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One of the most provocative books within recent times is SPIRIT WARS by Peter Jones. The author is professor of New Testament at Westminster Seminary. A classmate of John Lennon in their early school days in England, they enjoyed listening to Bill Haley and the Comets but never spoke concerning religion or philosophy. Lennon changed schools at the age of 16 and they never met again.
Going separate ways, they both came to enjoy a great deal of success and recognition. Lennon achieved superstar status and was instrumental in changing the face of music worldwide. He became committed to New Age Hinduism. Jones, following his evangelical convictions, chose the academic route and went on to earn an MDiv from Gordon-Conwell Seminary, a ThM from Harvard Divinity School and a PhD from Princeton Seminary.
After teaching New Testament Greek in France for 18 years, Jones took a teaching position in Southern California in 1991. At that point he read a provocative line from Lennon. The expression was that true Christians were Gnostic in their thinking, totall y dependent of self, actually becoming Christ themselves.
How did two pals in early years, who actually shared a two-seater desk at school, come out so far apart in their understanding of spiritual truths? Lennon with only two years of secular technical formal training discovered the Gnostic philosophy of the early church. He applied that to his understanding of truth. Jones discovered Gnostic teaching in gradu ate school. He is now one of the leading writers, pointing out the striking parallels between the ancient heresy of Gnosticism and the spirituality of New Age thinking and the post-modern worldview.
It is Jones's contention that
In just one generation, Judeo-Christian America has become an incubator of revived paganism. Behind the dazzling diversity of pro-choice culture-abortion rights, the homosexual agenda, radical feminism, the new spirituality, goddess worship and witchcraft-lies a coh erent pagan spirituality bent on absolute control, intolerant of any truth but its own. (back jacket of book)
After coming to this country, he observed closely the direction this country seemed to be going. He could not remain silent. He is convinced "...that we are witnessing the first signs of an assault against the truth of Christ the likes of which the church has never seen. Orthodox Christian faith, instead of being celebrated as the backbone of the West, is now dismissed as its lunatic fringe." (p. 257-8)
These are strong words. Professor Jones, however, remains optimistic the truth of the gospel will become enhanced when the error of this teaching is fully exposed. Darkness will never stand up to the light of the true gospel. In reality, there are seriou s signs indicating something is amiss. It is also paramount to understand, this is not a battle between atheism and theism. In spite of what many atheistic and agnostic thinkers are saying, the battle has been won. It is very difficult to find true atheists in our midst. The Evangelical battle is not "them". It is us. The belief in God has never been greater than today. The new wave of thinking is "find the best among all religious options" and apply them on a daily basis. Tolerance is the order of the day. This is reflected in the term "organized religion."Millions make the claim they believe in God and a life hereafter. However, for them they are not into "organized religion" but believe the deepest spiritual meaning comes from outside the organized church.
