Better Christianity Through Yoga?

[billiefan2000]

http://christianresearchnetwork.com/?p=11245


Better Christianity Through Yoga?


Published June 1st, 2009 by Editor in General


The following book review illustrates how mysticism is being touted as “spiritual tofu”… it goes with any belief system, can keep all belief systems together and make those systems better…




Christian Mysticism Through Yoga by Suzette Martinez Standring, GateHouse News Service:

Better Christianity through yoga is what former Benedictine monk Russill Paul teaches in his new book, “Jesus in the Lotus: The Mystical Doorway between Christianity and Yogic Spirituality”. Yoga and prayer can open the door to a feeling of divine connection without compromising one’s Christian faith.

…A celibate monk’s life began daily at 5:20 a.m. — rigorous with prayer, work and study, strictly following Biblical and Catholic principles.

Over time, yoga practice transformed ascetic contemplation to ecstatic communion with the divine, and Paul shares much of the how-to of his experiences.


For example, a Hindu “mantra,” was adapted for Christian worship, “Om, Na-Mah Chris-Taaya” (Amen, I bow to Christ”) and used as a potent “centering prayer” for meditation.


Over time, Paul had out-of-body experiences, the sensation of energy vibrating from his feet toward the top of his head, and heightened hearing and seeing. His experiences mirror those reported by St. Teresa of Avila, a 16th century Catholic mystic.

See John Shelby Spong’s endorsement of the book and the rest at Watcher’s Lamp.


http://christianresearchnetwork.com/?p=11245

[billiefan2000]

watcher's lamp blog on this:



Better Christianity Through Yoga ?

The following book review illustrates how mysticism is being touted as "spiritual tofu"... it goes with any belief system, can keep all belief systems together and make those systems better...

Christian Mysticism Through Yoga by Suzette Martinez Standring, GateHouse News Service

Better Christianity through yoga is what former Benedictine monk Russill Paul teaches in his new book, “Jesus in the Lotus: The Mystical Doorway between Christianity and Yogic Spirituality” (New World Library 2008; $14.95). Yoga and prayer can open the door to a feeling of divine connection without compromising one’s Christian faith.

A celibate monk’s life began daily at 5:20 a.m. -- rigorous with prayer, work and study, strictly following Biblical and Catholic principles.

Over time, yoga practice transformed ascetic contemplation to ecstatic communion with the divine, and Paul shares much of the how-to of his experiences. For example, a Hindu “mantra,” was adapted for Christian worship, “Om, Na-Mah Chris-Taaya” (Amen, I bow to Christ”) and used as a potent “centering prayer” for meditation.Over time, Paul had out-of-body experiences, the sensation of energy vibrating from his feet toward the top of his head, and heightened hearing and seeing. His experiences mirror those reported by St. Teresa of Avila, a 16th century Catholic mystic.

From the MSN Shopping page: "Ecumenism Religion - Drawing on a deep knowledge of Christian scripture as well as Hindu philosophy, musician and teacher Russill Paul reveals that the mystical core of religion offers us much ... - Jesus in the Lotus: The Mystical Doorway Between Christianity and Yogic Spirituality".


See John Shelby Spong's ecumenical endorsement of the book here.


(wont post link) but here is Spong's quote:


John Shelby Spong, author of Jesus for the Non-Religious




“Russill Paul has seen the path between East and West through the eyes, heart, and practice of devotion.

He openly shares his quest and insight through a pilgrimage of reflections on spiritual focus, action, and contemplation. Listen to the depth of his wisdom and faith.”

[billiefan2000]

related:



Television debate between John MacArthur


and Emergent Leader Doug Pagitt on Christians and Yoga.

[PraisingHimAlways]

Well, those who are "Christians" and want to practice yoga will find a "Jesus" all right...but it won't be the Jesus of the Bible!!!!!

[Faulty]

related:



Television debate between John MacArthur


and Emergent Leader Doug Pagitt on Christians and Yoga.

John MacArthur, always a class act. I wish I were as bold as he is.

[billiefan2000]

related:


CAN YOGA BE CHRISTIAN?
By Ken Silva pastor-teacher on Apr 6, 2010 in Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism, Current Issues

But this question doesn’t come to us from an Emergent Church website, which we’re already accustomed to seeing. No, the question is posed by Todd Rhodes of :

MMI: Can Yoga Be Christian? MondayMorningInsight - Leadership & Encouragement for Church Leaders (Online source)

The link takes us to Rhodes’ short post Can Yoga Be Christian? at his Monday Morning Insight. Rhodes explains that he’s quoting “part of an article published yesterday in the LA Times.” It reads in part:

Christian pop music played quietly in the background as instructor Bryan Brock led a recent yoga class at the nondenominational Church at Rocky Peak in Chatsworth. Incorporating prayer and readings from the Bible, Brock urged his class of about 20 students to find strength in their connection to their creator through yoga’s deep, controlled breathing.

“The goal of Christian yoga is to open ourselves up to God,” he said. “It allows us to blur the line between the physical and the spiritual.” (Online source)

Rhodes himself then adds:

The instructor then recited the Lord’s Prayer while his students moved slowly through a series of postures known as the sun salutation. Such hybrid classes, which combine yoga practice with elements of Christianity or Judaism, appear to be growing in popularity across Southern California and elsewhere. (Online source)

Now I have my differences with Todd, but I will say that I don’t believe he’s advocating yoga; yet. Rhodes finishes by asking his readers a couple of questions to stimulate discussion from: “Is Yoga able to be redeemed? Would you offer a ‘Christian’ Yoga class in your church?”

Apprising Ministries offers this as another indication of how far the corrupt Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM), which is perpetrated as so-called Spiritual Formation (SF) by Living Spiritual Teacher and Quaker mystic Richard Foster along with his spiritual twin SBC minister Dallas Willard, will eventually penetrate into pretending to be Protestant mainstream evangelicalism.

Evangelicalism lost faith in the all-suffiency of God’s Word in the Bible i.e. Sola Scriptura. As a result it made the tragic mistake of embracing the pragmatism of the Church Growth Movement from which extends Leadership Network who would launch both the Purpose Driven/Seeker Driven and the Emerging Church; each man-centered, but with different focal points.

Those of us who know what Yoga is will tell you that it cannot be disassociated with the Hindu religion; and therefore, has no place in the life of the Christian. Consider the following from The Hindu Americam Foundation:

Yoga, from the word “yuj” (Sanskrit, “to yoke” or “to unite”), refers to spiritual practices that are essential to the understanding and practice of Hinduism… The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) concludes from its research that Yoga, as an integral part of Hindu philosophy, is not simply physical exercise in the form of various asanas and pranayama, but is in fact a Hindu way of life.

The ubiquitous use of the word “Yoga” to describe what in fact is simply an asana exercise is not only misleading, but has lead to and is fueling a problematic delinking of Yoga and Hinduism,… (Online source)

Within the Emerging Church, and its new hybrid form of Progressive Christianity aka Emergence Christianity, we already see practices of other religions being adopted;

and with man-centered pragmatism also ruling the day in the broader of mainstream evangelicalism, it’s simply a matter of time before you’ll see ”Christian” yoga offered in an evangelical church near you.


CAN YOGA BE CHRISTIAN? : Apprising Ministries