This is the second in a trilogy by Escondido resident Dr. Peter Jones, who lays bare an organized, worldwide movement to “paganize” America through Gnostic teaching.
A school chum of Beatle John Lennon, Jones points to the obvious separation of their paths through life. Lennon became a superstar, pagan, new age guru. Jones, became a doctor of divinity, Bible scholar, teacher and author. He is a professor at Westminister Seminary in Escondido.
Spirit Wars attacks almost every “politically correct” thought running rampant through our culture. He swings a broad axe at Monism (the philosophy that “all is one and one is all”), radical feminism, new age philosophy, Deepak Chopra and Mother Earth. His pointed pen starts at the top with some insightful criticism of the current administration starting with Bill and Hillary Clinton.
First and foremost, however, this book is a well thought out, wonderfully researched expose. It shines the bright light of Biblical truth into the dark recesses of Gnosticism and the current assault on the legacy of Christian truth and tradition. And although sometimes anecdotal, Spirit Wars takes laser-pure shots at the corrupting of fundamental Christianity. He skewers the Course in Miracles, Nietzche, the Death of God, the theology of the sixties, the “Jesus Seminars,” and the new Christian liberalism invading our churches.
The book (233 pages) followed by an entire section of notes which provides marvelous source material is in two parts. The first deals with the recent history of this “New Spirituality.” The second takes on Gnosticism and issue by issue tears it to shreds with specific points of doctrine from the Bible.
The Gnostic “bible,” containing a “fifth gospel” (The Gospel of Thomas) should be understood by every Christian to be what it is – heresy in its purest form…It should also be understood that the ancient Gnostics were anti-Christians who, Jones writes,”…offer a seductive picture of Jesus to warm any New Age gurus’ heart.”
The discussion of Gnosticism and its’ attempts to destroy Biblical Christianity are concise and clear enough that even I understood them. Jones traces the roots of its Aquarian Age renewal from Tertullian (160 – 225 AD.) to the discovery of the Nag Hammadi papers in Egypt in 1945, to Rosemary Radford Ruether and her use of the “Divine Female.”
Jones points throughout Spirit Wars at what he calls the “deconstruction of the Bible.” Focusing on such popular practices as transcendental meditation he shows it to be just one more way to the occult. He paints a map of the road of Christian liberalism and its’ journey away from God and toward self. It would appear from his words that the “me” philosophy of the sixties is enjoying a major resurgence. It is one, unfortunately that could shake Biblical Christianity “to its’ very roots.”
Jones charts the divergent paths that Gnosticism takes as it twists and perverts foundational Biblical truths. His rationale for the acceptance by so many in the New Age movement must give one pause. One of the basic premises of Gnosticism which takes its name from the Greek word gnosis meaning “knowledge” is that “self knowledge” is, in fact, the knowledge of God.
This book has just jumped way up to the top of my “must read” list. It is illuminating and informative and should serve the reader as a warning against the changes taking place all around us.
But as Christians, we should all take comfort in one Scripture Jones quotes that says it all in defense of our faith, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.” (Heb 13:8)
Paul McShane of Carlsbad is an author, businessman and journalist.
