There is a major change taking place in the world today that is mostly unrecognized by the Church. The “New Age” is being replaced by a new global movement that expresses itself in three primary ways. It is the “Age of Re-Enchantment” that celebrates “Oneness.” Why should this be important to the Church?
“The fact remains that as the garments of Christianity are culturally discarded, a new wardrobe is being fashioned from an ancient loom.” Carl Teichrib, Game of Gods: The Temple of Man in the Age of Re-Enchantment
Seeing past the hype, the rumors, the clickbait, and the sensational, it is important for Christians to stay informed about the direction of culture/society so that we do not become gullible participants and our churches do not succumb to world views which stand in conflict with the Bible. It is important for us to ask, what is the ”heart of the issue” in order that we can formulate a Biblical response.
“Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2nd Corinthians 5:20)
TWO PRIMARY VIEWS OF REALITY
The primary duel is “Two-ism” vs. “One-ism” as it relates to God and nature. This impacts so many things: human meaning, philosophy, law, religion, political theory, law, ethics, economics, gender and sexuality, views of nature, and technology. Is reality “Two” or “One?”
“If God and nature make up reality, then all is two, and everything is either Creator or creature. On the other hand, if the universe is all there is, then all is one.” Peter Jones, The Other Worldview.
Materialism and atheism even fit under this “One-ism.” Why? Because they say, ‘man is all there is, there is no separation.’ However, the Bible tells us very differently that God is holy, distinct and separate from His creation.
“For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” (Colossians 1:16-21)
SO, WHAT DOES “ONENESS” LOOK LIKE?
Oneness says we are all one, all part of the creation and universe, it is neo-paganism. Bowing ourselves before nature, believing there is nothing higher than mankind, it is readily seen through different lens:
- Eastern Religions: Reality is One; we are returning to the All.
- Classic & Neo-Paganism: Nature is the embodiment of divinity. Humanity and nature are One.
- Occult: Through ritual mankind acts upon and within the All.
- Cosmic Humanism: Collective humanity is the evolutionary agency of cosmic divinity.
- Secular Humanism: Man is the measure of all things. Nature is all there is. Nothing exists outside of nature.
In the West we see this every day in one form or another. What do their adherents say?
- We cannot imagine a God outside of creation, and thus refuse to acknowledge His position.
- We cannot fathom a God whose existence is not tied to natural process, therefore nature is divine.
- We cannot comprehend a God whose separateness (holiness) levels-out humanity before Him: kings, popes, princes, paupers- “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
- Therefore: We bend our knees to what is created and choose our own spirituality. Ours is an experience of spiritual connection, a divine destiny with a material world.
- We will determine our destiny, humanity declaring ourselves to be Masters.
In their hearts and minds, this is an acceptable and desirable alternative to Jesus Christ.
ISN’T THIS JUST THE NEW AGE MOVEMENT?
The New Age tended to focus on Self– self-realization, self-actualization, self-empowerment, awakening to your Divine Self.
- Today this is viewed as personally shallow and without deeper context; a materialist form of spirituality
Today, Re-Enchantment focuses on the We: The Community of All- our meaning is found in the universal; we are in communion with nature and the super-natural, we are one cosmic family. Self is absorbed into a meaningful experience of purpose and wholeness.
- Viewed as social and communal, grounded in ancient wisdom, and imbuing a sense of magic: We feel our Oneness.
- It is the New Spirituality.
Today in the West, our culture has changed, Christendom has been rejected in the media, in our classrooms, in our laws and in the political debate. What the “world” speaks today is paganism, the ancient wisdom. Today we see Jesus Christ being rejected and the embrace of Re-Enchantment and Oneness instead. They pursue the “divinity of nature” (see Romans 1:25) and the “divinity of man” (see Genesis 3:5). It is the essence of paganism.
At the Miller Bible College in Saskatchewan, there is a modular lecture series entitled “Secular Pagan Trends” that uses this chronological chart:
| EPOCHS OF WESTERN THOUGHT | |
| Primitive Pagansim (up to 500 AD) | Christendom (500-1700) |
| Greek, Roman, Barbarian | Church influences State & culture |
| Nature personified/deified | Christian institutions & ethics |
| God Men as rulers | God’s word applied in life |
| Modernism (1700-1960s) | Postmodernism (1960s-2000) |
| Omnipotence of human reason | Reject Christianity & Materialism |
| Materialism & Science are king | No absolutes, no framework |
| Marxism & Socialism | Questions, but no answers |
| Church-State separation | Vacuum of meaning & purpose |
| Re-Enchantment (2000- today) | |
| Age of Oneness, “to be as God” | |
| Green Movement, worship the creation | |
| Transhumanism, homo sapien 2.0 a “better” man | |
| Artificial Intelligence, emerging techno-pagans | |
| World Federalist Movement, globalists | |
Today we ask, what is truth? What is real? Am I a man or a woman? I don’t know. That is the post-modern mindset that no longer accepts the norms and is in a vacuum of thought. Re-Enchantment fills that void. It says, “turn your eyes back to creation, your purpose and meaning back to earth, your Mother, your spirituality.” It is paganism.
Whether we like it or not, we have family members, relatives, friends and acquaintances who embrace this “oneness” spiritual movement. We are not untouched by the challenges the world imposes upon us.
What you may consider marginal is now mainstream. What you consider “counterculture” is now in the main. We as the Church are now the “counterculture.” We must be Christ’s ambassadors in this new culture!
A couple of years ago I preached a sermon on being an ambassador for our King. Just as an ambassador is a legal representative of a king (or queen or prime minister) in a foreign country likewise, we represent our King wherever we are as a “sojourner on earth” (Psalm 119:19) as our “citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). As ambassadors we are to know our King’s power and position, and represent His interests, not our own. We are to understand the customs and culture of the “foreign land” we are in, but you are set apart from it. And we are to effectively communicate our King’s message while we are there.
It is interesting that after Jesus ascended to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, not very long afterwards the Jews were dispersed from the Land and scattered throughout the world. Likewise, the Church also departed from Israel not long after the Ascension as the Gospel was taken to the Gentile nations. Jehovah is a God of restoration and one cannot help but note that trends are reverting back to the old. Just as God promised, He has brought Israel back to the Land. And now we see that the world is reverting to paganism, the so-called ancient wisdom. The question becomes, will the Church revert back to its original roots?
How best to be an ambassador for God? No finer example can be found than in Acts 17:16-32 where we find Paul at Mars Hill in Athens encountering the trendsetters of his day. He walked the streets and studied their pagan culture to understand their worldview. It is from here that He shares the gospel, the King’s message. In verse 17 it says he engaged both Jews and Gentiles in the marketplace. In verses 22-23 he speaks about the “Unknown God.” The response in verse 32 tells us that some mocked him, and others wanted to hear more. The Bible tells us that some plant, some water, “but it is God who brings the increase.” (1st Corinthians 3:6-9)
This blog is now subscribed on six different continents, some in Asia and Africa may have a slightly different perception of this message. But for those of us who live in the West, I submit to you as you look up and out the window, you are looking at your Mars Hill today.
The “Oneness” spiritual movement has only one destination, it is the One World Government the Bible tells us is coming. Therefore, let us be effective ambassadors for Christ today, “as though God were making an appeal through us.”
I want to acknowledge and thank Canadian author and researcher Carl Teichrib for content reflected in this article.
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