Exploring the dangers of enthusiasm in spirituality, the hosts discuss the isolated life it can lead to. They highlight the importance of the ordinary means of grace for true spiritual freedom. Delve into the impact of autonomy in religious contexts and the struggle for external authority in a self-centered society.
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Quick takeaways
Autonomous spirituality leads to isolation, emphasizing the importance of ordinary means of grace for true freedom.
Crafting a personalized religion based on preferences contradicts belief in God, highlighting dangers of autonomy.
Enthusiasm fosters autonomous individualism, cautioning against prioritizing personal choice over divine authority.
Deep dives
Dangers of Autonomy in Religion
Choosing churches based on personal comfort and preferences rather than the authority of God and scripture leads to a focus on individualism and self-made spirituality. The episode highlights the impact of autonomy on American thought, emphasizing the contrast between seeking personal fulfillment versus submitting to external authority like God.
Sheilaism and Autonomy
The concept of 'Sheilaism' symbolizes the contradiction between claiming belief in God while crafting a personalized religion centered around oneself. The episode challenges the idea of autonomy in religion, illustrating the dangers of prioritizing self-identity and individual choice over acknowledging external divine authority.
Impact of Enthusiasm on Autonomy
The discussion delves into how the tendency towards enthusiasm drives individuals towards autonomous individualism in religion, shaping a culture where personal choice is synonymous with freedom. By exploring historical perspectives and biblical narratives, the episode exposes the pitfalls of self-made spirituality.
Therapeutic Culture and Autonomy
The podcast unpacks the influence of therapeutic culture on promoting autonomy, emphasizing the shift towards prioritizing self-expression and emotional well-being over traditional values. It critiques the idea of using self-affirmations as a means of self-improvement, highlighting the detrimental effects of seeking fulfillment solely from within.
Call for External Authority
Contrasting the limitations of self-empowerment, the narrative underscores the need for external authority, particularly God's word and salvation through Christ. It emphasizes the futility of relying on self-directed autonomy for salvation or inner fulfillment, promoting the significance of embracing external truths and divine guidance.
Conclusion on Autonomy and Healing
The episode concludes with a poignant message on finding true freedom and healing not through self-affirmation or therapeutic introspection but through embracing the external authority and grace offered by God. It emphasizes the transformative power of divine truth and redemption, steering listeners away from the pitfalls of self-reliance towards a deeper reliance on external, transcendent love and salvation.
Where does the spirituality of enthusiasm and the New Apostolic Reformation ultimately lead? Hosts Michael Horton, Bob Hiller, Walter Strickland, and Justin Holcomb show how ecstatic shaman-like spirituality wrought in enthusiasm results in an isolated life. While autonomous spiritual practices may free us from the external structures and authorities of religion, the hosts share how the ordinary means of grace is the only place where we find true freedom and rest in our spiritual lives.
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Subscribe to Modern Reformation magazine. Our May/June issue is “This Isn’t the Reformation You’re Looking For,” where we feature essays and articles about the “New Apostolic Reformation” (NAR) and how its vision of revivalism and enthusiasm is not the kind of renewal the church and culture needs.