting it as I was a really new believer!). I could tell from the interview that he was into Buddhism as I had been somewhat into Buddhist beliefs and practices.

Later, he wrote Further Along the Road Less Traveled: The Unending Journey Toward Spirtiual Growth in which he describes 4 stages of spiritual growth. The highest stage is 4. Christians are at stage 2 since they are confined by their view that Jesus is the only way and the Bible is God's word. Skeptics and atheists are at stage 3 since they are questioning. Stage 4 people realize that all is really one.

Peck has also given a magazine interview in which he said that pornography can be a good thing.

Because Christian Book Distributors (christianbook.com) sells a lot of books by New Agers (very disturbing to me), I decided to try to do something about it. I wrote an online book review of a book by Peck and of a book by Matthew Fox, an Episcopal priest who teaches "creation spirituality," which is very unbiblical. Not long after these 2 reviews got on their site, all books by Peck and Fox disappeared from christianbook.com! This happened only recently -- about 2 weeks ago or so. Here is what I wrote on Peck that was posted on May 25, 2004:

Let me reiterate: christianbook.com now has all books by Peck (and Fox) off their site!

The New Age can imitate Christianity very closely sometimes and it's more subtle than a lot of Christians realize.

 

"The Road Less Traveled" by M. Scott Peck is not Biblically sound.

 

From what it appears, it doesn't appear that the book is biblically sound. However, that doesn't mean it's a bad read. I think a Christian may possibly read it, use his/her discernment, and learn from it that which does not compromise his spiritual beliefs. Now, I have no interest in books of such nature. But if you're a Christian and you've read the book, and have learned something from it, then you're certainly not going to Hell for it or anything.