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Secrets of the New Age: Discover the Sources of the Supernatural Power and Prophetic Messages That Are Sweeping Americans into a New Spiritual Alleg
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September 10, 2021
My rating reflects the pleasure I had as the tone and purpose of the book changed its course throughout my reading, rather than a buy-in of the theology, eschatology, and general cosmology that Wade espouses. This pleasure can only be had by judging the book entirely on its cover, as I did, and going in blind without so much as reading the index of chapter titles before starting. Maybe a poor way to engage with literature in general, but for this instance I don't regret it at all.
I didn't read the back cover or research the author before picking it up at a used book store. Judging from the front cover I expected a rather cozy "intro to New Age" from the 80s. Kenneth Wade instead took me on a different spiritual journey, beginning with a neutral or even sympathetic exposition into the new age movement, its core ideas, and its distinguishing practices.
Then I flipped a page and he argued that the spirits channeled by New age followers are the coordinated efforts of Satan, spinning sweet tales to distract those seeking spiritual truths from the actual truths held within the Bible.
By no means does he give a weak admonition of new age practices, but he does spend some time reflecting on the sources and values in those practices (with an eye toward how Christianity can do better) and discourages alarmist thinking exposed by other writers, seeing anti-christian conspiracy lurking within eclectically esoteric halls of decentralized new age thought leadership. While clearly holding some evangelical/apologetic point, his rebuttals of the new age cosmology were fairly calm. I thought the peak had come and gone.
And then we turned to eschatology, the eventual role new age believers will play in the machinations of the beast from revelation (along with those who observe the false sabbath on Sunday rather than Saturday, it seemed), and the need for Christians to prepare themselves for complete reliance on God. Only by this complete reliance can perfection be attained, particularly in the face of the beast that demands one's allegiance in order to be sustained in the society of men.
The main points Wade seems to try to make are hindered by a desire to shoehorn in a few (maybe denomination-specific) theological points. The flow was otherwise pretty good. I found myself more drawn to the see the eventual conclusions that would come than I have been to some novels.
I didn't read the back cover or research the author before picking it up at a used book store. Judging from the front cover I expected a rather cozy "intro to New Age" from the 80s. Kenneth Wade instead took me on a different spiritual journey, beginning with a neutral or even sympathetic exposition into the new age movement, its core ideas, and its distinguishing practices.
Then I flipped a page and he argued that the spirits channeled by New age followers are the coordinated efforts of Satan, spinning sweet tales to distract those seeking spiritual truths from the actual truths held within the Bible.
By no means does he give a weak admonition of new age practices, but he does spend some time reflecting on the sources and values in those practices (with an eye toward how Christianity can do better) and discourages alarmist thinking exposed by other writers, seeing anti-christian conspiracy lurking within eclectically esoteric halls of decentralized new age thought leadership. While clearly holding some evangelical/apologetic point, his rebuttals of the new age cosmology were fairly calm. I thought the peak had come and gone.
And then we turned to eschatology, the eventual role new age believers will play in the machinations of the beast from revelation (along with those who observe the false sabbath on Sunday rather than Saturday, it seemed), and the need for Christians to prepare themselves for complete reliance on God. Only by this complete reliance can perfection be attained, particularly in the face of the beast that demands one's allegiance in order to be sustained in the society of men.
The main points Wade seems to try to make are hindered by a desire to shoehorn in a few (maybe denomination-specific) theological points. The flow was otherwise pretty good. I found myself more drawn to the see the eventual conclusions that would come than I have been to some novels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 of 1 review