More Mystics in the Mennonite Seminary
Four more dead Catholic mystics have recently been found buried in another hard to find Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary document file. This latest evidence was dug up after a search on the MBBS website.
The incriminating document is a Ministry Quest - Mentoring Matters letter from August of 2005:
www.mbseminary.edu/files/ministryquest/Volume_2_No1.doc
(HTML version here)
On the second page of this letter regarding Ministry Quest (a mentoring program for youth ages 16-18), under ‘Movements in the Spiritual mentoring process,’ are the five steps of mentoring. The third and fourth steps, Responsiveness and Accountability, are most disturbing, as this is where you will find St. Teresa Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Ignatius, and Madam Guyon:
Responsiveness [is] the sustaining of a responsive spirit of teachability. In order to grow, the mentoree must submit willingly to the guidance of the mentor. Various prayer move-ments, such as the “seven dwelling places” of Teresa of Avila and the “dark night” of John of the Cross, [can be] used to assist in fostering a spirit of responsiveness.
Accountability [is] growth through exercises of grace facilitated by the mentor. Ignatius sets the pace with spiritual exercises categorized as preparation of the heart, virtues of the heart, habits of the heart and rewards of the heart. Further suggestions include adaptable hospitality, intentionality and discipline, imagination and discernment; Guyon’s prayer through Scripture; the discipline of questions; and lectio divina.
The scary part about this mentoring program is that these are not the kind of dead people you want your teenagers to be “fostering a spirit of responsiveness” from. Meanwhile, their parents probably don’t know what they are being introduced to…
Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) -Spanish mystic who levitated and wrote about her experiences of ecstasy and the ’seven mansions’ in Interior Castle (referred to in the MBBS document as seven dwelling places), which are no different than kundalini and the seven chakras. Read about her in the following links:
http://www.themystica.com/mystica/articles/t/teresa_of_avila_st.html
Be sure to read the lovely description and her own words below this picture of her statue: http://www.boglewood.com/cornaro/xteresa.html
Saint John of the Cross (1542-1591) -known as the Doctor of Mystical Theology, who also fell into a state of profound ecstasy and wrote Dark Night of The Soul
-http://www.doctorsofthecatholicchurch.com/JC.html
Saint Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) -founder of the Jesuits and Ignatian spirituality, opposer of the protestant reformation that Menno Simons was a part of
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignatius_of_Loyola
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_Exercises_of_Ignatius_of_Loyola
Madam Jean Guyon (1647-1717) -mystic and contemplative, promoter of “quietism” (passiveness that leads to indifference), an extreme form of Roman Catholic mysticism emphasizing the inner life and visions of Christ
-http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/guyon.htm
There are plenty of dead guys who still speak from the grave that would be a much better (and safer) choice than these ones. Spurgeon, Chambers, Finney, and the apostle Paul, for example. So why on earth are the Mennonites digging up all the weird mystical ones and introducing them to students? Once again, this is no surprise, as the MBBS is overflowing with contemplative (Catholic) spiritual formation and disciplines…
Take this MBBS Syllabus for example. This course isn’t simply critically learning about these contemplative authors and their spirituality…the course says it’s an introduction to the meaning AND practice of spiritual disciplines, and taking spiritual formation into your ministry.
And who will these spiritual disciplines be taught to? Well, this is a seminary. And it’s forming future contemplative pastors, coming soon to a church near and dear to YOU!
To understand more about the source of these disciplines that these MBBS courses are teaching students, read this:
New Spiritual Disciplines From Ancient Roman Catholic Sources
http://www.understandthetimes.org/commentary/c65_pf.shtml
Meanwhile, back at the cemetery, Menno is not amused.
ROM (Roll Over Menno) Index: High
Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. James 3:1
***Update: April, 2008
The above link is no longer working since Roger Oakland’s excellent website was recently compromised by hackers and has been taken down. Fortunately, the article can now be accessed here:
New Spiritual Disciplines From Ancient Roman Catholic Sources
http://208.56.6.212/commentary/c65.html
Another link that is no longer working is the MBBS Minstry Quest document. Either it was out dated or it has been removed for other reasons. However, a recent commenter named Bonnie has found another equally concerning course. It’s the 2008 Spring Syllabus which is being taught by the President of MB Seminary at Fresno, Jim Holm. Here is the link:
http://www.mbseminary.edu/fresno/courses/syllabus/13029555
As you can see, some of the contemplative terms being taught and explored in this course are Lectio Divina, Apophatic prayer, the Prayer of Examen (Ignatius spirituality), creativity prayer, the Labyrinth, and the Eucharist (RC).
(From time to time this happens - internet access to these documents can be denied or removed, but the undeniable and sad fact remains that contemplative mysticism continues to be taught at the Mennonite Seminary.)
