Customer Reviews

The Gnostic Empire Strikes Back: An Old Heresy for the New Age

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

A few of the reviews I read on amazon were so annoying, I thought I'd chime in. Sure, if you are a Gnostic you probably don't agree with Peter Jones' judgments. But don't try to belittle his intelligence or his command of the subject matter. He has a Ph.D. from Princeton Seminary, he's been a theology porfessor for years, and he has written a number of books on the topic. He knows the arguments and counter-arguments. If you disagree, just say so, but don' make these silly attacks on Dr. Jones' competence. He's very sharp.

I found the book to be a good introduction to the topic. I used it in an adult c.e. setting at our church, where we spent 13 weeks with it. Most folks appreciated the book and were challenged by it. It helped us understand the appeal of a puzzling movement, and how a neo-pagan worldview hangs together coherently.

It is concise, rather than comprehensive. It does not explore all the varieties of the New Age movement. Its not intended to do that. But its well worth the investment of a few hours of redaing time and a few dollars.
I bought extra copies for friends and for the church library.

Peter Jones gives a fairly well researched analysis of the parallels between Gnosticism and the New Age movement. As the negative reviews of "Gnostic Empire Strikes Back," prove, Peter Jones is correct when he concludes that the New Age ideals of tolerance are only skin deep. How quickly the champions of pluralism and tolerance rise to the occasion to denounce Christians as "paranoid" and "narrow." Why not review the book instead of denouncing the author with the shibboleth of "fundamentalist"? It seems the only heresy today is orthodox Christianity.

The book is a short read, really just a quick historical overview of Gnosticism and an analysis of the parallels between it and New Age spirituality. It is not a comprehensive study into either Gnosticism or New Age thought, but an introduction primarily intended for Christians. It is a bit dated, having been published in 1992, but still applies nonetheless.

In this book, Jones' parallels ancient Gnosticism with the current "New Age" movement. The book covers the roots of Gnosticism, the current New Age, and how the Church should respond to the current resurgence of what Jones' considers to be Gnosticism reborn.

The mixed review of the book really comes down to purpose: what purpose does the book serve? If one is looking for a pithy, easy to understand overview of the dangers of the New Age for a Christian, I would rate the book 5 out of 5: it is short, easy to read, and relatively light on detail. The language is very simple, and uses a vocabulary which is well within the grasp of the average reader, unlike some theological texts. If one reads the book as an academic treatise on Gnosticism and it's impact on the modern day Church, it's a clear 1 out of 5: that doesn't appear to be what the book sets out to do. Indeed, the preface of the book lays out the author's intention clearly: to clarify the situation, to warn the Church, and to encourage believers to "fight the good fight". In that measure, the book works very well indeed.

The book is very short (a minus if you're expecting lots of content - it can be read very quickly from cover to cover) and is written from an entirely Christian worldview. Thus, if you are looking for something to loan to Christian friends which talks about the New Age and how it impacts the Church today, buy it.

This book is a warning to Christians that the old heresy of Gnosticism is back with a vengeance. This work is very concise (I read it in a couple of hours the first time) yet thorough in it's examination of this branch of the apostate church. Not intended to be comprehensive, it achieves it's objective of sounding an informative warning that the Christian church be on it's guard concerning an enemy that is difficult to pin down.

Through the generous use of footnotes, Mr. Jones points the reader in the right direction for further investigation of the evidence he claims ties much of the new age movement to ancient gnosticism. His simple, straightforward writing style make this book an easy read. Written in 1992, many of his conclusions seem prophetic today.

I recommend you buy this thought-provoking little book and make up your own mind.

If you are looking for a fast read to get a taste of growing and prevalent trends within our culture and seeping into our churches, look no further. In just 5 chapters Peter Jones introduces the reader to a varied and expansive field with an aim (from the tail-end of the intro.) to:

* clarify the true nature of forces opposing Christians today
* warn the church
* encourage Christian believers

Each chapter contains a detailed notes section which the reader can use for a more in depth study. Since this book was published in 1992, undoubtedly some of the examples and book references may appear somewhat "dated,' but still very relevant.

Some key topics touched on in this study are:

* diversity and "kaleidoscope" of ideas found within Gnostic & new age teachings
* Nag Hammadi texts and the idea that believers find salvationnthrough self-actualization and realization
* the "light" (presumably of truh) is within you
* serpent motif
* prayer/ chanting
* reincarnation
* "Christ consciousness"
* feminism
* Hindu chakras
* Goddess worship
* Liberal theology & the hypothetical "Q" document

As you can see in this list, Jones tackles a wide field in a great short work. Just enough for a starting place.

_The Gnostic Empire Strikes Back_ by Peter Jones is a very short book on the nature of the ancient heresy of Gnosticism and its relation to the trendy, ultra-humanitarian New Age spiritual outlook today. The occult battle between God's revealed Truth, embodied in Christ, and secret doctrines that support the worship of the Serpent: Lucifer, the Devil who poses as an Angel of Light, has been carrying on since the beginning of time. "Gnosticism" comes from the Greek "gnosis" which means knoweldge (important because this "knowledge/gnosis" is opposed to Faith in a theological sense). Gnosticism finds its origins in the texts of various heretical psuedo-Christian groups that mixed un-Orthodox notions of Christ with Eastern, Egyptian and Hellenic philosophy and the Jewish Cabala. The central theme is that the God of the Old Testament, Yahweh, is a demon, and that Lucifer the Serpent taught Adam and Eve true spiritual knowledge and therefore incurred the wrath of Yahweh. Christ, according to Gnosticism, came to free man from the laws and doctrines imposed by Yahweh so that man can attain a higher spiritual consciousness without traditional doctrines and rituals. Since Yahweh's creation is regarded as evil and imperfect, it is the duty of men to change the world and the natural order of things to fit his own sovreign will. This is particularly evident in the realm of sexuality and the way God's gender is viewed. "Gnostic Gnotions" of the Mother Goddess, an impersonal androgynous diety and sexual fusion into an unconscious "one" give the catalyst for women's liberation, feminism, homosexual rights instead of the normative heterosexual family structure. Gnosticism is not dead, but has simply resurfaced in various forms throughout history, covertly aided by groups with their own agenda. If there is a link between the New Age, witchcraft, paganism, Nazism, Communism, Zionism, anti-Christianity in all its forms, then it is the Gnostic heresy. The only problem with Jones' _Gnostic Empire_ is that it is far too short and fails to provide a bibliography where similar information on this topic can be acessed.

Peter Jones claims in The Gnostic Empire Strikes Back that the seemingly divergent modern phenomena/movements are really related. They are related to each other and all have common themes found in one of the first heresies to attack the church from within: gnosticism. The seemingly divergent modern phenomena include: 1. skewing of gender roles (militant feminism, homosexuality, etc), 2. increase of new age religion (eastern religions, mysticism, yoga, goddess worship, all in one, you are god, spirituality), 3. environmentalism (nature worship, deification of mother nature and natural selection, militant environmentalism), and 4. political correctness (tolerance of all religions/viewpoints except orthodox Christianity). Written in 1992, I am amazed at many of the insights that have proven themselves to be even more true over the last 16 years.

The book reads like a call to arms. Jones uses urgent, apocalyptic, the sky-is-falling language that can, I found, at times make the book difficult to get through. However, that language is consistent with his thesis: "[T]he New Age has a coherent agenda, orchestrated from a diabolical center, moving and reproducing ineluctably, like algae in a lake." (p. 97). He cites example after example of how these seemingly disconnected New Age/gnostic positions have begun quietly and subversively to enter the church. He writes to Christians who claim to believe that the Bible is God's true word, to Christians who view Jesus as Creator God who came physically to earth to die for the sins of His people and who rose from the dead. He writes to alert them that this orthodox position is being attacked from within, from multiple disparate groups that when analyzed with an eye to history (understanding long-'dead' gnosticism), we realize are remarkably related.

This 112-page book is well-documented with about 200 reference footnotes in six chapters. This book will serve well those who believe in the basic tenets that unite conservative "Christendom," both evangelical and catholic. It will alert those who may have been unaware of just how large and influence the New-Age-culture has had even on their own thinking to the danger.

Jones uses the example of frogs who don't jump out of a pot if it is heated slowly to a boil. For those who were unaware of the heating water, this may be the impetus needed to make them jump out and be alert, guarding their heart and doctrine from this threat. This has certainly been the book's effect on me; I have an increased awareness of just how pervasive this new gnosticism has become. However, The Gnostic Empire Strikes Back is certainly not an exhaustive treatment of the subject, nor is it designed to persuade those who have already bought into the lies of the New-Age movement to see the error of their ways. It may very well do this, but the tone of the book will probably turn adherents off to Jones, making them unable to hear his words. Nevertheless, for Christians living in the United States, I echo the recommendations from the back cover: "I recommend this work" - RC Sproul. "These findings throw a flood of light on a dark subject" -Jay Adams. "Jones demonstrates in a thorough and engaging way that the New Age is not new at all...the church desperately needs to hear Professor Jones's call for a clearer comprehension of truth."

Christians who are students of Bible prophecy will be the ones who find this book most interesting and helpful. The author does a good job of explaining what gnosticism is, showing its origins and manifestations in ancient religions, and how the same gnostic teaching is reappearing today "dressed in new clothes", so to speak. Today's New Age movement has adopted some of the tenets of ancient gnosticism. Anyone interested in the rising One World Religion movement will find this book particularly compelling reading. Well written book, and shows some interesting connections between the old and emerging new spiritual thought. Fact is, this "New Age" stuff isn't really all that new after all.

This 1992 short read still in 2012 is applicable. Dr Jones encapsulates all non-orthodox thinking into one giant movement still prevalent today as "Gnosticism." His purpose in writing is to "warn Christian believers to the true face of the enemy" for "too many are asleep" (9) and have allowed such anti God thinking into their churches and even their theology (51,52). At bottom is the denial and rejection of the creator God which Dr Jones interprets from Paul's letter to the Romans chapter 1:18-31.(98) Jones sees this as a diabolical plan to create a "new humanity" and the "elimination of faith in the God of the Bible" (98).

Such attacks ought to alarm any Bible believing Christians who value their faith, culture and beliefs. This so-called "New Age" is nothing more than the revamping of ancient thinking which has been clothed in a variety of appearances since the Garden of Eden where THE "lie" originated. In fact it has grown into such an ideology that the Lord God himself is seen as the serpent who originally appeared in the Garden unto Adam and Eve! (at least according to Madame Blavasky 50).

Is this book narrow in its thinking? You bet it is. But narrowness is not bad if it is the right way! For Jones' arguments are difficult to ignore and dismiss! But so was Jesus' in his Sermon on the Mount where he tell us that "narrow is the road to life, but broad is the way unto destruction." Egalitarianism is the path in which this world is heading. How many of us want that? Many do!! Some don't. But for the Bible believing Christian who needs to wake up to where our world is headed being informed is everything!

Thus Peter Jones penned this short 112 page overview of New Age thinking crouched in Gnostic terminology. People have a choice in how and what they think. According to Jones' book the answer depends on if one believes in the God of the Bible or seeks to deny His existence altogether.

The Gnostic Empire Strikes Back is an impassioned alarm to the church. Jones exposes today's New Age Movement as revived Gnosticism, the "very antithesis of true Christianity." He defines the enemy, warns of growing danger, and encourages believers to act. He distills what is a comprehensive world view, making it accessible to lay readers. He reminds us that everyone is a "believer" and that beliefs have consequences. Jones calls on Christians to reappraise their convictions in light of aggressive advances by New Age rivals. Evangelicals need to heed his message!