Remnant Radio News

Christians Discuss Mysticism & Yoga This Week!

Author

Joshua Lewis
April 28, 2024

Thanks for subscribing! Here’s what you’ll find in this issue:

  • Save the Date: Remnant Conference

  • Shows This Week: Examining Mysticism in Today’s Culture | Should Christians Practice Yoga?

  • Patreon: Theology Q&A - THIS Week!

  • Your Questions Answered

  • Last Week’s Shows: Did Jesus Go to Hell? | Christians Talk Psychedelics: Ayahuasca

  • Replay: What is Christian Mysticism?

  • Engage with Remnant

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SHOWS THIS WEEK:

Tune in to The Remnant Radio this week on Monday and Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. CDT / UTC-5 and connect with fellow fans in the chat!

Examining Mysticism in Today’s Culture

Join us for our discussion with theologian Andrew Root on his book The Church in An Age of Secular Mysticism. In a world flooded with spiritualities promising personal transformation, Root sheds light on the differences between these mysticisms and authentic Christian transformation. We'll explore the dangers of following or adapting these reigning mysticisms and learn why the self has become so important yet so burdened with guilt--and how we should think about both. Root will present a better way--even a mysticism--centered on the theology of the cross that pastors and leaders can use to form their own imaginations and practices.

Andrew Root (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary) is the Olson Baalson Professor of Youth and Family Ministry at at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN.

Should Christians Practice Yoga?

There's a rising trend of "Christian yoga" practiced by believers and even offered in churches. But can we truly divorce the spiritual from the physical? Are we inadvertently embracing pagan practices by participating in yoga? Or can we transform the practices into a form of worship to Christ?

On Wednesday, we'll delve into the spiritual implications of yoga and whether renaming it to "Christian yoga" changes its essence. Tune in for an eye-opening conversation!

Join us Wednesday, May 1 at 4 p.m. CDT as we discuss whether Christians should practice yoga.

PATREON:

Patreon supporters are invited to join Michael Miller for a Theology Q&A on Wednesday, May 1 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. CDT/UTC-5.

A Zoom link will be distributed to Patreon members prior to the session.

Click here to become a Patreon supporter.

After watching our Remnant episode on Ayahuasca (see show description below), Patreon subscribers can watch our full interview with Adam Teed, cofounder of Sama Therapeutics. He is a neuroscientist who further explains the science behind this plant medicine.

Adam Teed, Sama Therpeutics

ASK YOUR QUESTIONS:

Have a theology question? Drop it here. While we can't guarantee we'll tackle every question, we'll dive into a couple each week. So, fire away and let's explore together!

Question from Gina in Wisconsin: In your episode on Deliverance & Discipleship, you cautioned against SOZO. Can you expound on why you caution against it and do you recommend anything instead?

Answer: Sure thing! First, SOZO was birthed out of Bethel. Bethel has done some good, but they have at times lacked discernment (think: grave soaking, theological imprecision, borderline Marcionism, Physics of Heaven, etc). We should always exercise discernment, but a church like Bethel might require even a little extra dose.

Second, SOZO teaches weird stuff about our relationship with the Trinity. For instance: if your relationship with your father is broken, this translates to your relationship to God the Father; if your relationship with your mother is broken, this translates to your relationship to the Holy Spirit; if your relationship with your siblings is broken, this translates to your relationship with Jesus.

While we might acknowledge some correlation between divine/human relationships, we have no biblical evidence for this teaching. Our relationships with each Person of the Trinity cannot be divided so neatly. It almost seems to border on "tri-theism": a belief in three separate gods. If God is One—in essence, in will, in character—it is hard to fathom how we can have such distinct relationships with each Person of the Trinity.

To be fair, Bethel is Trinitarian. But this only exemplifies the consistent concern about theology and discernment.

With all this said, many people have benefited from SOZO, and I doubt you would pick up a heresy or destroy your faith by participating in it. If it's your only option in town for exploring inner healing, it might be worth considering. If you do, just enter in with your discern-o-meter at full-function, and I think you'll be fine.

SHOWS LAST WEEK:

If you missed joining us for the Live Chat, you can still catch the episodes:

Did Jesus Go To Hell?

The doctrine of Christ’s “descent” is confessed in the Apostles’s and Athanasian Creeds and celebrated by Eastern and Roman Catholic churches, but evangelical churches rarely give it much attention. Even where the Apostles’s Creed is recited many evangelicals leave out the clause, “he descended into hell/the dead.” So just what is the doctrine of Christ descending to the dead?

We interview Matt Emerson and discuss his book "He Descended to the Dead": An Evangelical Theology of Holy Saturday, winner of a 2019 TGC book award.

From biblical foundations to historical context and pastoral implications, we'll discuss it all with Matt.

Christians Talk Psychedelics: Ayahuasca

Ever heard of Ayahuasca? It’s a plant medicine used in ceremonies by indigenous communities in the Amazon rainforest. And there are some crazy stories out there . . . testimonies of atheists and drug addicts experiencing God and coming to Christ after this experience - descriptions of another dimension that is 'more real than reality'.

In recent years, Ayahuasca has gained popularity in Western cultures, leading to the rise of Ayahuasca tourism and retreats - and even churches promoting its spiritual benefits. But is this something Christians should be experiencing? If the substance is bringing people to Christ, should churches be exploring it? Or is this something we should mark and avoid?

REPLAY:

In preparation for Monday’s show on secular mysticism, watch this previous episode on Christian Mysticism with Sam Storms.

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