Pagans in the Pews [Paperback]

Peter Jones (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2001

At the dawn of a new millennium, two worldviews collide: paganism and theism-the earth goddess versus the God who made the heavens and the earth. At the heart of our cultures wars are Spirit Wars. But this clash doesn't take place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. This is happening right now in our living rooms! Within a single generation, Judeo-Christian America has become a breeding ground for the new paganism. Behind the dazzling diversity of pro-choice culture-abortion rights, the homosexual agenda, radical feminism, New Age spirituality, goddess worship and witchcraft-lies a coherent pagan spirituality bent on absolute control of our culture and intolerant of any truth that stands in opposition to its teachings. Pagans in the Pews is essential reading for the Church today.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Peter R. Jones is Professor of New Testament at Westminster Theological Seminary in California. Dr. Jones is the father of seven children and the author of several books, including The Gnostic Empire Strikes Back and Gospel Truth/Pagan Lies. He plays modern jazz piano and plays golf to a three handicap. His website is spirit-wars.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Regal Books (November 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830727981
• ISBN-13: 978-0830727988
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,150,190 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must reading for Pastors and discerning Christians, March 22, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Pagans in the Pews (Paperback)

A well researched and highly thought provoking study of the pagan origins of much of the non-biblical influence present in the denominational and evangelical church. A "can't put it down" fascinating read, with great implications for Christian believers.

28 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ground-breaking work, March 29, 2002

By 

The BPR Reference Guide (East Coast, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pagans in the Pews (Paperback)

I started reading this book and was confronted with a lot of isms--monism, theism, syncretism, etc. and thought to myself that this is over my head and I subsequently put the book aside. It was a gift so I thought I'd better give it another try. I grabbed my dictionary and started over and I am so very glad that I did. This is a ground-breaking work that pulls the mask off of the spiritual warfare being waged in and around our churches, especially here in the United States, ultimately for the hearts and minds of every man, woman and child on earth. Gnosticism (the need for hidden self-proclaimed knowledge for salvation) parading as New Age spirituality is revealed to be Old Age paganism dressed up in modern garb. There is not one area of our lives that has not been touched by this deadly heresy. Read about:

The Destructive Generation: From Berkeley to Washington;
The Sexual Revolution as Government Policy;
Destruction of the Christian Culture;
The Same Old Alternatives: Christianity and Paganism;
Christian Liberalism: Crisis and Conversion;
Christian Liberalism and Ancient Gnosticism: Long-Lost Cousins;
Dismantling the Bible;
The Use and Misuse of Scriptures;
"Pro-Choice" Hermeneutics;
Genesis 1-3: A Feminist View of the Garden;
The Text: Anything You Want It To Be;
God Versus Goddess (Sophia);
The Heart of Gnosticism is the Heart of Paganism: Man is God;
The New Sexuality (Androgyny, Homosexuality, Feminism);
The New Spiritual Experience;
The Gnostic Sacraments;
Queer Millennium.

Not a casual read (it helps if you are well-versed in all the ism theology) but worth the extra effort. As the author states "The 60s came of age in the 90s" and just think of the "me generation" now all grown up and running the world, injecting that world-view into every aspect of society with a special emphasis on their "New Age" spirituality. What a drag. -- Moza

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well-documented, but partisan, December 29, 2005

By 

Hiram Moon "H. S. Moon" (K'zoo, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pagans in the Pews (Paperback)

I appreciate the effort of Dr. Jones to produce a well-documented text. The book certainly has an agenda, but Jones is open about that. He is writing about current trends in American religious culture from the vantage point of conservative Christianity. He will obviously read his evidence in a particular way. To put it simply, Jones has produced a text that is meant to be a warning for like-minded Christians about what Jones sees as dangers to the traditional moral and religious fabric of society.

Readers should delve in and decide for themselves whether or not the evidence leads them to share Jones's conclusions. Obviously, how one defines faith and truth will have much to do with how one views the premises of the book, the evidence, and the conclusions that Jones reaches. Some have stated that the book is bigoted or intolerant, but those words are too strong. It is unfortunate that we've reached a place in our culture where disagreement, even if strongly articulated, has to immediately be shouted down as bigotry. The text is partisan, but that is to be expected of a book that passionately seeks to defend its point of view. At no time does Jones state that others should not be allowed to practice their religions or hold their beliefs.