Differences between Christian mysticism and Evangelical mysticism

Differences between Christian mysticism and Evangelical mysticism are distinct. Some would argue that Evangelical mysticism is a mere sub type of Christian mysticism. This argument is not sustainable however, as Christian mysticism in its philosophies and theologies are based on Mystical theology. Dan Cohn-Sherbok, (rabbi of Reform Judaism, Professor at the University of Wales, and Jewish theologian) in his book Jewish and Christian mysticism, for example, concludes that both share a belief in divine intermediaries and the via negativa as a true path of enlightenment .

Evangelical mysticism however, is a phrase that narrows down Christian mystical experiencers to only those denominations or Christian groups with conservative Evangelical beliefs who also support mystical practices such as contemplative prayer and soaking prayer. The National Association of Evangelicals’ statement of faith is more or less held to.. Evangelical mysticism, based on its adherance to Evangelical theology, excludes without exception all other religions as recognized alternative ways to connect with God. Jesus Christ the Messiah, alone, is considered the only way to God the Father.

Although both Christian mysticism and Evangelical mysticism acknowledges the loving aspect of God, acknowledge that prayer and fasting has signicant value, and that service to others as an expression of love has great value, their Soteriology, interpretation of Scripture, types of mystical experiences and terminology, understanding of God and worldviews, differs significantly. Although both types believe that St. Paul received mysteries from God which is reveiled in Scripture, the interpretation of the mystery brought by Paul, also differs significantly. (A study of the work of Albert Schweitzer with regards to Pauline Evangelical mysticism, compared to mystical theology, allows for an illustration of how different the concept of "Christ" is understood amoung these two streams).

Carl McColman, a Catholic blogger and Cistercian lay associate, writes in his book "The Big Book of Christian Mysticism" page 64 "no absolutely clear distinction can be drawn between Christian and non-Christian mysticism" . The teachings of Christian mysticism leans more towards Progressive Christianity, liberal Christianity, Postmodernism, Gnosticism and the worldviews of the new Emerging Church, as it encourages a greater tollerance towards other spiritualities, whereas Evangelical mysticism leans more towards Conservative Christianity and Christian fundamentalism in it's worldview and teachings.

Both finds much biblical support for their teachings.

Introduction

Some who consider themselves a part of the Christian mysticism movement, denies the association that their Christian mysticism has with the occult, theosophy or gnosticism. Some others who embraces the theology of Evangelicalism, but who also embraces mystical aspects of Christianity, consider themselves to be a part of Christian mysticism for they may never even have heard the term Evangelical mysticism. Then there are also dedicated fundamentalists, who goes to the extreme to consider every person that involves themselves with anything remotely mystic, to be involved with occultism, and who consider it their responsibility to warn them of what they consider to be the evils thereof.

Amoung all this confusion, some definition is necessitated, clarification on terminology, as well as an overview of the origins of the different streams.

Defining mysticism

The Concise Oxford Dictionary explains the word mystic as follows

a person

• who seeks by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity or identity with or absorption into the Deity or the ultimate reality

or

• who believes in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the understanding.

The following different alternatives are listed in the Oxford dictionary:

• 1. Mysterious and awe-inspiring
• 2. Spiritually allegorical or symbolic
• 3. Occult, esoteric
• 4. Of hidden meaning

Evangelicalism distanciates itself from all practices of occultism (white and black magic). Evangelical mysticism is mostly associated with the "mysterious and awe-inspiring" context of the word.(See Religion and the Occult).

Mystical theology however embraces all of the aspects of mysticism and Christian mysticism as a sub type under the umbrella of mysticism does allow for occult practices.

Maria Jaoud found Christian mysticism to be a movement that brings both East and West together. With the focus on Christian mysticism, she: "explores themes of transformation, wholeness, and healing as presented by both Eastern and Western mystics, and how their ideas parallel the global insights found in Hinduism, Taoism, Islam, and Buddhism. "

More definition on the term "Evangelical"

In order to aid not only in a distinction between Christian mysticism and Evangelical mysticism, but also to distinguish between the streams active within Evangelical mysticism, the term "Evangelical" needs to be defined more precisely.

Evangelicalism

The term Evangelical has its etymological roots in the Greek word for "gospel" or "good news": ευαγγελιον (evangelion), from eu- "good" and angelion "message." In that sense, to be evangelical would mean to be a believer in the gospel, that is the message of Jesus Christ.

By the English Middle Ages the term had been expanded to include not only the message, but also the New Testament which contained the message, as well as more specifically the four books of the Bible in which the life, death and resurrection of Jesus are portrayed. The first published use of the term evangelical in English was in 1531 by William Tyndale, who wrote "He exhorteth them to proceed constantly in the evangelical truth." One year later, the earliest recorded use in reference to a theological distinction was by Sir Thomas More, who spoke of "Tyndale [and] his evangelical brother Barns."

By the time of the Reformation, theologians began to embrace the term evangelical as referring to "gospel truth". Martin Luther referred to the evangelische Kirche or evangelical church to distinguish Protestants from Catholics in the Roman Catholic Church. In Germany, Switzerland and Denmark, and especially among Lutherans, the term has continued to be used in a broad sense.

The contemporary North American usage of the term is influenced by the evangelical/fundamentalist controversy of the early 20th century.

According to Christianity Today, “The emerging movement is a protest against much of evangelicalism as currently practiced.

John C. Green, a senior fellow at the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, used polling data to separate evangelicals into three camps which he labels as traditionalist, centrist and modernist.

• The traditionalists, characterized by high affinity for certain Protestant beliefs, (especially penal substitutionary atonement, justification by faith, the authority of scripture, priesthood of all believers, etc.) which, when fused with the highly political milieu of Western culture (esp. American), has resulted in the political disposition that has been labeled the Christian right, whose most visible spokesmen have been figures like Jerry Falwell and the television evangelist Pat Robertson.
• Centrist evangelicals are described as socially conservative, mostly avoiding politics, who still support much of traditional Christian theology.
• Modernist evangelicals are a small minority in the movement, have low levels of church attendance, and "have much more diversity in their beliefs."

Within the concept of Evangelical mysticism, there are also these different streams of Evangelicals as Green pointed out.

Origin, History and Background

Arguments had been made that Christian mysticism has its origin in Gnosticism and that Neoplatonist ideas had a major influence on Christian mysticism. Quoted from main article Gnosticism: "Whereas Gnosticism has been considered by scholars to originate as a branch of Christianity, alternate theories have proposed traces of Gnostic systems existed some centuries before the Christian Era, thus predating the birth of Jesus.

The usage of the phrase “Evangelical mysticism” or “Evangelical mystic” goes as far back as the 18th century and the early Methodists. A father of Evangelical mysticism is considered to be A.W. Tozer. The Higher Life movement and John Westley are also associated with the origins of Evangelical mysticism.

B. J. Gibbons shows how the occult has been "blending" with Christianity .

The origins of Evangelical mysticism

Evangelical mysticism

(See also: John Westley and Higher Life movement)

In the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, the New Age movement popularized the Eastern meditation practices of Transcendental Meditation (TM), Yoga, and Zen. Liberal Catholics and Protestants began to follow the lead of these New Age meditation practices by incorporating them into Christian meditation. In reaction to this, the Roman Catholic Church issued an official rebuke of New Age meditation practices: Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation (1989).

Thomas Merton, a liberal Trappist monk, was one of the first to borrow from Eastern meditation practices, such as Zen, mixing them with Christian meditation and contemplation. Later, M. Basil Pennington, Thomas Keating, and William Meninger would follow Merton’s lead, and become the founders of the centering prayer movement.

In reaction to these liberal Christians’ borrowing from New Age meditative techniques, there has progressively been a move among Evangelicals—especially Third Wave Charismatics (or Neocharismatics)—to allow for practice of contemplative prayer or not to quench the Holy Spirit but to allow Him to move freely. and that without any mixture of New Age practices or beliefs.

The usage of the phrase “Evangelical mysticism” or “Evangelical mystic” goes as far back as the 18th century and the early Methodists. Evangelicalism started as a missionary movement that came out of the Great Awakenings with Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and John Wesley (the founder of the Methodist Episcopal Church). John Wesley

William Seymour, a Holiness preacher and major leader of the Pentecostal movement, practiced contemplation during his meetings at Azusa Street. These early Pentecostals had group “tarrying” meetings, or contemplation meetings, for receiving the power of the Holy Spirit. “Through tarrying, a form of contemplative prayer, black Pentecostals experienced conversion, sanctification, and Spirit baptism by the sovereignty of God.”

A. W. Tozer, a major leader in the Christian & Missionary Alliance, is in a sense a father of “Evangelical mysticism,” and wrote The Pursuit of God (1948), which deals with contemplative topics.

There are three influential Third Wave books that have come out in recent years on Christian contemplative prayer that openly reject New Age meditation: Mark and Patti Virkler’s Communion with God (1983), James Goll’s Wasted on Jesus (2000), and John Crowder’s The Ecstasy of Loving God (2009).

John Westley who is considered to have started the Higher Life movement, also known as the Keswick movement., preached sermons on Freedom Of Grace, attacking the Calvinistic understanding of predestination as blasphemous, as it represented "God as worse than the devil". Until today he is strongly criticized by Calvinists.

Wesley is known for encouraging people to experience Jesus Christ personally.

The Higher Life movement as a movement has also been strongly criticized by Calvenist theologians due to its "Let go and let God" emphasis, which according to them correlates with quietism. Dr. Andy Nasseli, a critic of the Keswick movement explains that the motto for the Christian should rather be "Trust God and get going" and he rejects all promoters of what he considers to be passivity.

Although followers of the Higher Life movement are often also advocates of quietism, John Westley himself condemned it as heretical, which is also the reason he broke away from the Moravians in London.

Even within the inner circles of those practicing Evangelical mysticism there are also a divide between those leaning towards "Eros spirituality" and those practicing "Agape faith".

In Evangelical circles, all occult activities is considered to be heretical or demonic, and from darkness, and not from their God. In other spiritualities, the term occult is however not associated with the demonic, but rather with "hidden" mysteries, which many consider to be benefitial.

Some Christian writers have emphasised that clarifying on terminology has become increasingly important in this postmodern age, as meanings of words represents different things and in a different context to different groups, in relation to the holistic teachings they had been exposed to.

The Origins of Christian mysticism and Gnosticism

Gnosticism

Whereas Gnosticism has been considered by scholars to originate as a branch of Christianity, alternate theories have proposed traces of Gnostic systems existed some centuries before the Christian Era, thus predating the birth of Jesus. The movement spread in areas controlled by the Roman Empire and Arian Goths, and the Persian Empire; it continued to develop in the Mediterranean and Middle East before and during the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Conversion to Islam and the Albigensian Crusade (1209–1229) greatly reduced the remaining number of Gnostics throughout the Middle Ages, though a few Mandaean communities still exist. Gnostic ideas became influential in the philosophies of various esoteric mystical movements of the late 19th and 20th centuries in Europe and North America, including some that explicitly identify themselves as revivals or even continuations of earlier gnostic groups.

Gnosticism in modern times

Gnosticism includes a variety of religious movements, mostly Christian in nature, in the ancient Hellenistic society around the Mediterranean. Although origins are disputed, the period of activity for most of these movements flourished from approximately the time of the founding of Christianity until the fourth century when the writings and activities of groups deemed heretical or pagan were actively suppressed. The only information available on these movements for many centuries was the characterizations of those writing against them, and the few quotations preserved in such works.

Christian mysticism as a type of mysticism

Anand Gholap, from Theosophical Institute states:

"There is no doubt, for any observant person, that what is sometimes called a ‘wave’ of mysticism is passing over the world at the present time. It matters not whether you travel in the East or in the West; it matters not whether you look at the churches or at the many bodies outside the recognised churches in Christendom; wherever you look you see the same fact emerging - that men and women are turning away from external proof towards inner realisation; that they are beginning to feel that not the authority from outside but the authority from within ought to be the guiding force of life; that they are beginning to feel that scriptures, however sacred, authority, however venerable, is not [1] the final word of religion for man. And so on all sides you see a searching, a desire, a long­ing, to replace faith by knowledge, speculation by certainty."

The late 19th century saw a significant increase of interest in mysticism in the West that combined with increased interest in Occultism and Eastern Philosophy. Theosophy became a major movement in the popularization of these interests. . Madame Blavatsky functioned as a central figure of the theosophy movement. This trend later became absorbed in the rise of the New Age movement, which included a major surge in the popularity of psychological self-awareness groups such as EST and many others. At the end of the twentieth century books like A Course in Miracles (purported to be a channeled course of study dictated by Jesus) and Conversations with God (in which the author describes his direct communication with God) became popularized.

The term perennial philosophy, coined by Leibniz and popularized by Aldous Huxley, relates to what some take to be the mystic's primary concern:

[W]ith the one, divine reality substantial to the manifold world of things and lives and minds. But the nature of this one reality is such that it cannot be directly or immediately apprehended except by those who have chosen to fulfill certain conditions, making themselves loving, pure in heart, and poor in spirit.

Some mystics use the term to refer to a manner wherein the mystic strives to plumb the depths of the self and reality in a radical process of meditative self-exploration, with the aim of experiencing the true nature of reality.

In some cultures and traditions, mind-altering substances—often referred to as entheogens—have been used as a guide; the Santo Daime and Uniao do Vegetal being notable modern examples.

It is important to note that many of the self-styled mystical belief systems arising in recent decades essentially differ from mysticism proper in that they rely on the individual seeker's power and will, whereas in the mystic traditions, the states cannot be initiated by the seeker himself, but only by the Ultimate Being. Hence the term mystikos. It is also important to note that evidence may exist that suggests entheogen induced experiences was an accepted means to connect with the divine by many religious figures of all the worlds religions.

Christian mysticism, Freemasonry and Theosophy

Arthur Versluis in his book "Wisdom's Children: A Christian Esoteric Tradition (Suny Series in Western Esoteric Traditions)" discusses Christian mysticism and also introduces the concept of "Christian theosophy". Christian theosophy typically invokes the idea of "sophia". . The same author wrote another book the focuses more on "sophia", in "Theosophia: Hidden Dimensions of Christianity" .

Sophia (wisdom) (Σοφíα, Greek for "wisdom") is a central term in Hellenistic philosophy and religion, Platonism, Gnosticism, Orthodox Christianity, Esoteric Christianity, as well as Christian mysticism. Sophiology is a philosophical concept regarding wisdom, as well as a theological concept regarding the wisdom of God. (See main article on Sophia (wisdom))

The Swedenborg Rite or Rite of Swedenborg was a fraternal order modeled on Freemasonry and based upon the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg, (teacher of Christian mysticism and founder of Swedenborgianism). It comprised six Degrees: Apprentice, Fellow Craft, Master Neophyte, Illuminated Theosophite, Blue Brother, and Red Brother.

Theosophy is the philosophy introduced by occultist Helena Petrovna Blavatsky in association with Ascended Masters. It is a doctrine of religious philosophy and mysticism

The term appeared in Neoplatonism. Porphyry De Abstinentia (4.9) mentioned "Greek and Chaldean theosophy", Ἑλληνική, Χαλδαϊκὴ θεοσοφία. The adjective θεόσοφος "wise in divine things" was applied by Iamblichus (De mysteriis 7.1) to the gymnosophists (Γυμνοσοφισταί), i.e. the Indian yogis or sadhus.

The term was used during the Renaissance to refer to the spiritually-oriented thought and works of a number of philosophers, including: Cornelius Agrippa, Paracelsus, Robert Fludd, and, especially, Christian mystic Jakob Böhme; the work of these early theosophists influenced the Enlightenment theologian and Christian mystics Emanuel Swedenborg and Franz von Baader. Madame Blavatsky is believed by some to have been a 32° Co-Freemason. Some of the teachings that she gave is considered very controvertial and created quite an uproar in Evangelical Christian circles and amoung critics.

Her most popular work was a two-volume book she wrote titled 'The Secret Doctrine,' in which she makes statements such as:

​​​"Lucifer represents.. Life.. Thought.. Progress.. Civilization.. Liberty.. IndependenCE. Lucifer is the Logos.. the Serpent, the Savior." pages 171, 225, 255 (Volume II)​​​

​"It is Satan who is the God of our planet and the only God." pages 215, 216, 220, 245, 255, 533, (VI)​

​"The Celestial Virgin which thus becomes the Mother of Gods and Devils at one and the same time; for she is the ever-loving beneficent Deity...but in antiquity and reality Lucifer or Luciferius is the name. Lucifer is divine and terrestrial Light, 'the Holy Ghost' and 'Satan' at one and the same time." page 539​​ ​

Charles Webster Leadbeater, 33rd degree Freemason, author on the occult and co-founder with J. I. Wedgwood of the Liberal Catholic Church, became one of the most known speakers in the Theosophical Society for quite a number of years and was also Secretary of the London Lodge.

His interest in occultism was stimulated by A.P. Sinnett's Occult World, and he joined the Theosophical Society in 1883. The next year he met Helena Petrovna Blavatsky when she came to London. "When she accepted him [as a pupil], he gave up the church, became a vegetarian, severed all ties with England, and followed her to India."

They worked closely together and spread the teachings of Theosophy, also in India.

The teachings of Freemasonary is strongly resisted by Evangelical Christians and teachings provided such as the following made by Albert Pike, reveals some of the deeper secrets of the Society. "Lucifer, the Light-bearer!  Strange and mysterious name to give to the Spirit of Darkness!  Lucifer, the Son of the Morning!  Is it he who bears the Light, and with its splendors intolerable, blinds feeble, sensual, or selfish souls?  Doubt it not!". Pike also says to masons in the 19th degree, that in the previous 18 degrees, Masons believed that God was the Light-bearer, but now, in this 19th Degree, Pike is giving them new revelation.  This insight completely squares with stated Masonic policy of deliberately misleading Masons in the lower degrees until they were really ready for the "truth".    

The work of Charles Webster Leadbeater and Madame Blavatsky combined also impacted the field of healing, (see the Seven rays)

Charles Webster Leadbeater gives a detailed account of the history of Freemasonary, and supports Blavatsky in his writing Theosophy : Glimpses of Masonic History

Biblical foundations of the mystery revealed by St. Paul - different interpretations

Christian Mysticism

Christian mysticism shows resemblance to Gnosticism in its interpretation of Scripture.

Early Christians used the word μυστήριον (mysterion) to describe the Christian Mystery. The Old Testament versions use the word mysterion as an equivalent to the Hebrew sôd, "secret" (Proverbs 20:19; Judith 2:2; Sirach 22:27; 2 Maccabees 13:21). In the New Testament the word mystery is applied ordinarily to the sublime revelation of the Gospel (Matthew 13:11; Colossians 2:2; 1 Timothy 3:9; 1 Corinthians 15:51), and to the Incarnation and life of the Saviour and his manifestation by the preaching of the Apostles (Romans 16:25; Ephesians 3:4; 6:19; Colossians 1:26; 4:3). Theologians give the name mystery to revealed truths that surpass the powers of natural reason, so, in a narrow sense, the Mystery is a truth that transcends the created intellect.

The interpretation of the mystery that the Apostle Paul brought in the New Testament are however entirely differently interpreted by Gnosticism and Hellenistic philosophy, than by Pauline Christianity.

Supporters of Gnostic Christianity sees Paul's mystery of "Christ in us" to be translated as all people to connect with their true self, which "is god". This applies to them to all people, not necessarily believers in Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the Messiah, who came in the flesh. Supporters of Pauline Christianity sees the believer in Christ, to have become a new creation entirely and sees a mysterious transformation to have taken place at that moment, when a new creation had been formed altogether. Pauline Christianity does not see any Christian to be god themselves even though they do acknowledge a oneness with God, but not in a Gnostic sense. An illustration used by Curry R. Blake from "John G. Lake ministries", is one of a colour drink poured into water and stirred, where does the water start now and where does the red drink start? It can not be separated no longer. Yet the water is not the red drink and similarly we are not God when His Spirit becomes one with ours, yet a new creation is formed.

Pauline mysticism and Christian mysticism are in direct contrast with one another. The following is an extract as per the Boston Collaborative Encyclopedia of Western Theology with regards to the views of Albert Schweitzer:

"Schweitzer did not concur with the prevailing opinion in German academic theology that Paul represents an appropriation of Hellenistic or Greek ideas into Christianity. Rather, an eschatological mysticism defines the thought of Paul the Apostle, which he expresses in a form that could later be transposed into a Hellenistic key. Pauline mysticism does not speak of “being one with God or being in God” (Schweitzer, 1930, 3). Sonship to God is not conceived as “an immediate mystical relation to God, but as mediated and effected by means of a mystical union with Christ” (Ibid.). Paul does not commend any kind of “God-mysticism” (Ibid.). Human beings enter into relation with God by means of a “Christ-mysticism” (Ibid.):

The fundamental thought of Pauline mysticism runs thus: I am in Christ; in Him I know myself as a being who is raised above this sensuous, sinful, and transient world and already belongs to the transcendent; in Him I am assured of resurrection; in Him I am a Child of God (Ibid.)

A second feature of Paul’s mysticism is that the Christian is “conceived as having died and risen again with Him” (Ibid.). Hence, the believer has been set free from sin and the Law and now possesses the Spirit of Christ and is assured of resurrection. Paul’s notion of ‘being-in-Christ’ is the central element of his thought and makes sense of the whole structure of his theology.

The Christ-mysticism experienced by Christians is reckoned by Paul to be a kind of co-experiencing of Christ’s death and resurrection:

The original and central idea of the Pauline mysticism is therefore that the Elect share with one another and with Christ a corporiety which is in a special way susceptible to the action of the powers of death and resurrection, and in consequence capable of acquiring the resurrection state of existence before the general resurrection of the dead takes place” (Ibid., 115-116).

Redemption is accomplished by Jesus’ resurrection. The perishable world is a stage on which angels of heaven and demons do battle. Jesus becomes a Messianic King with command over angels who is able to defeat all who oppose God. For Jesus, this was salvation: deliverance from the coming tribulation of the eschaton. However, for the early Christians the focus of redemption shifted to the forgiveness of sins, an emphasis reflected in the thought of Paul the Apostle. Paul explains the concept of justification by faith alone in the Epistle to the Romans. Christ’s death is portrayed as a sin offering, which erases sin and makes God’s forgiveness possible. Redemption is an act of ascent, not mystical experience. This “righteousness by faith” is individualistic, detached from participation in the mystical Body of Christ, and it does not lead to an ethical theory:

That it is an unnatural construction of thought is clear from the fact that by means of it Paul arrives at the idea of a faith which rejects not only the works of the Law, but works in general. He thus closes the pathway to a theory of ethics. This is the price which he pays for the possibility of finding the doctrine of freedom from the Law in the doctrine of the atoning death of Jesus (Ibid., 225). 

Yet, ethics are not absent from the thought of Paul, but they are re-conceived. By participating in Christ’s death and resurrection, the believer becomes a new creation. In principle the believer is no longer able to sin. However, this participation proceeds gradually making ethics necessary. “It is only in so far as a man is purified and liberated from the world that he becomes capable of truly ethical action” (Ibid., 302). Paul describes ethical action in many ways, including sanctification, giving up the service of sin, and living for God. Love is the highest manifestation of this ethical life. “Love is for him not a ray which flashes from one point to another point, but one which is constantly vibrating to and fro [between the believer and God]” (Ibid., 307).

For Schweitzer there is nothing Hellenistic about belief in the coming Kingdom of God, Jesus as Messiah, the atoning death, the resurrection, and the saving effect of baptism. Yet, as Paul worked with these ideas, they became more susceptible to Hellenistic influences. After Paul, Christian thought became increasingly Hellenized, reaching its culmination within the New Testament in the Gospel according to John. The mysticism found in the John’s account of Jesus is a Hellenization of Paul’s mysticism. Schweitzer concluded that the Hellenistic interpretations of Christianity that followed after Paul are inferior. The mysticism of Hellenized Christianity is simpler and less profound than the mysticism of Paul the Apostle."

For more on the book The Mysticism of Paul the Apostle, (written By DrAlbert Schweitzer, Reviewed Edition:  The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1998, Paperback, 411 Pages, ISBN 0-8018-6098-9) see Review of "The Mysticism of Paul the Apostle"

Theology

Christian mysticism theology

The theology of Christian mysticism corresponds with that of mystical theology.

For more on the theology supporting Johannine Christian mysticism, see explanations by Timothy Conway: Christian Mystics on the Nature of God and also The Great Gospel of John

Evangelical mysticism theology

Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian theological stream which began in Great Britain in the 1730s. Its key commitments are:

• The need for personal conversion (or being "born again")
• Actively expressing and sharing the gospel
• A high regard for biblical authority, especially biblical inerrancy
• An emphasis on teachings that proclaim the death and resurrection of Jesus.

For more on the theology supporting Evangelical Pauline mysticism as per Albert Schweitzer, see: A SURVEY OF "THE MYSTICISM OF PAUL THE APOSTLE".

All those Christians who embrace Evangelical mysticism doesn't however embrace or perceive the depth of the Pauline mystery. There is thus different streams within the Evangelical mysticism movement. Pauline mysticism, due to its emphasis on the oneness of the believer with Christ, does not promote believers to have a passive will, but rather to excercise their will with faith in the biblical truth of their new identity "in Christ". Those who embrace Pauline mysticism does not live with a concept of separatism, where they see themselves over here and God over there. Rather they embrace the Gospel of St. Paul in the revelation of who they now are "in Christ", and believe that it is God who works in them now to both will and to work according to His good pleasure. Evangelical mysticism that does not embrace this Pauline mystery, are often promoters of Christians to have a passive mind and a passive will, as if some force or prompting of God from "outside themselves" will need to inspire them before they do anything. The concepts thus of Evangelical Christians, and even among those embracing Evangelical mysticism, of what it means to "rest in God" is different. Conservative Evangelical Christians, in response to teachings of passivity in will, often serve as critics of this movement, accusing such teachers and participants of allowing entrances for demonic influences to enter their minds in this way and for allowing /bringing deception into the Church as well as their own lives.

The concept of "waiting on God" is also differently interpreted among Evangelical Christians, and even among those supporting Evangelical mysticism.

The theology of Gnosticism and Christianity

Gnosticism

The ascetic notion of immediate revelation through divine knowledge sought to find an absolute transcendence in a Supreme Deity. This concept is very important in identifying what evidence there is pertaining to Gnosticism in the NT, which would influence orthodox teaching. Main Gnostic beliefs that differ from Biblical teachings include: the creator as a lower being [‘Demiurge’] and not a Supreme Deity; scripture having a deep, hidden meaning whose true message could only be understood through “secret wisdom”; and Jesus as a spirit that “seemed” to be human, leading to a belief in the incarnation (Docetism). The traditional “formula which enshrines the Incarnation…is that in some sense God, without ceasing to be God, was made man…which is a prima facie [‘at first sight’ a] contradiction in theological terms…the [NT] nowhere reflects on the virgin birth of Jesus as witnessing to the conjunction of deity and manhood in His person…the deity of Jesus was not…clearly stated in words and [the book of] Acts gives no hint that it was”. This philosophy was known by the so-called “Church Fathers” such as Origen, Irenaeus, and Tertullian.

At its core, Gnosticism formed a speculative interest in the relationship of the oneness of God to the ‘triplicity’ of his manifestations. It seems to have taken Neoplatonic metaphysics of substance and hypostases [“being”] as a departure point for interpreting the relationship of the “Father” to the “Son” in its attempt to define a new theology. This would point to the infamous theological controversies by Arius against followers of the Greek Alexandrian school, headed by Athanasius.

The ancient Nag Hammadi Library, discovered in Egypt in the 1940s, revealed how varied this movement was. The writers of these manuscripts considered themselves ‘Christians’, but owing to their syncretistic beliefs, borrowed heavily from the Greek philosopher Plato. The find included the hotly debated Gospel of Thomas, which parallels some of Jesus’ sayings in the Synoptic Gospels. This may point to the existence of a postulated lost textual source for the Gospels of Luke and Matthew, known as the Q document. Thus, modern debate is split between those who see Gnosticism as a pre-Christian form of ‘theosophy’ and those who see it as a post-Christian counter-movement.

NT scripture was largely unwritten, at least in the form of canon, existing in the practices, customs and teachings of the early Christian community. What largely was communicated generation to generation was an oral tradition passed from the apostles to the Bishops and from Bishops and priests to the faithful through their preaching and way of life. Constantine’s call for unity in the building of the new Roman Church led to his request for Eusebius to produce some 50 copies of manuscripts. These were approved and accepted by the emperor, which later influenced the final stages of canonization.

The best known origin story in the NT comes in the person of Simon Magus [Acts 8:9-24]. Although little is known historically about him, his first disciple is said to have been Basilides. Paul’s epistles to Timothy contain refutations of “false doctrine [and] myths” [1 Tim 1:3-5]. The importance placed here, as in most NT scripture, is to uphold the truth since through such knowledge God hopes for “all men” to be saved [1 Tim 2:4]. Paul’s letters to the Corinthians have much to say regarding false teachers (2 Co 11:4), “spiritualists” [pneumatikos—1 Co 2:14-15; 15:44-46] and their gnosis. They warn against the “wisdom of the wise” and their “hollow and deceptive philosophy” (1 Co 1:19; 2:5—NIV; cp. Col 2:1-10; 2:8). These are seen as the clearest texts reacting to early Gnostic trends.{fact|date=March 2010} The book of Jude also contains scripture exhorting believers to seek the true faith (Jude 3) and it is nowhere more influential than in the nature of the man, Jesus.

The writings attributed to the Apostle John contain the most significant amount of content directed at combating the progenitors of heresies. Most Bible scholars agree that these were some of the last parts of the NT written and as such, can offer the most insights into a 1st century perspective. The writer’s repeated adherence to true knowledge (“hereby we know”—inherent in Jesus’ ministry) and nature seem to challenge other speculative and opposing beliefs.

The 2nd epistle of John is only 13 verses long but puts strong emphasis on the ‘Christology’ of Jesus. From its context we seeTemplate:SynTemplate:Or the importance placed on “knowing…walking” and loving the truth (v. 1-4), on the humanity of the man Jesus (v. 7-11) and adherence to “teaching [the doctrine] of Christ” [cp. John 7:14-18]. These point to false teachers who claimed to bring some higher teaching than what the apostles taught.

From the evidence at hand, it seems thatTemplate:Syn early Christian apologists used their biblical faith to teach a pagan audience how best to adopt the new religion. (They were) Wrapping their understanding of scripture and worldly wisdom in the process and taking their lead from such Jewish apologists like Philo of Alexandria.Template:Syn Whether even without Philo the ‘Fathers of the Church’ would have attempted to harmonize scripture and philosophy is a plausible assumption.Template:SynTemplate:Or Whether the result of their harmonization would have been the same as it is now is a matter of conjecture. But it happens that Philo came before them and it also happens that all kinds of evidence show the influence of Philo upon them.

It is hard to sift through what actual evidence there is regarding Gnosticism in the NT due to their historical synchronicity. The Hammadi library find contains Pagan, Jewish, Greek and early Gnostic influences, further reinforcing the need to tread lightly. The antiquity of the find being of utmost importance since it shows primary evidence of texts that may also have influenced the process of NT canonization.

If any conclusion is to be made at this point it is that Gnosticism was considered a real enough threat by the apostles themselves, showing us how early it started to infiltrate the Church, through which several of its undercurrents were to strongly influence later ‘orthodox’ doctrine.Template:Syn

Trinitarian Christianity and pneumatology with regards to Christian mysticism and Evangelicalism

Evangelical Christianity embraces Trinitarian Christianity whereas the theology of Christian mysticism tends to disagree with it.

In Christian theology pneumatology refers to the study of the Holy Spirit. Although both Evangelical mysticism and Christian mysticism consider their mystical experiences to be from the Holy Spirit, their understanding of who (or what) the Holy Spirit is, is different.

In contrast with Christian mysticism, Evangelical mysticism embraces mainstream Christian theology with regards to the Divine functions of the Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is believed to perform specific divine functions in the life of the Christian or the church. These include:

• Conviction of sin. The Holy Spirit acts to convince the unredeemed person both of the sinfulness of their actions, and of their moral standing as sinners before God.
• Bringing to conversion. The action of the Holy Spirit is seen as an essential part of the bringing of the person to the Christian faith. The new believer is "born again of the Spirit".
• Enabling the Christian life. The Holy Spirit is believed to dwell in the individual believers and enable them to live a righteous and faithful life.
• As a comforter or Paraclete, one who intercedes, or supports or acts as an advocate, particularly in times of trial.
• Inspiration and interpretation of scripture. The Holy Spirit both inspires the writing of the scriptures and interprets them to the Christian and/or church.

Christianity and the philosophies of Monism and Panentheism

Monism

Monism is any philosophical view which holds that there is unity in a given field of inquiry, where this is not to be expected. Thus, some philosophers may hold that the universe is really just one thing, despite its many appearances and diversities; or theology may support the view that there is one God, with many manifestations in different religions. Hinduism is considered to be primary proponent of Monism.

The philosophy of Christian mysticism is often inclined to support a similar worldview.

Christianity however strongly maintains the Creator-creature distinction as fundamental. Most Christians maintain that God created the universe ex nihilo and not from himself, nor within himself, so that the creator is not to be confused with creation, but rather transcends it (metaphysical dualism)(cf. Genesis). Even the more immanent concepts and theologies are to be defined together with God's omnipotence, omnipresence and omniscience, due to God's desire for intimate contact with his own creation (cf. Acts 17:27) Another use of the term "monism" is in Christian anthropology to refer to the innate nature of humankind as being holistic, as usually opposed to bipartite and tripartite views.

While the Christian view of reality is dualistic (in regard to metaphysics) in that it holds to the Creator's transcendence of creation, it rejects other types of dualism (or pluralism) such as the idea that God must compete with other equal powers such as Satan (cf Gospel of John 14:30). In On Free Choice of the Will, Augustine argued, in the context of the problem of evil, that evil is not the opposite of good, but rather merely the absence of good, something that does not have existence in itself. Likewise, C. S. Lewis described evil as a "parasite" in Mere Christianity, as he viewed evil as something that cannot exist without good to provide it with existence. Lewis went on to argue against dualism from the basis of moral absolutism, and rejected the dualistic notion that God and Satan are opposites, arguing instead that God has no equal, hence no opposite. Lewis rather viewed Satan as the opposite of Michael the archangel.

This position neglects monists such as Paul Tillich. Since God is He "in whom we live and move and have our being" (Book of Acts 17.28), it follows that everything that has being partakes in God. Dualism with regard to God and creation also barred the possibility of a mystical union with God, as John Calvin rejected[citation needed], according to Max Weber in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism. Such a dualism also leads to the problematic position of positing God as a particular being the existence of which can be argued for or against, failing to recognize God as the ground and origin of being itself, as in Acts 17, or in the Hashem, YHWH, meaning "He causes to come into being." Such a view was called by Tillich panentheism: God is in all things, neither identical to, nor totally separate from, all things. This understanding would be further supported by that understanding of the proclamation of the kingdom of God, in which it is proclaimed "on earth as it is in heaven." (Gospel of Matthew 6:10) Such an understanding of the kingdom implies a new reality in which old dichotomies between, for example, the sacred and the profane, the temporal and the eternal, body and soul, absolutism and relativism, are overcome.[citation needed] All things are filled with God's Spirit (Epistle to the Romans 8:11), so that in this new creation God is "all in all" (I Corinthians 15.28; Ephesians 1.23).

See also : Panentheism

Mystical Practices

A variety of mystical practices exists, both in Christian mysticism as well as Evangelical mysticism, although the way it is practiced shows differences. Such practices includes:

• Christian meditation
• Quietism (Christian philosophy)
• Hesychasm
• Slain in the Spirit (More associated with Evangelical mysticism)
• Religious ecstasy
• Fasting
• Contemplative prayer
• Soaking Prayer (More associated with Evangelical mysticism)

Different Terminology used

Terminology used by those practicing Christian mysticism is comparable to that of Theosophy, with regards to the kind of illuminism received.

Terminology used by Evangelical mysticism, due to it's closer association with fundamentalism, is more inclined to correspond with Scriptural references. Terminology often used by those associated with Evangelical mysticism who testifies of having had encounters with God, is for example "living under an open heaven", "entering the Glory realm", "being in the Throne Room", "the Mercy seat", "going through the veil" by the blood of Jesus, "experiencing the Shekinah glory" and being "caught up in the third heaven". This terminology and experiences are distinctly different from those claimed by Christian mysticism, as a subset of mysticism and gnosticism.

Terms such as Waiting on God, Walking with God, the Presence of God and the Glory of God for which scriptural support can be found, is likely to be used by those embracing Evangelical mysticism, whereas terms such as Quietism is more popular within Christian mysticism.

Some arguments have also been made to differentiate between biblical NT Prophecy and the practices of Channeling and Fortune telling as supported by Theosophy. The two streams also support different teachings with regards to Angels and Angelic visitations. Dream interpretation of Evangelical mysticism tend to be more based on Scriptural support, so also the associations with different numbers, when compared to the numerology supported by Theosophy. The Holy Spirit and His working are interpreted differently by the two streams, and meditation practices also differs. Holy Laughter, being slain in the Spirit and Speaking in tongues are typically associated with the working of the Holy Spirit within Evangelical mysticism, although safeguards against deception is emphasised and practising spiritual discernment to identify always the spirit working behind these manifestations.

The Laying on of hands are recognized in Evangelical circles as a channel of spiritual impartation, but in many churches only members of a ministry team is permitted to do such impartations, as to restrict Demonic impartation to come to innocent recipients.

One of the prominent "enemies" of those embracing Evangelical mysticism is considered to be the Queen of heaven (Jeremiah 7:18). This spiritual enemy is perceived to want to quench the working of the Holy Spirit, in many deceptive and manipulative ways and to always want to try to work itself within Christian gatherings. The Kundalini had been labeled by some Evangelicals as the "false Holy Spirit".

The teaching of Universalism and reincarnation

Prominent Christian mystics, such as Emanuel Swedenborg, founder of Swedenborgianism and Jakob Lorber were strong supporters of Universalism in their teachings. They believed that not only all people, but also all spirit beings, will eventually be redeemed, in line with apocatastasis.

According to Pierre Batiffol's article in the Catholic Encyclopedia 1907:

"Apocatastasis [is] A name given in the history of theology to the doctrine which teaches that a time will come when all free creatures will share in the grace of salvation; in a special way, the devils and lost souls."

There has been a number of prominent and influential Church Fathers and Church leaders throughout Christian history who have held to the belief of Universal Reconciliation in and through Jesus Christ. Though disagreement has arisen on the basis of subjectivity of interpretation of their beliefs, many have expressed in writing and witness accounts, the hope of Universal Reconciliation at some time in their religious lives.

Universalism was brought to the American colonies in the early eighteenth century by the English-born physician George de Benneville, attracted by Pennsylvania's Quaker tolerance. North American universalism was active and organized. This was seen as a threat by the orthodox, Calvinist Congregationalists of New England such as Jonathan Edwards, who wrote prolifically against universalist teachings and preachers. John Murray (1741–1815) and Elhanan Winchester (1751–1797) are usually credited as founders of the modern Universalist movement and founding teachers of universal salvation.

Early American Universalists such as Elhanan Winchester continued to preach the punishment of souls prior to eventual salvation.

The differentiation made however between the Universalism taught by Evangelical Christians such as Elhanan Winchester and the more liberal Universalism taught by many Christian mystics, lies however in the gospel of redemption that is being taught. Evangelical Universalists still proclaim that it is only through the atonement brought by the blood of Jesus that salvation is possible, regardless of the aeon of time a spirit finds himself in.

Universalism is thus not a teaching strictly associated only to Christian mysticism and other mysticms, but also has an audience within the evangelical faith movement. Evangelical Universalists are however more inclined to support an end time theology that leans towards preterism rather than futurism.

Christian mystics such as Emanuel Swedenborg, Jakob Lorber and Leopold Engel also taught reincarnation in line with the teachings of the New Age Movement. These teachings are however rejected by mainstream Christianity, even by Evangelical Universalists.

Emphasis on safeguard against deception

Another difference between Christian mysticism and Evangelical mysticism is the strong emphasis placed by Evangelicals to safeguard against deception, which is less prominent in Christian mysticism teachings. Christian mysticism, as being part of a more liberal stream of Christianity, leans stronger towards the philosophy Progressive Christianity in respecting that everybody has their "own truth".

Evangelic Christian mystic, Mark Virkler, in his book "Dialogue with God" gives the following advise to safeguard Christians against deception.

"When we listen to hear the voice of the Spirit of Almighty God, we could conceivably get it mixid up with the voice of Satan or the voice of our own heart's desires. If that happened and we acted on it, it could bring real destruction into our lives. Therefore, God has given us several safeguards in Scripture to protect us.

Probably the greatest safeguard we have for the spiritual journey is the Word of God. A good knowledge of the Scriptures can save us from many errors and heartaches. At our Bible School, we require a certain level of biblical study as a prerequisite to this teaching on dialoguing with God.

There are two basic ways in which the Scripture can help and protect us. First, every revelation must be tested against the written Word of God. If the revelation violates either the letter of the Word or the spirit of the Word, it is to be rejected immediately. There is no place for rationalizing, twisting or explaining away the truth of the Bible. There can be no strange, personal interpretations of some obscure verse. The Word of the Lord will stand forever, and any word to us from God will be in total agreement with both the letter and the spirit of the Eternal Word.

We must not only test God's voice in our hearts against the Bible but see any revelation as built upon the Scriptures. The Lord told Joshua to meditate upon, confess, and act upon the law of God day and night so that He could give him success. If I have filled my mind and heart with the Bible, the Holy Spirit will draw forth the precise verses, stories or principles I need in a given situation. The spontaneous flow of illuminated Scripture will bring wisdom and insight far greater than my own mind could deliver if only I will pause and allow myself to be dependent on God.

The second important scriptural safeguard from error and harm is a humble, teachable spirit. So often the ones who claim to hear from the Lord are arrogant and self-righteous. Their attitude is, "God told me and that's all there is to it". But God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. Such an arrogant spirit will eventually cause them to fall into deception. All revelation should be tested. God does not speak to us so that we may lord it over anyone else. Rather, we ought to be known as the meekest of men.

We are a part of the body of Christ. The full revelation of Jesus does not reside in us individually but only as we come together as a body."

Communication with God

With regards to the topic of Communication with God, distinct differences between Christian mysticism and Evangelical mysticism also exist.

The book Conversations with God (CwG) could be considered an example of the general category of mysticism, with teachings that aligns closely to that of mystical theology. The book Dialogue with God could be considered a good example of Evangelical mysticism, promoting the theology of Evangelicals.

Coversations with God as a possible example of Christian mysticism

Conversations with God

Conversations with God (CwG) is a sequence of books written by Neale Donald Walsch, written as a dialogue in which Walsch asks questions and God answers. The book places a strong emphasis on the message that "We are all One".

Fundamental parts of Walsch's writings are also mirrored within other well known spiritual writings and traditions:

• Souls reincarnate to eventually experience God-realization ([Hinduism]/' 'Bhagavad-Gita/Sikhism).
• Feelings are more important as a source of guidance than intellect (Rousseau).
• We are not here to learn anything new but to remember what we already know (Hinduism/Plato).
• Physical reality is an illusion (Hinduism/ Sikhism/Buddhism's concept of maya).
• One cannot understand one thing unless he or she understands its opposite (Tao Te Ching).
• God is everything. (Hinduism / Spinoza / Brahman)
• God is self-experiential, in that it is the nature of the Universe to experience itself. (Hinduism/Hegel, and process theology as first outlined by Alfred North Whitehead)
• God is not fear-inducing or vengeful, only our parental projections onto God are. Fear or love are the two basic alternative perspectives on life (Drewermann)
• Good and evil do not exist (as absolutes, but can exist in a different context and for different reasons as Nietzsche).
• Reality is a representation created by will. (Schopenhauer)
• Nobody knowingly desires evil. (Socrates)
• It's just a ride. (Bill Hicks)

Dialogue with God as a possible example of Evangelical mysticism

The book Dialogue with God is written by Mark & Patti Virkler encouraging personal two-way communication between the Christian and God.

The book starts of with a brief description of Mark's years struggle to hear and recognize the voice of God and how he finally broke through.

In the beginning of the book, the author gives advise to safeguard a believer against deception. This include testing all revelations against the written Word of God and the spirit of the Word of God, as God would never speak against what He revealed in the Bible. Further it includes advise to keep humble, as pride opens a door to deception in a believer's life. Mark emphasises the importance to keep connected to the rest of the body of Christ, and to have accountability relationships as another safeguard against deception.

He then continues his book by explaining through examples in Scripture how two way communication with His children is the desire of God's heart.

He describes how for a long time he viewed a leisurely stroll in a garden in the cool of the day as essentially a waste of time and how he wanted to be producing something. He felt that he didn't have time to spare for such unnecessary extras and explains how the Lord began gently and lovingly teaching him that a leisurely stroll and sharing love with someone are not unnecessary extras but are the culmination of His purposes." Mark discusses four keys that is important in communion with God.

1st Key is that God's voice in our hearts sounds like a flow of spontaneous thoughts

2nd Key is to learn to still one's own thoughts and emotions in order to sense God's flow of thoughts and emotions within me.

3rd Key is to fix the eyes of your heart upon Jesus, seeing in the spirit the visions and the dreams from God.

4th Key is to write out prayers and God's answers.

He elaborates on each key, give biblical examples, describes how prayer is being caught in the flow of God, and gives advise to overcome blocks and problems to hearing God's voice.

The Virklers have received harsh criticism in Christian circles from those Christians who are strongly opposed to mysticism of any kind. In response to critics, Mark and Patti Virkler have written another book titled “Am I being Deceived?” It marks the distinctions between New Agers, Christians, and modern day Pharisees. They write, “Pharisees do not seek ongoing, direct contact with the Living God, and call those who do seek and experience such, either New Agers or demonized.”.

Jesuit conspiracy theories : concern with regards to Christian mysticism

Jesuit conspiracy theories

As per the Evangelical supporters of the Jesuit conspiracy theories, Christian mysticism and gnosticism influences that entered the church, is part of a satanic plot of the Illuminati and Freemasonary to introduce another kind of enlightenment which is Luciferian in nature and not enlightenment from Jesus Christ. Christian mysticism according to them, is just another form of mysticism and is totally removed from the fundamentals of biblical Christianity. St. John of the Cross, a well know Christian mystic, who wrote dark night of the soul also promoted the teachings of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). He studied the humanities at a Society of Jesus (Jesuit) school from 1559 to 1563.

Supporters of the Jesuit conspiracy theory point out that the founder of the Jesuit Order, Ignatius Loyola, belonged to a the Illuminati, in his native tongue called "The Los Alumbrados".

Many prominent religious leaders can be found in the long list of Jesuits

The ancient name for Babylonian Mysticism (or finding ways to get in touch with "The One"), was called Illuminism. The Babylonians who were initiated into the mystery religion were said to be in possession of Illumination or "the inner light". Supposedly, this meant they had been enlightened or became aware of the fact that they were gods.

The American Peoples Encyclopedia describes the Illuminati as a "certain group of mystics who claimed that they were able to receive spiritual illumination through the cultivation of an inner light." It is also explain that "the movement was based on a Masonic plan of organization and had a close relationship with the Masonic order."

Distinguishing between Eros spirituality vs Agape faith

Distinctions between mysticism streams can also be made based on the two distinct groups identified by David Wells.

According to David Wells, the type of mystic Christian spirituality that became increasingly popular in this postmodern age, is distinctly different from "Agape faith". The following quote is extracted from his book Above All Earthly Pow’rs: Christ in a Postmodern World:

"The casual embrace of what is postmodern has increasingly led to an embrace of its spiritual yearning without noticing that this embrace carries within it the seeds of destruction for evangelical faith. The contrast between biblical faith and this contemporary spirituality is that between two entirely different ways of looking at life and at God. Nygren, some years ago, used the Greek words for two different kinds of love, Eros and Agape.

The movement of Eros spirituality is upward. Its essence, its drive, is the sinner finding God. The movement of Agape, by contrast, is downward. It is all about God finding the sinner. Eros spirituality is the kind of spirituality which arises from human nature and it builds on the presumption that it can forge its own salvation. Agape arises in God, was incarnate in Christ, and reaches us through the work of the Holy Spirit opening lives to receive the gospel of Christ’s saving death.

In this understanding, salvation is given and never forged or manufactured. Eros is the projection of the human spirit into eternity, the immortalizing of its own impulses. Agape is the intrusion of eternity into life coming, not from below, but from above. Eros is human love. Agape is divine love. Human love of this kind, because it has need and want at its center, because it is always wanting to have its needs and wants satisfied, will always seek to control the object of its desires. That is why in these new spiritualities it is the spiritual person who makes up his or her beliefs and practices, mixing and matching and experimenting to see what works best, and assuming the prerogative to discard at will. The sacred is therefore loved for what can be had from loving it. The sacred is pursued because it has value to the pursuer and that value is measured in terms of the therapeutic payoff. There is, therefore, always a profit-and-loss mentality to these spiritualities.

By contrast, in Agape faith, God is not loved simply for the benefits that flow from that loving such as the forgiveness of sins. He is loved for what he is in himself. If Eros loves the sacred because it is worth doing, Agape, by contrast, loves God without ulterior motives. Agape surrenders; Eros grasps. Agape loves simply and only because it should, because God is most lovable."

A similar distinction has been made, differentiating between those that are drawn, and those that are driven:

“Genuine leaders operate out of a sense of calling, not a sense of drivenness. The writer George MacDonald has said somewhere that real Christian leaders are people who are moved at God’s pace and in God’s time to God’s place, not because they fancy themselves there, but because they are drawn." ).

See also :Brother Lawrence and The Practice of the Presence of God.

See also

• Christian meditation
• Hesychasm
• Quietism (Christian philosophy)
• Soaking music
• Slain in the Spirit
• Altered state of consciousness
• Contemplative prayer

• Holy Spirit
• Christian anthropology
• Trinitarianism

• Evangelicalism
• Soteriology
• Evangelical Mysticism
• Evangelical Christianity
• Pauline Christianity
• John Westley
• A.W. Tozer
• Higher Life movement
• Oswald Chambers
• Fundamentalism
• Conservative Christianity
• Pauline mysticism
• Albert Schweitzer
• Early Christianity
• Brother Lawrence
• The Practice of the Presence of God.
• Waiting on God
• Walking with God
• Shekinah glory

• Christian Mysticism
• Monism
• Gnosticism
• Problem of evil
• Neoplatonism and Christianity
• Hellenistic philosophy and Christianity
• Behmenism
• Christian Kabbalah
• Esoteric Christianity
• German mysticism
• Mystical theology
• Mysticism - a discussion of the mystical elements of Christianity along with many other non-Christian religions
• Spanish mystics
• Starets
• Neoplatonism and Christianity
• Open theism
• Hellenistic philosophy and Christianity
• Gnosticism in modern times
• Soteriology
• Christian Soteriology
• Universal reconciliation
• Progressive Christianity
• Postmodernism
• New religious movement
• Panentheism
• Theosophy
• Swedenborgianism
• Great Gospel of John
• Queen of heaven
• Liberal Christianity
• Seven rays
• Gnosticism in modern times
• Christianity and Freemasonry
• Swedenborg Rite
• Charles Webster Leadbeater
• Helena Blavatsky
• Steven Knight
• Illuminism

• Jesuit conspiracy theories
• Leopold Engel
• List of Jesuits
• Luciferianism