Saturday, January 23, 2016

The Gnosticism of John Philip Newell & sorrow for Sacramento Presbytery


A local church in the Presbytery of Sacramento, is holding an event featuring the Rev. John Philip Newell. The event, occurring February 12-14 is entitled, “Cultivating the Inner Courage to Change the Outer World.” Davis Community Church, a Presbyterian (U.S.A) church is progressive and has a long relationship with the Covenant Network of the PC (U.S.A.) The speaker, although billed as one who promotes Celtic theology, is rather, theologically gnostic. Newell uses the writings of Jung, Teilhard de Chardin and gnostic texts.

Newell was formerly a warden of the Iona Abbey in Scotland and Companion Theologian for the American Spirituality Center of Casa del Sol at Ghost Ranch, a PC (U.S.A.) conference center. Both the Ghost Ranch web site and the Davis Community Church state that Newell “is an ordained Church of Scotland minister with a passion for peace among the great wisdom traditions of humanity.”

Jesus:

Newell, in one of his many books, writing of giving ourselves for love, states:

“And in the Christian household, we hear again and again in word and song that Jesus saved the world. But must we not also say that the hidden part of the story is that the world saved Jesus? Because Jesus found in the world the true object of his love, and in giving himself in love, he found himself forever.”

He quotes “Jesus” from the Acts of John, insisting that this gnostic text was left out of the Christian canon of scripture because of the alignment of the ancient church with Empire.

The Christology of the Acts of John is “Docetic.”[1] That is, Christ is either separate from Jesus or Jesus’ body was illusionary. This is a false teaching that denies the incarnation. In Christian Gnosticism God did not become human. In most cases humanity was perceived as possessing a divine spark and Christ came to remove humanity’s ignorance about their divine essence.

Newell, using a radical Christian mystic, Meister Eckhart, insists that Jesus is not unique, but rather we are all the only begotten and he speaks of our christhood.

Humanity:

Humanity, according to Newell, was created out of the essence of God, rather than out of nothing. Humanity has a need to return to a “sacred oneness of everything” and the “sacred feminine.” Jesus does not come to save by way of the cross but by example, to return humanity to their knowledge of their own sacredness and the sacredness of all things. Newell in a video, The Rebirthing of God, states:

“Jesus in the Celtic world is often referred to as our memory; we have forgotten who we are. We have forgotten our true essence. He comes as our memory to enable us to remember that we are of the only one, we are only begotten.”

This is pure Gnosticism and it is not true Celtic Christianity.

Yes, there is unity, but we are only united to God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, through Jesus Christ. We are adopted sons and daughters because of Christ’s bloody cross and resurrection.  And we and creation will not be totally reconciled until the coming of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of our bodies.

For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this but we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit even we ourselves groan within ourselves waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:22-23)

I looked at Newell’s brochure sent out for Davis Community Church by the Presbytery of Sacramento. One could and should weep for the congregation and the community because of the heretical teaching. But there is one more problem that caused me grief.

The brochure called for unity and reconciliation with other faiths; wisdom traditions as they are called. “Finding Faith in Each other’s Faiths” one presentation is called. But just a few weeks before this event the Sacramento Presbytery will vote to place an administrative commission over my church, Journey Church in Folsom California. Our session, including myself, will be removed as will our pastor. We will leave our church property and assets behind, and why? Not because we uphold heretical views, not because we lift ourselves up to be equal with Jesus Christ as this false teacher does.

The question simply hangs in the air—unity with all including the heretical who allow Jesus to be defamed—but no care for those who embrace the Lord of all creation.




[1] P.J. Lalleman, “Apocryphal, Acts and Epistles,” Dictionary New Testament Background: A Compendium of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship, Editors, Craig A. Evans & Stanley E Porter, (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press 2000) 66.

10 comments:

Liinda Lee said...

Thanks Viola, I am sharing this as an example of false teaching. The women in the Bible study group need to be aware of these
kinds of false teaching. We are studying Judges and how the Israelites failed to be influencded by the idols and ways of the
Amorites and culture around them. I appreciate your seeing and speaking to us,

Viola Larson said...

I am glad it is being shared, thank you.

Anonymous said...

I've read several of his works, this is not a complete or accurate representation. He fully explains the Divinity of Jesus and His Humanity. "The divine and the human are inextricably woven together, he spoke of Jesus as embodying this truth." - This is from his book Sacred Earth Sacred Soul. I don't understand how you could possibly say he's gnostic because the Celtic tradition stems from St Irenaeus. I couldn't think of a person further from being gnostic. Check yourself next time...

Viola Larson said...

Anonymous it has been a while since I looked at Newell's writings and speech, six years in fact, but I think too many do not understand that gnostic teaching was and is varied. There is more than one way of seeing the material world as un-good. I pointed out in this piece that "The Acts of John" is that form of Gnosticism that is Docetic. Thinking of the humanity of Jesus as embodying the idea that the divine and humanity are "inextricably woven together," degrades the Incarnation because it means that Jesus is not the unique incarnation, but simply a way of showing us who we are. So it is the divine in us that becomes important. There is a vast difference between a humanity created out of God and a humanity created out of nothing by God. That is where my definition of Gnosticism lies. We are sinful creations because of the fall and the Incarnation was for our salvation by way of the cross. It matters not who the founder of Celtic Christianity was Newell is using forms of Gnostic concepts.
I have had a rule on this blog that if you want to comment use your real name.

Stephen said...

I was very interested, for the following reasons, to read your thoughts on The Gnosticism of John Philip Newell. In the first case, I have been very attuned to the gnostic heresy ever since reading Paul's exhortations against it in a bible study many decades ago. Its current revival is alarming.

Second, the men's group at our church has just started reading Newell's recent book Sacred Earth Sacred Soul. Just reading the Introduction and the first chapter, which is mainly about Pelagius, confirm my suspicions that Newell, and the Celtic Christianity which he promotes, is a gnostic.

Any words of advice would be much appreciated.

Viola Larson said...

Hi Stephen, It has been a long time since I looked at Newell's theology but just reading my own words, written here, his theology is appalling. First of all be brave speak up, winsomely of course, about Newell's bad theology. Focus on who Jesus is and how Newell is tearing apart the very foundation of the faith by presenting Jesus as in need of us and we as also the begotten. Jesus is unique, very God of very God. He is the true and only begotten Son. We are sons and daughters but by adoption and that only through and in Jesus Christ.

I am curious if Newell is writing about Pelagius does he endorse him or see him as the heretic he was? I guess I may need to read the book. Pelagius believed we were capable of ceasing to sin at all. And it seems to me that Newell holds the position that we are not sinners by nature. I will be praying for you.

Stephen said...

Hi Viola,

Many thanks for your encouraging words and also for your prayers. They are very much appreciated as many members of our group have New Age beliefs.

As for your questions about Newell's book, the first thing that I would note is that the author considers Pelagius "the most misrepresented Christian teacher of all time, a misrepresentation that continues today." . . . . . . The third and most widespread misrepresentation of all is the assumption that Pelagius believed we do not need grace, that humanity has the capacity to somehow save itself."

Second, Newell never paints Pelagious as a heretic but rather as a Welsh monk who went to Rome, where he and his views were not well received. The author notes that, "Most theological students have graduated from seminary thinking that Pelagius was a one-off heretic."

Interestingly, Pope Francis, as recently as 2018, identified Pelagianism as one of the two ancient heresies, that has reared its ugly head of late and is having a devastating effect on Christians today. I gasped when I read that the other heresy, that is having the same deleterious outcome, he named as Gnosticism.

ybiC,

Stephen

Viola Larson said...

thank you for letting know more and that it was some help. i will not be writing much for a while. i broke my right arm this morning. it is the top par that fits into my shoulder o no cast but a sling so i cannot write very well you may hear back from me in 6 weeks.

Viola Larson said...

Stephen i am sorry i accidently erased your comment. send it again and i will publish it.

Stephen said...

I was sorry to learn of your fracture, Viola, and have been praying regularly for its rapid healing.

I don't know what word processor you use; but my favourite is Microsoft Word. Its Dictate function, in particular, has become very efficient, accurate and easier to use since it was introduced recently. What's more, Microsoft offers a free month's trial of that version.