Christian Spirituality Versus …

The last days have seen some sort of attempt – however inadequate - to suggest that the Judaeo-Christian recognition of evil and the Fall is intimately connected to a profound spirituality of FEELING.

Far from being uncreative and morose, these core concepts can serve to deepen and intensify the pure feeling of the heart. And it seems to me, that the spirituality which then results often stands in contrast to forms of spirituality wherein notions such as tragedy, evil and the Fall are either relativised, absent, or actively dismissed and negated.

As I wrote in my original manuscript – which with a few changes I resume quoting today:

“Here lies one of the principal differences between much of the New Age and Christianity …

What do I mean here? I am going to reply by way of images. Many of these images come from my long involvement with the fields of non-Christian esotericism and the related New Age movement. There I had occasion to observe a recurring nonchalance, regarding the horror of the world:

The suffering of disease – a karmic pattern one had brought simply on oneself.

Or “one creates one’s own reality” - and thereby the universal tragedy of the world is missed or denied.

Or even nonchalance in the wake of the bomb – the bomb, that was dropped on Hiroshima ... It is a fact, for example, that the neo-theosophical writings of Alice Bailey actually describe this event as one of the greatest spiritual events that has happened for many millennia.

Yes, these neo-theosophical writings, which have more to do with the genesis of the New Age subculture than is generally recognised, speak of the bomb with a call to regard its advent as something of vast spiritual significance. And the feeling of horror is relativised there, if not dismissed altogether …

And there are other New Age writings which seemingly emphasise a call not to be overly-concerned at mass catastrophes or massacres – for the dying are simply being ‘born’ into the spiritual worlds. Now the fact of this birth is not to be disputed. But nor is it a justification for nonchalance in the wake of immense tragedy or murder.

Nonchalance, which my dictionary defines as ‘the quality of appearing calm and unconcerned’. Calm and unconcerned … Is not a central preoccupation of the New Age movement the ideal of centredness, staying in one’s centre, remaining calm …?

Yes – it is. Throughout the literature of the New Age movement and much non-Christian esotericism, one can find this leitmotive – centredness, centredness, do not be overcome by the horror of the world .,.

And is this not surely the concern of Christian esotericism, as well? I can hear a bewildered and perhaps exasperated New Ager asking me this question. The answer is yes and no. Dear friend, if you are with this question, do not allow yourself to be deceived – as I was deceived for many years – that the goals of Christian esotericism are simply identical to non-Christian esotericism.”

A perhaps pedantic footnote. In a way, I feel dishonest putting quote marks here. Though it is substantially the same, I have made changes and additions to this material. Nonetheless I seek to emphasise again that this material is very much ripped out of context, and put to service in this weblog in a less-than-ideal way.

I also regret that I lack easy opportunity to double-check or reference what I say regarding Alice Bailey. Nonetheless, I remain completely confident I report it accurately. In fact, I think I have put it quite **mildly**. Certainly my memory of the relevant text is more disturbing than I indicate.

I hope to continue Monday.