Customer Reviews

Pagans in the Pews

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

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.

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

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.

The negative reviewers here are desperately trying to keep you from reading this book. Jones' work is filled with direct quotes from New Age leaders revealing their hateful, manipulative agenda clearly for all to see. I hope this website soon offers the feature for this title where you can look at .pdf excerpts of pages. Ignore the hyperbole the crystal-gazers are slinging around and track down a copy of this book.

Beautiful book. Professionally and honestly and lovingly depicts the age-old garbage that has plauged mankind (YES! mankind!)and is repackaged for today. The pea-wits that attacked the book are so self-centered they failed to realize the author isn't writing about you. This book is about the so-called Christians that populate churches and believe in new-age drek. Infecting their toleration of every ill imaginable. Beautiful scholarly book.Put down your prejudice and read it. You will be impressed.

This is a worthwhile look at the false spirtuality currently hollowing out most churches. The appearance of Christianity is retained in the corrupted churches for a time, as a bait and switch proceeds.

As an example, I visited a Methodist church to find the sermon delivered by two lesbian co-pastors. The content had nothing to do with Christianity but was more of a pep-talk with the congregation reciting self-esteem liturgies seemingly from some pop-psychology book or 12-step program. The word "I" was very prominent and there was much about manipulating oneself to achieve the right feelings. A creepy experience and a relief to get out of there, but this was introduced to the church bit by bit over many years; pressure from all directions to be tolerant and become more relevant to peoples lives, coupled with a "new type of bible study" here, a set of "dynamic, innovative" outside speakers there, etc. Such urgings flow from false premises.

The book spells out the philosophical and historical relationship between this self-worship, Christian liberalism (a misinterpretation originating in poor theology of the 1500's), relativism, goddess worship, Gnosticism, witchcraft and sexual deviancy.

Few people are in awe of God (for reasons elaborated in the Bible; pride), but they remain aware of some divine presence in their lives by whose power they stand or fall. They despise His judgement but don't want to provoke Him with too much contempt. So they turn away from God and look within to worship the product of their own vanity and imagination. They convince themselves the notions and compulsions that bubble up within them are god -- and what should be worshipped.

Obviously none of the previous negative reviewers read the book. If something is filled with hate, it is easy to show that without the name calling of children. This book is actually filled with extensive quotations of the modern spiritualists so you can observe their thinking in their own words.

The weakness of the book may be that it is largely descriptive; what this ersatz spirituality is, it's history, and the people involved. There is not much analysis or comparison. The author indicates that will be for a future book. Thus, some may find the current volume unsatisfying for not laying out a solution or rigorously analyzing the underpinnings of the new age worldview, but it remains a good description. The writing style occassionally distracts with some hyperbole and the author could do with fewer single word quotes -- a "bad" (!) habit. These things are not severe enough here for Christians to skip the book.

A "Pagans in the PULPITS" volume might be better since, as the book itself points out, pagans should be in the pews: cringing as light is shined on dark corners. The problem occurs when the pagans are the ones in the pulpits and running the seminaries as is currently the case. Many modern seminaries are platforms by which gay rights and feminist activists can have moral authority conferred upon them. Despite the endless pride parades (a giveaway), they know they are out of accord with reality and God and are positively driven to seek moral authority. The result is more far-reaching than the actually desirable state of having "pagans in the pews". A expose of what is happening in seminaries and church leadership would be even more powerful.

The great secular states of the 20th century which have freed themselves from Christianity (Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot) have killed 200 million and enslaved billions in their quest to create an "enlightened" state. The new spirituality cannot help but travel the same path as the others because it works on the same assumptions. Recall Nazi Germany was essentially an attempt to revive the pre-Christian pagan Woten cult, with the hatred of the intellectual class directed towards those "responsible" for the monotheism that displaced paganism -- the Jews.

Christianity provides the basis for equality before the law, appreciation of science and education, the rule of law, "ending" slavery, the confinment of superstitions and softening of routine brutal practices common in pagan societies prior to Christianity, the provision of a moral basis to political structures. It offers the only true rationale for human rights and dignity. If you are the result of random, unobserved chemical accidents, there is no basis for claiming you have rights. The concept comes from the Christian understanding of humans as being made in the spiritual image of God.

Unfortunately, this is a great time to be a biblical Christian. There's much work to do.

Peter Jones' Pagans in the Pews is neither mean-spirited, nor hateful, nor bigoted. Sometimes the truth is painful and truth is what this work has plenty of. The intent is to "Learn how to arm yourself with God's truth - not to kick pagans out of the church, but to lovingly point them toward the One in whom all truth resides." Along with other works like Bright and Damoose's Red Sky In The Morning, Douglas Groothuis' Truth Decay, and Reclaiming the Center (editors: Erickson, Helseth, Taylor), Professor Jones reveals how the Church is subtly and often willingly slipping into the neo-paganism rampant in our culture. When a work gets praise from dispensational and reformed and charismatic circles, as this one has, it is an indication of the importance and universality of its message to the Church. Those who find fault with Professor Jones' text either have not actually understood him or had their minds made up before they read the book. The only drawback is that Regal is no longer printing this tremendously important work. Find it used, buy it, read it and share the knowledge with fellow Christians.

In this fascinating book, author and Professor of New Testament Peter Jones shows that there are two worldviews locked in a life-and-death struggle within the Western world. On the one side, there is the traditional Judeo-Christian worldview, and on the other side is the new pagan monism that preaches a new gospel. But in truth, Dr. Jones clearly shows that this struggle is not new, but is a rematch between two theologies that battled it out at the dawn of the Christian era - Christianity and Gnosticism.

Overall, I found this to be a fascinating book. The author does an excellent job of showing what theology of the "Liberal Left" is, what it means, and where it is going. I found this to be a gripping book, one that I would highly recommend to anyone who wishes to understand what is happening and what it means. I give this book my highest recommendations.

The review from self-professed pagan John Holdahl says it all. "I am a pagan and I am a great person" That captures perfectly the narcissistic mindset of the pagan faith. Christianity recognizes the inherent weaknesses in all mankind. It is entirely reasonable for Christians to examine what is going on in our own churches. Jones is right to point out that fuzzy New Age garbage is flooding what the media calls mainstream Christian churches, denying the very Christ that they claim to worship (or like or fancy depending on how liberal they are). He doesn't pull any punches, but on a matter this serious, he shouldn't and neither should other Christians. If you are a pagan, this book isn't directed at you. Stick to worshipping the creation instead of the Creator and you will be in a world of hurt for eternity. Jones is sounding the clarion call to his fellow believers and if we don't heed it we will find ourselves in a world without Christ and the Word of God.

I wish I could give this book zero stars.

If you want get the whole story you should read books that are unbiased or told from a viewpoint other than this book. Get the facts instead.

The writer of this book spewed only hate speech. I recommend reading books and talking to people difference than you. Learn about people who are not like you with an open mind. Very much (no ALL) the ideas that are in this book are incorrect. I urge you to get a unbiased view before you make judgement and hate others. It is because of people like this author that I am no longer Christian.

The unbiased books I recommend for Religions that are topic in the book are:
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Paganism by Carl McColman
The Complete Idiot's Guide(R) to Paganism

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft, 3rd Edition by Denise Zimmermann and Katherine A. Gleason
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca and Witchcraft, 3rd Edition

To earn about Feminism (a big topic in the book) from the perspective of others:
No Turning Back: The History of Feminism and the Future of Women by Estelle Freedman
No Turning Back: The History of Feminism and the Future of Women)

The Essential Feminist Reader (Modern Library Classics) by Estelle Freedman
The Essential Feminist Reader (Modern Library Classics)

This book is written by a Christian scholar by is unbiased -Highly recommened:
What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality by Daniel A. Helminiak
What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality

Christianity was supposed to be about love, not hate. Gandhi once said "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."