Introduction to New Age Worldviews – Lesson #11 April 14, 2020 *Background to New Age *Review >New Age is not a single belief system, but represents a >Introduction to Worldviews number of religious ideas. -What is a worldview – “A worldview is the perspective >I use the term “New Age” because that is the most through which you understand and approach life and the recognizable term for us, but I am referring to a wide range of world belief systems that hold certain ideas in common – other terms -We are in a battle that could be used would be “Cosmic Humanism,” -We must understand worldviews in order to be faithful “Transcendentalism,” or “Eastern Mysticism.” ambassadors for Christ >These believe systems hold to a pantheistic theology. >We must understand our position (Colossians 2) -The Christian worldview is constantly under attack from *Gnosticism many directions >Essentially sees the physical as bad and the spiritual as good. -It is understanding our position in Christ that gives us the >Because “God” is spiritual, the physical earth was created by ability to defend God’s truth a lesser evil demiurge. >We must engage the culture (I Peter 3; Jude) >Jesus descended from the spiritual realm in order to impart to -We must both defend the truth and contend for the faith mankind the secret knowledge from this spiritual realm. >All worldviews either promote truth or distort truth -While Christianity promotes truth, other worldviews *Transcendentalism distort truth >Two major leaders were Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry -Every false worldview distorts truth in a different way David Thoreau 1 Islam: distorts the truth about God >There are entities that transcend the senses 2 Secular Humanism: distorts the truth about man >Emphasis on a connection with nature 3 Marxism: distorts the truth about stewardship >God is in nature, and since we are part if nature, God is in us 4 New Age: distorts the truth about the universe >Society is a corrupting influence, so we should be self reliant 5 Post-Modernism: distorts the truth about truth *Eastern Mysticism >Hinduism – worships thousands of gods >Buddhism – attempt to attain Nirvana .