A recent Pew Research study reveals widespread belief in spirits and life after death across various cultures. The hosts discuss the critical distinction between spirits and souls, diving into their theological implications. They analyze the occult’s ties to ghosts while advocating for discernment in spiritual matters. The conversation also examines the rise of individualized spirituality among younger generations, contrasting fleeting trends with the deeper roots of Christianity. It's a fascinating exploration of how modern beliefs are shaped in a secular age.
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insights INSIGHT
Spirit: Cultural vs Biblical Views
Spirit means different things in culture and the Bible, from life force to personal spiritual beings.
True soul and spirit, reflecting God's image, apply only to humans, not animals or nature.
insights INSIGHT
No Such Thing as Ghosts
The spiritual world includes angels and fallen demons led by Satan opposing God.
Ghosts do not exist; what people call ghosts are either hoaxes or demons impersonating spirits.
insights INSIGHT
The Rise of Easy Spirituality
Interest in crystals and spiritual energies reflect a desire for spirituality without commitment.
This "easy spirituality" lacks doctrine, accountability, or lifestyle change, appealing to those wanting spiritual feelings only.
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In this week's conversation between Dr. James Emery White and co-host Alexis Drye, they discuss a new Pew Research study that was conducted with participants from three dozen countries, reflecting a wide range of religious traditions. The findings showed that not only is belief in life after death widespread, but so is a belief in spirits. The majority of adults in most countries believe that animals and parts of nature can have spirits or spiritual energies - think mountains or rivers or trees. This begs the question: what is a spirit, at least as defined by those who believe in them? Is this the same thing as a soul? And what about ghosts?
Episode Links
The podcast recently looked at a topic related to life after death, specifically the occurrence of near-death experiences. You can find that episode HERE. And as Alexis mentioned, this is not the first time that the podcast has delved into the spiritual realm. We'd encourage you to go back and listen to these past episodes if you missed them: CCP11: On Wicca, CCP58: On Your Horoscope and Starbucks, and CCP77: On Angels.
Dr. White discussed the importance of having a sound understanding of Christian theology when it comes to things related to the spirit and the soul, particularly the knowledge of what it means to be made in the image of God. There is a fantastic course offered through Church & Culture called “Theology on Tap,” exploring answers Christians give to questions people have about God and all things related to God. You can find out more about that course HERE.
Finally, there are two series we suggest you check out that were delivered by James Emery White at Mecklenburg Community Church. The first is called “Paranormal” looking at the world of the occult and the map of our spiritual world. The second is called “So What's the Difference?,” which took a look at the key differences between Christianity and the religions of the world. As Dr. White said, in today's culture the younger generations seem to think that they are following the beliefs of the Christian faith while in reality, they are simply picking and choosing the parts of all the world's religions they like the best.
For those of you who are new to Church & Culture, we'd love to invite you to subscribe (for free of course) to the twice-weekly Church & Culture blog and check out the Daily Headline News - a collection of headlines from around the globe each weekday. We'd also love to hear from you if there is a topic that you'd like to see discussed on the Church & Culture Podcast in an upcoming episode. You can find the form to submit your questions at the bottom of the podcast page HERE.
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