Customer Reviews

Spirit Wars: Pagan Revival in Christian America

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

 

 

In "Spirit Wars" Dr. Peter Jones does a masterful job of delving deep into many seemingly disparate aspects of the New Age movement, some liberal Christians, radical feminists, many in the pro-homosexual movement, and Neo-paganism to uncover a central theme that links many of the leading thinkers in all of the above. The link is an essentially monistic (all is One or all is God in some way) world-view. With exhaustive documentation and thorough analysis Dr. Jones takes the idea of his earlier book "The Gnostic Empire Strikes Back" that ancient Gnosticism has crept into our culture and goes much deeper, not just into the cultural influence this ancient spirituality is having, but the influence it has in the Church. What he has produced is alarming to say the least. All those who have a concern for the Truth and the faith delivered once and for all to the saints (Jude 3) should read this book.

Having said that I have the same problem with this book that I had with "The Gnostic Empire Strikes Back"; its sarcastic tone. I found his tone so tongue in cheek and disrespectful at times that it aroused skeptical feelings in me about the material I was reading. It took me almost a month to read this b/c 1) I kept getting frustrated and putting the book down. More people would be willing to read the book all the way through if Dr. Jones would stop making fun of those he disagrees. 2) The skeptical feelings he gave me caused me to read almost all the footnotes (which was tedious but well worth it). The footnotes were outstanding and proved that despite his tone Dr. Jones had done his homework and his thesis is valid. In the last chapter of the book Dr. Jones apologizes if he has offended and explains his passion and asks for love toward those who are unsaved, but it was too little too late.

In conclusion, I recommend this as a great resource that every church leader, or anyone concerned with the growing influence of those who worship false Gods whether in "churches" or in other types of religious milieus, in America should read. Just keep a thick skin and ignore Dr. Jones' sarcasm. I don't recommend this book as an example for how to write or speak to those who don't believe in orthodox Christianity. If you do, they will walk away having heard nothing, but your mean-spirited tone. For a great primer on talking to people about what they believe read Charles' Strohmer's "The Gospel and the New Spirituality."

As a gnostic, I have always wanted to check this book out. Brought it to the beach on Labor Day and read it in one sitting. So, what's the verdict? Dr. Jones has done his homework. He actually retained a translator to translate the Nag Hammadi documents for him as Robinson, et al, would apparently not give permission. And he does cite them unlike so many other anti- "New Age Authors". And he is witty and the book is entertaining.

While I completely disagree with his agenda (roll back women's and gay rights, put an end to religious pluralism, etc) he does not come accross as a wide-eyed conmspiracy theorist a la Jack Chick or Hal Lindsey. This guy is an actual academic, albeit somewhat reactionary.

The flaws in this book are as follows: Jones pays a lot of attention to the perceived indignities suffered by YHWH (Lord of Hosts) in those gnostic scriptures which denounce the demiurge as a lion-headed demon, but completely ignores those Gnostic Texts which explain the gnostic concept of the spiritual esurrection. He criticizes gnosticism for ignoring "sin" and then himself ignores the gnostic redemption. Plus he collapses the systems (equating Sophia w. Barbelo, ignoring the Basilidean and Valentinian apocalypses in favor of the flashier On the Origin of the World). To his credit he give one of the more coherent explanations of Gospel of Thomas Logion 114 (I think) wherein Jesus recommends that women bacome male in order to enter heaven. Jones actually explains what this means, as reverse-creation, the rib going back into Adam. Good Job there.

Unfortunately, Jones also pushes the ridiculous interpretation that the archetype of the divine androgyne can be literally and directly equated with homosexuality and the gay rights movements. WHile it is true that gnostics are a tolerant group, the idea that andro (male) + gyne (female)= homosexual (same + sex) is absurd on the face of it. The gnostic concept of balancing - and even cancelling - the opposites - light and dark, good & evil, etc - of course includes sexual difference - so too do certain schools of tantric buddhiusm, which depict this "alchemical wedding" as a seated (male) god with the shakti power (dakini - sky travelling goddes) sitting on his lap in flagrante delicto! Clearly this has less to do w. homoeroticism than joining the opposites, exactly as the word "androgyne" would imply.

The stuff about the Minesotta Re-Imagining conference and the resemblace of the gnostic hermaneutic to reader-response theory was pretty interesting. Maybe I should write this guy a letter and find out a good place to go to divinity school.

In "Spirit Wars: Pagan Revival in Christian America," Dr. Peter Jones has furnished the reader with an enormous amount of pertinent research regarding Gnosticism (ancient and modern versions), the occult, and the New Age Movement (NA). The book is formatted for non-scholars; nonetheless it has significant historical material for trained apologists. It is encased in the religious activity of the 1990's yet provides documentation for our current time period. Yes, while it's deficient in argument, refutation, and application of truth, the book is a smooth read and is hard to put down (over 300 pages).

The reader will discover in this unique book research on:

- The translated Nag Hammadi primary documents
- The 1990's political stars immersed in the NA worldview
- The birth of the religious Left
- The Gnostic Bible
- Christian Liberalism
- Gnostic spirituality
- Gnostic sexuality
- The Gnostic text that has a Gnostic Jesus instructing women to become men in order to enter heaven
- Hundreds of footnotes
- And a plethora of additional material.

One powerful Christian quote presented at the front of the book: "Unless we are mistaken ... we will witness ... a gigantic conflict of spirits ... between the Old and New worldview" (Hermann Bavinck).

Dr. Jones does discuss the need to embrace truth and reject error as one trusts in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

The reader will notice that of the hundreds of footnotes very few are from Christian scholars, theologians, and apologists, thus this adds to the lack of refutation of the NA views Jones exposes. The author furnishes massive amount of information that reveals the NA influence and Gnostic doctrines, but it is very short on logical and apologetic negation of the NAM, the Occult, and Gnostic belief systems.

This is a terrific text to have in one's apologetic library as it has many unique features and is written in an engaging style; and now it's so inexpensive.
see the book that contends for the existence of God by employing moral absolutes:
There Are Moral Absolutes: How to Be Absolutely Sure That Christianity Alone Supplies
or
"One Way to God: Christian Philosophy and Presuppositional Apologetics Examine World Religions" type in ASIN#: 1432722956

Dr. Jones provides the faithful with a thorough analysis of a growing portion of the apostacy away from the church which is a fall back to paganism.

Especially, he takes note of the Sophia movement and Wicca, both associated with the feminist agenda of righting the ship of patriarchal dominated Scriptures.

This valuable resource documents from the apostate sources their increasing candor in preaching clearly what they believe, a gnostic inspired, new revelation which if anything is just a new appearance of the old lies.

The growing concern here, as the book points out, is the inroads this has made into the church (or what formerly was church). Jones concludes: "The God of the Bible locked in mortal combat for the souls of men with the goddess of revived pagainism--who would have imagined such a scenario in civilized, Christian America at the end of the twentieth century?"

One only has to look at ELCA and other bodies, where the feminists have power gobbled up much, and seek more. What they have eroded and distorted with their deceptions is traced in this well written, researched work. It will serve many to contend for the faith without being contentious.

After hearing Jay Adams speak favorably of this book in a sermon on Colossians, I decided to check it out. I have experienced first hand pagan ideas in a church I was once a part of. Guided imagery, soaking and contemplative spiritual practices of searching inside of oneself are very much coming into the church today. Although Dr. Jones doesn't address these specifically in the book, the idea of syncretism and one unity of religions are principles behind these practices. These disciplines are disguised as effective ways of achieving oneness with God, and as a result the atonement of Christ has become obscured. A perfect strategy of Satan himself. The feminist View of the Garden in Chapter 8 is very revealing,with Satan being elevated to the agent of regeneration, Satan always ends up telling on himself in the end. I also found the topic Gnostic Bible Study on pages 131-140 very interesting. I was once involved in a charismatic church, where the pastor actually spoke negatively about commentaries and hermeneutics, saying they will mess you up. He would say that we should interpret scripture our own way. Quite interesting, now that I look back on it. This is a great book.

There truly is "nothing new under the sun." What is often dismissed by a postmodern view as "narrow," the central thesis of Jones scholarly work is simply that truth has always been truth, and both modern and ancient cultural notions notwithstanding, it will never cease being such. Although highly readable and thought-provoking, the book has extensively organized footnotes inviting those who would dig deeper to challenge and analyze the documentary laid forth.

Peter Jones' Spirit Wars (also published by Regal as 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.

Professor Peter Jones is intelligent, learned, witty, courageous, thorough, an excellent writer, and a Christian. After a dozen years, this book remains the best, most scholarly and entertaining analysis of modern New Ageism and gnosticism. With the understanding of an experienced, talented and mature scholar, Dr. Jones thoroughly documents the roots of gnosticism and its tendrils in the feminist and homosexual movements, and their effects and implications for modern society and the church.

This book is a massive resource, and its only small criticism might be that its seventy-one pages of detailed end notes and lengthy index of authors and biographical characters does not adequately serve neophytes or non-academicians to search material in the book by subject matter.

Of course, atheists, gnostics, and other pagans and anti-Christs, in keeping with John 3:19-20, will assign the book a "1" while Christians rate it a "5". Professor Jones here shines bright light into dark corners of the "Pagan Revival in Christian America." Every Christian should read and study this book until its pages are well-worn.

Peter Jones correctly and painstakenly documents the root of many of problems afflicting our modern society. In Spirit Wars, Dr. Jones shines the light of truth on the agenda of the pro-choice/homosexual/radical feminism agenda and ties them together in a neat little knot. He does this by exposing the very words spoken and written by the leaders of such groups, uncovering their true agenda. Indeed, the book is heavily footnoted and documented. In short, Spirit Wars helps to identify what lies at the root of todays "man centered" way of thinking that was brought into the mainstream by the Me Generation. It is no wonder that his targets howl and attack the messenger. They cannot dispute the content of Spirit Wars because to do so, they would dispute their own words, actions and deeds.

Peter Jones does it again! Christians vote 5 stars, pagans vote 1.

Although the subject is deadly serious, and Dr. Jones' scholarly work is impeccable, his erudite humor and colorful writing made the book abundantly readable.

I agree with R.C. Sproul who says that this book is a "must read". It should be within arm's reach of every church elder, teacher, student of American culture, and Christian in the United States.

The aerial flares have been lit in the Spirit Wars, and Peter Jones is to be commended!