Wells Hits the Mark with This

After mentioning the emergence of self-made, individualistic spiritualities in our current context, Wells makes this very perceptive comment—

"And what will prove even more momentous to the evangelical world than its engagement with other religions, I believe, will be whether it is able to distinguish what it has to offer from the emergence of these forms of spirituality. Therapeutic spiritualities which are non-religious begin to look quite like evangelical spirituality which is therapeutic and non-doctrinal." —Above All Earthly Pow'rs (p5)

From my perspective, despite the fact that it seems to be "cool" to be evangelical right now, much of evangelicalism is almost indistinguishable on a practical and philosophical level from these emerging spiritualities. When the "message" is pop psychology mixed with a few castrated Bible quotes, and the program emphasis is to please the visitors rather than God Himself it is small wonder that many attenders can feel every liberty to live by their own existential impulses. It is also small wonder that they can continue to live life apart from a comprehensive worldview when there is no such view regularly and accurately proclaimed from the pulpit (or bar stool, couch, reclining chair, group hug, etc.). If the philosophy proceeds from and terminates upon man, what really does distinguish it from these spiritualities? The misuse of Scripture and occaisional reference to Jesus can be found in the emerging spiritualities. At a confessional level there ought to be a glaring difference, but with doctrine so often being set aside even this distinguishing element is blurred and often obliterated.